General Electric Company

Ambrose A Hauser

John J Ciokajlo

Thomas G Wakeman

Samuel H Davison

William James Strock

Robert J Corsmeier

Jorge Francisco Seda

Adrian M Ablett

Hubert S Roberts, Jr

Mark S Zlatic

Ching-Pang Lee

Thomas Ory Moniz

James Thompson

Alan Roy Stuart

Monty Lee Shelton

Peter Nicholas Szucs

Wu-Yang Tseng

James C Przytulski

Martin C Hemsworth

Rolf R Hetico

Terry T Eckert

Leroy H Smith, Jr

Harold P Rieck, Jr

William Carl Ruehr

Sidney B Elston, Iii

James W Tucker

Jack D Wright

Larry Dean Cline

Thomas C Hermans

Alan R Gilchrist

James E Sidenstick

Steve R Fledderjohn

Harvey W Mason

David Byron Morris

Clay K Carlson

Mohammad Ehteshami

James D McDonel

John C Lake

Thomas S Koertge

A recirculation passageway for a turbine engine provides stall protection in a booster by directing high pressure airflow from a flow path of the booster to the passageway. The high pressure airflow loses energy and decreases in pressure while traveling through the passageway until re-entry into the booster flow path. The airflow recirculates in the passageway until the airflow is discharged through a high pressure compressor.

Booster recirculation passageway and methods for recirculating air

A turbine engine including an oil flow path through the low pressure system shaft which, as compared to at least one known oil flow path, facilitates increasing the rated torque and life of the low pressure system shaft is described. In one embodiment, the lubrication opening in the low pressure shaft is oriented so that with respect to a plane along which an outer surface of the low pressure shaft substantially extends, the center axis of the lubrication opening is substantially normal to the plane. As a result of this configuration, the stress concentration in the low pressure shaft at the location of the lubrication opening is substantially reduced. In addition, such a lubrication opening is relatively easy to form as compared to the known, angularly oriented lubrication shaft. Further, the lubrication opening in the present configuration can have a larger diameter than the known angularly oriented lubrication opening due to the reduced stress concentration, and such a larger lubrication opening facilitates more free flow of lubrication through the opening to the differential bearing.

Bearing lubrication configuration in a turbine engine

A rotatable turbine frame includes annular outer and inner bands having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts extending therebetween. An annular drive shaft is fixedly joined to the inner band for transmitting output torque therefrom, and the struts are backwardly radially inclined relative to the direction of rotation of the frame so that gas flow between the struts tends to straighten the inclined struts to effect a compressive load component therein.

Rotatable turbine frame

A gas turbine engine rotor support system includes outer and inner rotors having respective outer and inner blades interdigitated in respective blade row stages. A stationary rear frame includes a rear support shaft. A rotatable aft frame is disposed forwardly of the rear frame includes an aft support shaft. And, a rotatable forward frame is disposed forwardly of the aft frame and includes a forward support shaft. The forward and aft frames support the outer and inner rotors, and a first bearing is disposed between the aft shaft and the rear shaft for supporting the aft shaft; a second bearing is disposed between the forward shaft and the aft shaft for supporting the forward shaft; and a third bearing is disposed between a core shaft of a core turbine and the forward shaft for supporting the core shaft thereon.

Gas turbine engine rotor support system

A gas turbine engine combustor includes radially spaced outer and inner liners disposed coaxially about an engine longitudinal centerline axis with each liner having forward and aft ends. An annular dome is fixedly joined to the forward ends of the outer and inner liners. The outer liner has a substantially uniform thickness and is arcuate in a longitudinal plane from the forward to aft ends for providing buckling resistance of the outer liner.

Arched combustor

Double dome arched combustor

A counterrotating turbine support assembly includes outer and inner rotors having respective outer and inner blades disposed in an outer casing. A mid-frame is disposed forwardly of the rotors and fixedly joined to the outer casing. A rear frame is disposed axially aft of the rotors and is fixedly joined to the outer casing. A forward support shaft is joined at one end to a forward end of the outer rotor and is rotatably supported at an inner end to the mid-frame by a forward bearing. An aft support shaft is joined at one end to an aft end of the outer rotor and is rotatably supported at an inner end to the rear frame by an aft bearing. An intermediate support shaft is fixedly joined at one end to the inner rotor and is rotatably supported at an inner end to the mid-frame by an intermediate bearing.

Counterrotating turbine support assembly

A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine includes first and second coaxially rotor shafts having at least one differential bearing disposed in outer and inner seats thereof. An annular first scoop extends axially from a first portion of the first shaft, and an annular second scoop extends axially from the inner seat of the second shaft. A plurality of first holes extend axially through the first shaft and radially below the first scoop, and a plurality of second holes extend axially through the inner seat of the second shaft and below the second scoop. An annular first shell extends axially between the second scoop and the first shaft from above the first holes. And, oil is injected under the first scoop for flow by centrifugal force from rotation of the first shaft through the first holes and along the first shell into the second scoop for flow through the second holes to lubricate the bearing.

