Granted Patent B2

US 10,287,915 · App. 14/761,241 · Granted May 14, 2019

Inventor: Michael E. McCune (Colchester, CT)

Assignee: United Technologies Corporation

F01D25/18F02C3/107F05D2260/40311F16H57/0423F16H57/0486Y02T50/671

Abstract

Claims (82)

1. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline, the gear train including a ring gear and a fluid passage that extends radially through the ring gear;

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter at least partially circumscribing the ring gear and the fluid passage, and including

an inner surface; and

a channel fluidly coupled with the fluid passage and that receives fluid directed out of the gear train, the channel extending radially into the gutter from the inner surface to a channel end, and circumferentially to a channel outlet;

wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry that tapers axially as the channel extends radially towards the channel end;

wherein the cross-sectional channel geometry has a polygonal shape; and

wherein the at least a portion of the channel is located adjacent and upstream, relative to flow through the channel, of the channel outlet; and

a plurality of turbine engine rotors arranged along the axial centerline and including a first rotor and a second rotor, each of the engine rotors including a plurality of rotor blades arranged around and connected to a rotor disk;

wherein the first rotor is connected to and driven by the second rotor through the gear train; and

wherein the gutter further includes a conduit that extends through the gutter and spirals at least partially around the centerline between the channel outlet and a conduit outlet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein

the channel geometry is formed by a plurality of channel regions, and each of the channel regions has a geometry and an axially extending width;

the channel regions include an inner region and an outer region located radially outboard of the inner region; and

at least one of

the geometry of the inner region is different than the geometry of the outer region; and

the width of the inner region is different than the width of the outer region.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein

the geometry of the inner region is substantially rectangular; and

the geometry of the outer region is substantially triangular.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the channel regions further include an intermediate region located radially between the inner region and the outer region.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein

the channel geometry comprises a first channel geometry; and

the first channel geometry transitions to a second channel geometry as the channel extends circumferentially within the gutter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the channel outlet has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional geometry.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein

the fluid passage is one of a plurality of fluid passages that are arranged circumferentially around the centerline and aligned axially with the channel; and

the fluid passages are fluidly coupled to the channel outlet through the channel.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gear train is configured as a planetary gear train or a star gear train.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor is configured as a fan rotor and the second rotor is configured as a turbine rotor.

10. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline, the gear train including a ring gear and a fluid passage that extends radially through the ring gear;

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter at least partially circumscribing the ring gear and the fluid passage, and including

an inner surface; and

a channel fluidly coupled with the fluid passage and that receives fluid directed out of the gear train, the channel extending radially into the gutter from the inner surface to a channel end, and circumferentially to a channel outlet;

wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry that tapers axially as the channel extends radially towards the channel end;

wherein the cross-sectional channel geometry has a polygonal shape; and

wherein the at least a portion of the channel is located adjacent and upstream, relative to flow through the channel, of the channel outlet; and

a plurality of turbine engine rotors arranged along the axial centerline and including a first rotor and a second rotor, each of the engine rotors including a plurality of rotor blades arranged around and connected to a rotor disk;

wherein the first rotor is connected to and driven by the second rotor through the gear train;

wherein the channel geometry is formed by a plurality of channel regions, and each of the channel regions has a geometry and an axially extending width;

wherein the channel regions include an inner region and an outer region located radially outboard of the inner region;

wherein at least one of

the geometry of the inner region is different than the geometry of the outer region; and

the width of the inner region is different than the width of the outer region;

wherein the geometries of the inner region and the outer region are substantially rectangular; and

wherein the width of the inner region is greater than the width of the outer region.

11. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline, the gear train including a ring gear and a fluid passage that extends radially through the ring gear;

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter at least partially circumscribing the ring gear and the fluid passage, and including

an inner surface; and

a channel fluidly coupled with the fluid passage and that receives fluid directed out of the gear train, the channel extending radially into the gutter from the inner surface to a channel end, and circumferentially to a channel outlet;

wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry that tapers axially as the channel extends radially towards the channel end;

wherein the cross-sectional channel geometry has a polygonal shape; and

wherein the at least a portion of the channel is located adjacent and upstream, relative to flow through the channel, of the channel outlet; and

a plurality of turbine engine rotors arranged along the axial centerline and including a first rotor and a second rotor, each of the engine rotors including a plurality of rotor blades arranged around and connected to a rotor disk;

wherein the first rotor is connected to and driven by the second rotor through the gear train;

wherein the channel geometry is formed by a plurality of channel regions, and each of the channel regions has a geometry and an axially extending width;

wherein the channel regions include an inner region and an outer region located radially outboard of the inner region;

wherein at least one of

the geometry of the inner region is different than the geometry of the outer region; and

the width of the inner region is different than the width of the outer region;

wherein the channel regions further include an intermediate region located radially between the inner region and the outer region

wherein the geometry of the inner region is substantially rectangular;

wherein the geometry of the intermediate region is substantially trapezoidal; and

wherein the geometry of the outer region is substantially rectangular.

12. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline, the gear train including a ring gear and a fluid passage that extends radially through the ring gear;

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter at least partially circumscribing the ring gear and the fluid passage, and including

an inner surface; and

a channel fluidly coupled with the fluid passage and that receives fluid directed out of the gear train, the channel extending radially into the gutter from the inner surface to a channel end, and circumferentially to a channel outlet;

wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry that tapers axially as the channel extends radially towards the channel end;

wherein the cross-sectional channel geometry has a polygonal shape;

wherein the at least a portion of the channel is located adjacent and upstream, relative to flow through the channel, of the channel outlet; and

wherein the channel outlet has a substantially triangular cross-sectional geometry.

13. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline, the gear train comprising a ring gear; and

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter at least partially circumscribing the ring gear, and the gutter including an inner surface and a channel;

the channel adapted to receive fluid directed radially out of the ring gear;

the channel extending radially into the gutter from the inner surface to a channel end, and circumferentially to a channel outlet;

at least a portion of the channel configured with a cross-sectional channel geometry that tapers axially as the channel extends radially towards the channel end;

wherein a shape of a first axial half of the cross-sectional channel geometry is substantially a mirror image of a shape of a second axial half of the cross-sectional channel geometry.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (12)

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