Rolls-royce Corporation

Joseph B Cooper

Paul Robert Hayton

Robert Charles Tonks

Christopher S Avenell

Joseph Rowlands-Conway

Lawrence M T Bigg

Craig A Town

Katie Phillips

Andrew J Rose

A system for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon on a wing of an aircraft. A temporary forward link, being length-adjustable, and at least one temporary rearward link, being length-adjustable, are provided. These are for temporarily attaching the gas turbine engine to the pylon. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link are each adapted to resist tension and compression, to maintain a positional relationship between the gas turbine engine and the pylon in the absence of adjustment of the lengths of the temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link. Adjustment of the length of the temporary links brings engine mounts into alignment with pylon mounts for service attachment of the gas turbine engine to the pylon.

Mounting system and mounting method for gas turbine aero engine

A system for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon on a wing of an aircraft. At least one temporary forward link, being length-adjustable, and at least one temporary rearward link, being length-adjustable, are provided. These are for temporarily attaching the gas turbine engine to the pylon. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link each comprise a respective winch operable to adjust pay out of a respective tension member thereby to provide length adjustment. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link maintain a positional relationship between the gas turbine engine and the pylon in the absence of adjustment of the lengths of the temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link. Adjustment of the length of the temporary links brings engine mounts into alignment with pylon mounts for service attachment of the gas turbine engine to the pylon.

A method of upgrading a modular gas turbine engine, which includes: a first fan module with a fan having plurality of fan blades; a first engine core module including an engine core and a gearbox providing drive to the fan; and a first fan case module with a fan case arranged to enclose the fan blades, the method including: disassembling the gas turbine engine, replacing one of the first fan module, first engine core module or first fan case module with a replacement fan module, a replacement engine core module or a replacement fan case module; and reassembling the gas turbine engine using the replacement module, which is compatible with the others of the first fan module, first engine core module or first fan case module; and the replacement module designed to different parameters to one of the first fan module, first engine core module or first fan case module.

Method of upgrading a modular gas turbine engine

A method of replacing a module in a modular gas turbine engine having a first fan module; a first propulsor module including an engine core and a gearbox; and a first fan case module having a fan case; includes the steps of: disassembling the gas turbine engine, replacing one of the fan module, propulsor module or fan case module with a replacement fan module, a replacement propulsor module or a replacement fan case module, the replacement module, having the same configuration as the first module; and reassembling the gas turbine engine using the replacement module.

Method of replacing a fan module, engine core module, or fan case module in a gas turbine engine

A method of calibrating an engine core of a gas turbine engine, wherein the engine core includes a turbine, combustion equipment, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor, the core shaft arranged to drive a propulsive fan of the gas turbine engine, the method including: providing a resistance load on the core shaft, the resistance load arranged to replicate the load of a propulsive fan; driving the engine core; measuring a performance parameter or the engine core; measuring a thrust generated by the engine core; and determining power rating data of the engine core, providing a correlation between the performance parameter and the thrust.

Method and system for calibrating an engine core by determining power rating data of the engine core

A shaft assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided. The shaft assembly comprises: a first shaft having an outer surface; a first coupling ring disposed around the outer surface of the first shaft, an inner surface of the first coupling ring being coupled to the outer surface of the first shaft; a second shaft having an inner surface; and a second coupling ring disposed around the inner surface of the second shaft, an outer surface of the second coupling ring being coupled to the inner surface of the second shaft, wherein an outer surface of the first coupling ring is configured to mate with an inner surface of the second coupling ring, such that concentricity of the first and second shafts is maintained at the shaft assembly by virtue of the mating of the first and second coupling rings. Methods of assembling and re-assembling a shaft assembly are also provided.

Shaft assembly

A panel attachment system comprises a panel and a casing. The panel has a fixed mount bracket, and a sliding mount bracket. The casing has a first fixed mount boss, and a sliding mount boss. When the panel attachment system is in use, the fixed mount bracket is fixedly secured to the first fixed mount boss, and the sliding mount bracket is slidingly engaged with the sliding mount boss. This enables the panel to be detachably connected to the casing, such that any relative in-plane thermal expansion between the panel and the casing is accommodated by corresponding relative movement between the sliding mount bracket and the sliding mount bosses.

Panel attachment system and a method of using the same

A fastener () comprising an elongate core () and made of titanium or titanium alloy, and a sleeve () made of a different material and having an external thread (), the core () being disposed within the sleeve () and fixed with respect to the sleeve ().

Fastener

A fastener for securing together two sheet like members where a blind fixing is required, and yet possessing high positional accuracy. The fastener comprises a shank with a transverse foot the end of which carries a locating pin adapted to be received into locating holes in the members to be joined. The fastener is assembled by passing the foot through an opening in one of the members positioned so that the locating pin may be inserted into the locating holes. The fastener is secured by tightening a retaining nut and washer on a threaded portion of the shank of the fastener.

Fastener and fastener assembly

A vane fixing apparatus for removably fixing a vane plate () to a web () is described. The vane fixing apparatus comprises a mounting bracket () attached to the vane plate (), and a mounting block () held on the web () by at least one fastener (), wherein the mounting block () is moveable between a first configuration in which the mounting bracket () may engage and disengage the mounting block () and a second configuration in which the mounting block () securely retains the mounting bracket () relative to the web (), and wherein the mounting block () is moveable between the first and second configurations by operation of the fastener ().

Vane fixing apparatus and method

A vane for a duct, such as an exit guide vane for an exhaust duct of a gas turbine engine, includes a vane plate, an interior strut and an internal wall disposed between the vane plate and the strut. The vane further includes a fluid inlet in the form of a scoop arranged to direct bypass fluid from outside the duct into a gap between the vane plate and the internal wall.

Growing community of inventors

Brize Norton, United Kingdom

Joseph B Cooper