Turbine engine with bearing assembly
An apparatus and method for a bearing assembly including a frame, an inner race circumscribing a shaft for a turbine engine, a bearing movable about the inner ring, an outer race circumscribing the at least one rolling element, a spring assembly comprising an inner ring circumscribing the at least one cage, and an outer ring mounted to the frame, and a set of circumferentially arranged spring fingers extending between the inner ring and the outer ring.
1. A turbine engine comprising:
a frame defining a central aperture;
a shaft extending in a fore to aft direction through the central aperture;
a bearing assembly rotationally supporting the shaft;
a spring assembly comprising an inner ring circumscribing and defining at least a portion of the bearing assembly and an outer ring mounted to the frame, a first and a second set of circumferentially arranged spring fingers having differing stiffnesses, and extending between the inner ring and the outer ring; and
a damper circumscribing the inner ring and separating the inner ring from the frame.
2. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the bearing assembly includes at least one inner race circumscribing the shaft, at least one rolling element movable about the inner race, and at least one outer race circumscribing the at least one rolling element.
3. The turbine engine of claim 2 wherein the inner ring is a first inner ring and a second inner ring and the second inner ring is the at least one outer race of the bearing assembly.
4. The turbine engine of claim 3 wherein the damper comprises a damper housing integral with the first inner ring.
5. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the first and second set of spring fingers comprise a plurality of spring fingers circumferentially and alternatingly arranged with respect to each other.
6. The turbine engine of claim 5 wherein the first set of spring fingers has a greater stiffness than the second set of spring fingers.
7. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein a gap is formed between the damper and the bearing assembly during normal operating conditions.
8. The turbine engine of claim 7 wherein the gap closes in an ultimate event.
9. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the damper is flexible.
10. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the damper includes a squeeze film damper.
11. The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the frame is an annular stationary frame, the damper is an annular damper, and the bearing assembly is an annular bearing assembly spaced from the annular damper to define a gap.
12. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least one the first or second set of circumferentially arranged spring fingers comprises an interior arm and an exterior arm radially spaced from the interior arm and a bend defining a radially outward turn from the interior arm to the exterior arm.
13. A sump assembly comprising:
a frame;
a bearing assembly comprising:
at least one inner race;
at least one rolling element movable about the at least one inner race;
at least one outer race circumscribing the at least one rolling element;
a spring assembly comprising an inner ring circumscribing the at least one inner race, and an outer ring mounted to the frame, and a first and second set of circumferentially arranged spring fingers having differing stiffness extending between the inner ring and the outer ring; and
a damper circumscribing the inner ring and separating the inner ring from the frame;
wherein the inner ring is a first inner ring and a second inner ring and the second inner ring is the at least one outer race of the bearing assembly.
14. The sump assembly of claim 13 wherein the damper comprises a damper housing integral with the first inner ring.
15. The sump assembly of claim 13 wherein the first and second set of spring fingers comprise a plurality of spring fingers circumferentially and alternatingly arranged with respect to each other.
16. The sump assembly of claim 15 wherein the first set of spring fingers has a greater stiffness than the second set of spring fingers.
17. The sump assembly of claim 13 wherein a gap is formed between the damper and the bearing assembly during normal operating conditions.
18. The sump assembly of claim 17 wherein the gap closes in an ultimate event.
19. The sump assembly of claim 13 wherein the damper is a squeeze film damper.
20. The sump assembly of claim 13 wherein the frame is an annular stationary frame and the bearing assembly is an annular bearing assembly within the annular stationary frame.
21. A method for carrying a varying load through a damper assembly, the method comprising:
introducing flexibility to a load path;
alternating a load between a damper flexible support and a bearing flexible support; and
directing at least a portion of the load through a damper when a gap within a damper assembly becomes closed.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein directing the load includes directing the load through the damper flexible support having a higher stiffness than the bearing flexible support.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein directing the load includes reducing a dynamic load during an ultimate event.