IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,247,020
Granted Patent B2
US 10,247,020 · App. 14/761,227 · Granted Apr 2, 2019

Fluid collection gutter for a geared turbine engine

Inventor: Michael E. McCune (Colchester, CT)
Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
F01D9/065F01D25/18F02C3/107F05D2260/40311F05D2260/602F16H57/0423F16H57/0486Y02T50/671
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,247,020
App. No.
14/761,227
Granted
Apr 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbine engine system includes a gutter and a gear train with an axial centerline. The gutter is disposed radially outside of the axial centerline. The gutter includes an inner surface and a channel that receives fluid directed out of the gear train. The inner surface at least partially defines a bore in which the gear train is arranged. The channel extends radially into the gutter from the inner surface, and circumferentially to a channel outlet. The bore has a cross-sectional bore area, and the channel has a cross-sectional channel area that is substantially equal to or less than about two percent of the bore area.

Claims (20)

1. A turbine engine system, comprising:

a gear train with an axial centerline; and

a gutter disposed radially outside of the axial centerline, the gutter including

an inner surface at least partially defining an axial bore in which the gear train is arranged; and

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

wherein the axial bore has a cross-sectional bore area, and the channel has a cross-sectional channel area that is equal to or less than two percent of the cross-sectional bore area.

2. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional channel area is defined by at least a portion of the channel located adjacent and upstream of the channel outlet.

3. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface has a surface radius; and the channel has a radially extending channel height that is equal to or less than eight percent of the surface radius.

4. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface has a surface radius; and the channel has an axially extending channel width that is equal to or less than fifteen percent of the surface radius.

5. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the channel outlet has a cross-sectional outlet area that is between fifty-five and seventy-five percent of the cross-sectional channel area.

6. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry that transitions between a first geometry and a second geometry as the channel extends circumferentially within the gutter.

7. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel has rectangular cross-sectional channel geometry.

8. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the channel extends radially into the gutter to a channel end; and 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.

9. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional channel geometry formed by an inner region and an outer region located radially outboard of the inner region; and the inner region has a rectangular geometry, and the outer region has a triangular geometry.

10. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the channel outlet has a triangular cross-sectional geometry.

11. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the gutter further includes a conduit that extends through the gutter and spirals at least partially around the axial centerline between the channel outlet and a conduit outlet.

12. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , wherein the gear train includes one or more fluid passages arranged circumferentially around the axial centerline and aligned axially with the channel; and the one or more fluid passages are fluidly coupled to the channel outlet through the channel.

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

14. The turbine engine system of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of turbine engine rotors arranged along the axial centerline and including a first rotor and a second rotor, each of the turbine 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.

15. The turbine engine system of claim 14 , wherein the first rotor is configured as a fan rotor and the second rotor is configured as a turbine rotor.

Assignments (4)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2015
From: MCCUNE, MICHAEL E.
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036099/0176 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150361810A1 · Dec 17, 2015
Cited By (10)
US 12,320,418 US 12,326,115 US 12,345,201 US 12,421,898 US 12,422,038 US 12,523,176 US 12,553,381 US 12,571,468 US 12,674,416 US 12,742,496