Gas turbine engine lubrication system

In one type of aircraft propulsion system, propeller blades are mounted on a ring which surrounds a turbine. An annular space exists between the turbine and the ring. If a propeller blade should break free, the unbalanced centrifugal load tends to deform the ring. The invention reduces the deformation, as by locating spacers between the turbine and the ring.

Fan blade protection system

A turbine support assembly includes a turbine rotor joined to a fan shaft through a support shaft. The support shaft is joined to the fan shaft in a V-configuration having first and second legs joined together at an apex and inclined axially apart, with at least the first leg forming an integral part of the fan shaft. The second leg is rotatably supportable to a frame. The V-configuration increases the stiffness of the turbine support to reduce blade tip clearances. The present invention also provides an annular integral bolt heat shield and axial retention apparatus to axially retain bolts used for holding together two rotor elements during assembly when the bolts are otherwise subject to sliding into a closed cavity of the assembled engine or one of its modules. The integral retainer and heat shield engage the bolts disposed through bolt holes in a gas turbine engine rotor shaft so that the bolts remain straight during assembly when a second rotor element such as a second shaft is being attached to the first shaft, and bolt holes in the second shaft have to engage and fit over the bolts of the first shaft. One particular embodiment of the present invention provides a low pressure turbine rotor shaft assembly of a low pressure turbine module wherein forward and aft shafts are attached by bolts which have bolt heads in a closed cavity of the module and are slidably disposed through corresponding bolt holes of each shaft such that the bolt heads are disposed aft of the aft shaft. An integral heat shield and axial bolt retainer is mounted to the aft shaft aft of the bolt heads so as to trap and retain the bolt heads between the shield and the aft shaft.

Turbine support assembly including turbine heat shield and bolt retainer

A compressor stator includes an axial centerline axis and has a unitary annular outer case and a plurality of circumferentially spaced outer hooks extending radially inwardly therefrom. A circumferentially segmented inner case is disposed radially inwardly within the outer case and includes a plurality of arcuate inner case segments, each including an arcuate shroud and at least one inner hook extending radially outwardly therefrom, with respective ones of the outer and inner hooks being axially slidably joined to each other for radially supporting an inner surface of the shroud at a common radius.

Compressor stator

A clearance control assembly in a gas turbine engine includes several stages of cylindrical turbine shroud rings and a one-piece continuous cylindrical housing surrounding the shroud rings in radially outward spaced relation. Each shroud ring is composed of at least a pair of semi-cylindrical segments mounted to the housing. The shroud ring segments are radially positioned by thermal expansion and contraction of the housing in response to temperature-controlled air flow between the housing and shroud segments. Coupling elements joins together opposite edge portions of adjacent shroud ring segments to permit axial movement of the shroud segments toward and away from one another. Lands which protrude outwardly from the housing interior and shroud ring segment exteriors are located between the housing and shroud segments for defining several spiral channels for air flow about the interior of the housing and exterior of the shroud segments. Conduits are provided for supplying a flow of temperature-controlled air to the spiral channels between the housing and shroud segments.

Clearance control assembly having a thermally-controlled one-piece

An aft entry system in a gas turbine engine is provided for cooling selected one or more of aft high and low pressure turbine stages of the engine. The aft entry system includes an air flow circuit for routing low pressure cooling air radially outward from an interstage region of a multi-stage compressor of a core engine of the gas turbine engine and axially in an aft direction to a plurality of radial passages, such as provided by stationary stator and outlet guide vanes, which provide an aft entry region to the selected high and low pressure turbine stages. The pressure of the cooling air routed by the air flow circuit of the aft entry system can be lower than the pressure of air at a discharge end of the compressor but higher than the pressure of the gas stream discharging from the selected turbine stage.

Aft entry cooling system and method for an aircraft engine

The invention concerns a cowling for aircraft propulsion systems of the counterrotating propeller type. The cowling includes a pair of mounting rings located fore and aft of a propeller array. Removable panels extend between the mounting rings and contain openings through which the propeller blades extend.

Rotating cowling

The invention concerns a connector, in an aircraft engine, for mounting a ring to a turbine rotor which the ring surrounds. The ring carries propeller blades, and the connector transmits both thrust and torque loads between the ring and the rotor, without significant deformation. However, the connector does deform in order to accommodate differential thermal growth between the ring and the rotor.

Growing community of inventors

Wyoming, OH, United States of America

Ambrose A Hauser