IP Library Granted Patent US 11,125,155
Granted Patent B2
US 11,125,155 · App. 16/291,241 · Granted Sep 21, 2021

Geared turbofan arrangement with core split power ratio

Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis (Wallingford, CT); Frederick M. Schwarz (Glastonbury, CT)
Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
F02C3/107F02C7/36F02K3/06F05D2260/20F05D2260/40311F05D2300/40F05D2300/603F05D2300/606
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,125,155
App. No.
16/291,241
Granted
Sep 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan section including a fan having a plurality of fan blades, and a nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades, a compressor section including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, the low pressure compressor including a plurality of stages, and the high pressure compressor including 6 or more stages. A turbine section includes a fan drive turbine that drives the fan section through a gear arrangement, and including a second turbine that drives the high pressure compressor. A power ratio is provided by the combination of a first power input of the low pressure compressor and a second power input of the high pressure compressor, the power ratio defined by the second power input divided by the first power input, and the power ratio is less than or equal to 1.0.

Claims (42)

1. A turbofan engine comprising:

a fan section including a fan having a plurality of fan blades, and a fan case surrounding the plurality of fan blades to define a bypass duct;

a compressor section including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, the low pressure compressor including a plurality of stages, and the high pressure compressor including 6 or more stages;

wherein the fan section delivers a first portion of air into the compressor section, and a second portion of air into the bypass duct, and a bypass ratio, which is defined as a first volume of air passing to the bypass duct compared to a second volume of air passing into the compressor section, is equal to or greater than 12;

a turbine section including a fan drive turbine that drives the fan section through a gear arrangement, and including a second turbine that drives the high pressure compressor; and

a core split power ratio provided by a second power input to the high pressure compressor measured in horsepower divided by a first power input to the low pressure compressor measured in horsepower, and the core split power ratio being less than or equal to 1.0.

2. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second turbine is a two-stage turbine.

3. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 2 , wherein an overall pressure ratio is provided by the combination of the low pressure compressor, the high pressure compressor and a fan root pressure rise of the fan section, and the overall pressure ratio is equal to or greater than 36.

4. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the fan has a low fan pressure ratio of less than 1.50 across the plurality of fan blades alone.

5. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the core split power ratio is greater than or equal to 0.71.

6. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the plurality of stages of the low pressure compressor includes 4 or more stages.

7. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the low fan pressure ratio is less than 1.45 across the plurality of fan blades alone.

8. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the gear arrangement is a planetary gear system having a gear ratio greater than 2.3.

9. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the low fan pressure ratio is less than 1.40 across the plurality of fan blades alone.

10. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 9 , wherein a low corrected fan tip speed of the plurality of fan blades is less than 1150 feet per second, and the low corrected fan tip speed is an actual fan tip speed divided by [(Tram °R)/(518.7°R)]{circumflex over ( )}0.5.

11. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the core split power ratio is greater than or equal to 0.77.

12. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of stages of the low pressure compressor includes 4 or more stages.

13. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the high pressure compressor includes 8 stages.

14. A turbofan engine comprising:

a fan section including a fan having a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an engine longitudinal axis, and a fan case surrounding the plurality of fan blades to define a bypass duct;

a compressor section including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, the low pressure compressor including a plurality of stages, and the high pressure compressor including 6 or more stages;

wherein the fan section delivers a first portion of air into the compressor section, and a second portion of air into the bypass duct, and a bypass ratio, which is defined as a first volume of air passing to the bypass duct compared to a second volume of air passing into the compressor section, is equal to or greater than 12;

a turbine section including a fan drive turbine that drives the fan section through a gear arrangement, and including a second turbine that drives the high pressure compressor; and

a core split power ratio provided by a second power input to the high pressure compressor measured in horsepower divided by a first power input to the low pressure compressor measured in horsepower, the core split power ratio being greater than or equal to 1.0.

15. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 14 , wherein an overall pressure ratio is provided by the combination of the low pressure compressor, the high pressure compressor and a fan root pressure rise of the fan section, and the overall pressure ratio is equal to or greater than 36.

16. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the fan has a low fan pressure ratio of less than 1.40 across the plurality of fan blades alone.

17. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the second turbine is a two-stage turbine.

18. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the core split power ratio is greater than 1.1.

19. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the low pressure compressor includes a greater number of turbine stages than the second turbine.

20. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 19 , wherein the core split power ratio is greater than 1.26.

21. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the second turbine is a two-stage turbine.

22. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 21 , wherein the gear arrangement is a planetary gear system.

23. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 21 , wherein a gear ratio of the gear arrangement is greater than 2.3.

24. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 23 , wherein a low corrected fan tip speed of the plurality of fan blades is less than 1150 feet per second, and the low corrected fan tip speed is an actual fan tip speed divided by [(Tram °R)/(518.7°R)]{circumflex over ( )}0.5.

25. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the fan is rotatable in the same direction as the fan drive turbine.

26. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 25 , wherein the core split power ratio is less than or equal to 1.4.

27. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 25 , wherein the core split power ratio is greater than 1.3.

28. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 27 , wherein the turbine section includes a mid-turbine frame between the second turbine and the fan drive turbine, wherein the mid-turbine frame supports bearing systems in the turbine section and includes airfoils in a core flow path.

29. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 19 , wherein the core split power ratio is less than or equal to 1.4, and wherein the fan drive turbine includes a greater number of turbine stages than the second turbine.

30. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 28 , wherein the fan drive turbine includes a greater number of turbine stages than the second turbine.

31. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 30 , wherein the core split power ratio is less than or equal to 1.4.

32. The turbofan engine as set forth in claim 30 , wherein the low pressure compressor includes 4 stages.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AND REMOVE PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11886281 AND ADD PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 14846874. TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054062 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055659/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054062/0001 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14177372 · Feb 11, 2014
Provisional Application 61899464 · Nov 4, 2013
Provisional Application 61898731 · Nov 1, 2013
Related Publication 20200025069A1 · Jan 23, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,560,125