Planetary gear arrangement
A planetary gear arrangement includes a sun gear rotatable about a planetary gear central axis, a ring gear arranged around the sun gear, and a plurality of planet gears positioned between the sun gear and the ring gear and engaged with the sun gear and the ring gear. The plurality of planet gears are supported by a planet carrier. An input shaft is operably connected to the sun gear via a sun gear spline, and a sun gear body positioned radially between the sun gear spline and the plurality of planet gears includes one or more axially-extending sun gear slots from a first axial end of the sun gear body toward a second axial end of the sun gear body.
1 . A planetary gear arrangement, comprising:
a sun gear rotatable about a planetary gear central axis;
a ring gear arranged around the sun gear; and
a plurality of planet gears disposed between the sun gear and the ring gear and engaged with the sun gear and the ring gear, the plurality of planet gears supported by a planet carrier; and
an input shaft operably connected to the sun gear via a sun gear spline;
wherein a sun gear body disposed radially between the sun gear spline and the plurality of planet gears includes one or more axially-extending sun gear slots from a first axial end of the sun gear body toward a second axial end of the sun gear body;
wherein each axially-extending sun gear slot of the one or more axially-extending sun gear slots defines a locally reduced axial material thickness of the sun gear body.
2 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the sun gear spline is disposed at the first axial end of the sun gear body.
3 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the one or more axially-extending sun gear slots define a radially-extending sun gear wall at the second axial end.
4 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the input shaft is installed into a sun gear opening at the second axial end.
5 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the sun gear and the plurality of planet gears define a sun gear mesh therebetween, radially outboard of the sun gear spline.
6 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the axially-extending sun gear slots extend greater than 50% of an axial length of the sun gear body.
7 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the axially-extending sun gear slots extend in the range of 25% to 90% of an axial length of the sun gear body.
8 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the planet carrier is operably connected to an output shaft via a carrier spline.
9 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 1 , wherein each planet gear is secured to the planet carrier via a pin shaft.
10 . The planetary gear arrangement of claim 9 , further comprising a bushing disposed radially between the planet gear and the pin shaft.
11 . A gas turbine engine system, comprising:
a gas turbine engine; and
a gearbox operably connected to the gas turbine engine, the gearbox configured to extract energy from the gas turbine engine, the gearbox including:
an output shaft rotatable about a shaft axis, the output shaft configured to connect to one or more auxiliary components; and
a planetary gear arrangement operably connected to the output shaft, the planetary gear arrangement including:
a sun gear rotatable about a planetary gear central axis;
a ring gear arranged around the sun gear; and
a plurality of planet gears disposed between the sun gear and the ring gear and engaged with the sun gear and the ring gear, the plurality of planet gears supported by a planet carrier;
an input shaft operably connected to the sun gear via a sun gear spline; and
wherein a sun gear body disposed radially between the sun gear spline and the plurality of planet gears includes one or more axially-extending sun gear slots from a first axial end of the sun gear body toward a second axial end of the sun gear body;
wherein each axially-extending sun gear slot of the one or more axially-extending sun gear slots defines a locally reduced axial material thickness of the sun gear body.
12 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the sun gear spline is disposed at the first axial end of the sun gear body.
13 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more axially-extending sun gear slots define a radially-extending sun gear wall at the second axial end.
14 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the input shaft is installed into a sun gear opening at the second axial end.
15 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the sun gear and the plurality of planet gears define a sun gear mesh therebetween, radially outboard of the sun gear spline.
16 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the axially-extending sun gear slots extend greater than 50% of an axial length of the sun gear body.
17 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the axially-extending sun gear slots extend in the range of 25% to 90% of an axial length of the sun gear body.
18 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein the planet carrier is operably connected to the output shaft via a carrier spline.
19 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 11 , wherein each planet gear is secured to the planet carrier via a pin shaft.
20 . The gas turbine engine system of claim 19 , further comprising a bushing disposed radially between the planet gear and the pin shaft.