Rolls-royce Corporation

Daniel Feinstein

Joseph A Swift

Jared Isamu Taketa

Caleb Camara

Joseph D Black

Timothy David Sheridan

Kerry J Lighty

David C Farnum

Daniel Lawrence Fadgen

A system includes an air chamber and an oil capture cavity. The air chamber includes an inlet to receive pressurized air from a gas turbine engine. The oil capture cavity is positioned between the air chamber and an oil sump supplying lubricating oil to the gas turbine engine. The oil capture cavity includes an auxiliary vent formed in a base of the oil capture cavity. A seal may separate the oil capture cavity from fluid communication with the oil sump. A nozzle provides fluid communication between the oil capture cavity and the air chamber. The nozzle is configured and positioned to direct a stream of the pressurized air into the oil capture cavity against an opposite wall of the oil capture cavity to create a quiescent zone at the base of the oil capture cavity. The quiescent zone includes the auxiliary vent.

Sump auxiliary vent system

A method for shimming a thrust bearing for an accessory power take off shaft to obtain optimal meshing of bevel gears within the internal gearbox (IGB) without disassembly of the IGB is enabled by relocating the thrust bearing from the engine sump. The accessory gearbox (AGB) is driven from a power off-take from the turbine spool via the IGB. The radial position of the power take-off bevel gear is established by a radial position of the thrust bearing attached to the exterior of the casing via a housing. Candidate shims are selected from a set each having different thicknesses, the shims are formed of two halves and placed between the housing and the engine casing to adjust the radial position of the thrust bearing and consequently the power take-off bevel gear, without requiring the disassembly of the IGB.

System and method for shimming a bevel gear in an IGB on a gas turbine without removal of the bevel gear

A strut may include an outer tube including an outer tube first end, an outer tube second end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the outer tube first end to the outer tube second end. The outer tube may define an interior. The strut also may include an additively manufactured inner tube at least partially within the interior of the outer tube of the strut. The additively manufactured inner tube defines an additively manufactured inner tube first end and an additively manufactured inner tube second end. The additively manufactured inner tube first end is integrally joined to the outer tube proximate to the outer tube first end.

Double wall tubes using additive manufacturing

A seal assembly is disclosed for sealing a higher pressure fluid cavity from a lower pressure fluid cavity. The seal assembly comprises a runner mounting assembly, a circumferential ceramic runner carried by the runner mount assembly, and a carbon seal ring sealingly engaged to the runner. The runner mount assembly comprises an annular central junction portion radially spaced from the shaft, a pair of shaft engaging flanges, and a pair of runner engaging flanges. The runner is radially positioned between the runner engaging flanges of the runner mount assembly and the carbon seal ring.

Seal assembly with deflecting runner mount assembly

Systems and methods are disclosed for sealing a high pressure fluid cavity from a low pressure fluid cavity in a rotating machine such as a gas turbine engine. The cavities are at least partially disposed between a rotatable shaft and a sump housing radially displaced from the rotatable shaft. A seal assembly comprises an air riding carbon seal ring and a circumferential ceramic runner. The carbon seal ring is sealingly engaged with the sump housing and has a radially inward facing seal surface. The circumferential ceramic runner is carried by the shaft and has a radially outward facing seal surface extending axially along the shaft. The radially inward facing seal surface of the air riding carbon seal ring sealingly engages the radially outward facing seal surface of the ceramic runner during rotation of the rotatable shaft at a predetermined range of rotational speeds.

Circumferential air riding carbon seal on ceramic runner

A machine can include a radially inner component, a radially outer component, and a circumferential seal assembly between the inner and outer components. At least one (e.g., both) of the inner and outer components can be a rotor. The circumferential seal assembly can include a circumferential metallic mount, a circumferential ceramic runner, a circumferential carbon seal, and one or more spring energized seals. The spring energized seals can prevent rotational slippage between the metallic mount and the ceramic runner. The spring energized seals can be necessary to prevent rotational slippage between the metallic mount and the ceramic runner for at least one standard operating state of the machine.

Seal runner support

An oil scavenge system of a rotatable machine having an axis of rotation is disclosed. The oil scavenge system comprises a sump housing, a scavenge conduit, a bearing, and a squeeze film damper. The sump housing is arranged about the axis and at least partly defining a sump. The sump housing has a radially inner surface for directing the flow of oil and defining a collection orifice. The scavenge conduit is in fluid communication with the collection orifice and a downstream location remote from the sump. The bearing is disposed within the sump. The squeeze film damper is positioned proximate the bearing. The squeeze film damper comprises an annular channel and a supply line. The supply line supplies oil to the annular channel. The squeeze film damper further comprises a discharge line. The discharge line is axially aligned with and discharges toward an inner wall of the scavenge conduit.

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Zionsville, IN, United States of America

Daniel Feinstein