IP Library Granted Patent US 11,187,160
Granted Patent B2
US 11,187,160 · App. 16/878,114 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Geared turbofan with non-epicyclic gear reduction system

Inventor: William G. Sheridan (Southington, CT)
Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
F02C7/36F02C3/107F02K3/06F16H1/20F16H57/0423F16H57/0457F16H57/0495F05D2220/323F05D2240/62F05D2260/4031F05D2260/40311F05D2260/98
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,187,160
App. No.
16/878,114
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine engine comprises a fan drive turbine driving a shaft. The shaft engages a gear reduction. The gear reduction drives a fan rotor at a speed that is less than the speed of the fan drive turbine. The gear reduction is a non-epicyclic gear reduction.

Claims (44)

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan drive turbine driving a shaft, said shaft engaging a gear reduction, said gear reduction driving a fan rotor at a speed that is less than the speed of the fan drive turbine;

wherein the fan rotor comprises a fan shaft, and the fan shaft is coaxial with the fan drive turbine shaft;

said gear reduction being a non-epicyclic gear reduction, and not including a ring gear;

said fan rotor delivering air into a bypass duct defined inwardly of a housing as bypass, and delivering air into a compressor section, a bypass ratio of the volume of air delivered into the bypass duct compared to the volume of air delivered into the compressor section is greater than 10; and

a pressure ratio across said fan drive turbine being greater than 5 to 1, with the pressure ratio defined by a pressure measured prior to an inlet to said fan drive turbine related to a pressure at an outlet of said fan drive turbine prior to any exhaust nozzle.

2. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said shaft drives an input gear of said gear reduction through a flexible input shaft.

3. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 2 , wherein an output gear of said gear reduction drives the fan rotor through a flexible output shaft.

4. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said gear reduction is rigidly mounted to a housing in said gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said input gear drives a plurality of circumferentially spaced intermediate gears to, in turn, drive said output gear.

6. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

7. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6 , wherein there are a plurality of oil baffles circumferentially spaced between said intermediate gears and for delivering a lubricant to said input gear.

8. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said second set of gear teeth on said intermediate gears are positioned radially outwardly of said gear teeth on said output gear.

9. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said input gear drives a plurality of circumferentially spaced intermediate gears to, in turn, drive said output gear.

10. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

11. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 10 , wherein there are a plurality of oil baffles circumferentially spaced between said circumferentially spaced intermediate gears and for delivering a lubricant to said input gear.

12. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein an output gear of said gear reduction drives the fan rotor through a flexible output shaft.

13. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said gear reduction is rigidly mounted to a housing in said gas turbine engine.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan drive turbine driving a shaft, said shaft engaging a gear reduction, said gear reduction driving a fan rotor at a speed that is less than the speed of the fan drive turbine;

wherein the fan rotor comprises a fan shaft, and the fan shaft is coaxial with the fan drive turbine shaft; and

said gear reduction being a non-epicyclic gear reduction, and not including a ring gear;

wherein said shaft drives an input gear of said gear reduction through a flexible input shaft;

wherein an output gear of said gear reduction drives the fan rotor through a flexible output shaft.

15. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 14 , wherein said gear reduction is rigidly mounted to a housing in said gas turbine engine.

16. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 15 , wherein said input gear drives a plurality of circumferentially spaced intermediate gears to, in turn, drive said output gear.

17. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 16 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

18. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 14 , wherein there are a plurality of oil baffles circumferentially spaced between said intermediate gears and for delivering a lubricant to said input gear.

19. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 18 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

20. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 14 , wherein said fan rotor delivering air into a bypass duct defined inwardly of a housing as bypass, and delivering air into a compressor section, a bypass ratio of the volume of air delivered into the bypass duct compared to the volume of air delivered into the compressor section is greater than 10.

21. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 14 , wherein a pressure ratio across said fan drive turbine being greater than 5 to 1, with the pressure ratio defined by a pressure measured prior to an inlet to said fan drive turbine related to a pressure at an outlet of said fan drive turbine prior to any exhaust nozzle.

22. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan drive turbine driving a shaft, said shaft engaging a gear reduction, said gear reduction having an output gear driving a fan rotor at a speed that is less than the speed of the fan drive turbine, said shaft driving an input gear;

said gear reduction being a non-epicyclic gear reduction, and not including a ring gear;

wherein said input gear drives a plurality of circumferentially spaced intermediate gears to, in turn, drive said output gear; and

wherein there are a plurality of oil baffles circumferentially spaced between said intermediate gears and for delivering a lubricant to said input gear.

23. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 22 , wherein said fan rotor delivering air into a bypass duct defined inwardly of a housing as bypass, and delivering air into a compressor section, a bypass ratio of the volume of air delivered into the bypass duct compared to the volume of air delivered into the compressor section is greater than 10.

24. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 23 , wherein a pressure ratio across said fan drive turbine being greater than 5 to 1, with the pressure ratio defined by a pressure measured prior to an inlet to said fan drive turbine related to a pressure at an outlet of said fan drive turbine prior to any exhaust nozzle.

25. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 22 , wherein said shaft driving a flexible input shaft for driving said input gear.

26. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 25 , wherein an output gear of said gear reduction drives the fan rotor through a flexible output shaft.

27. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 26 , wherein said gear reduction is rigidly mounted to a housing in said gas turbine engine.

28. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 27 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

29. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 22 , wherein an output gear of said gear reduction drives the fan rotor through a flexible output shaft.

30. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 22 , wherein said intermediate gears have a first set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said input gear and a second set of gear teeth engaging gear teeth on said output gear.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15396870 · Jan 3, 2017
Related Publication 20200386167A1 · Dec 10, 2020