Honeywell International Inc.

Partha Das

Mark C Morris

Jason Smoke

Steven Whitaker

Eric Bridges

John McClintic

Joseph Yanof

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a combustor section thereof are provided. The engines include an impeller, a shaft coupled to the impeller, an inner cavity downstream of the impeller, a thrust bearing assembly mechanically coupled to the shaft, a seal assembly having a seal land, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a loss of oil event to the thrust bearing assembly and, in response, actuate the seal assembly to move the seal land toward a downstream face of the impeller to form a continuous axial seal about the inner cavity, vent gases from the inner cavity to decrease pressure therein to an extent less than an operating gas pressure thereof, and maintain the axial seal and the pressure within the inner cavity and thereby reduce the axial loads on the shaft.

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a combustor section thereof

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a turbine section thereof are provided. The engines include a turbine disk, a shaft coupled to the turbine disk, an inner cavity downstream of the turbine disk, a thrust bearing assembly mechanically coupled to the shaft, a seal assembly having a seal land, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a loss of oil event to the thrust bearing assembly and, in response: actuate the seal assembly to move the seal land toward a downstream face of the turbine disk to form a continuous axial seal about the inner cavity, supply a pressurized gas to the inner cavity to increase pressure in therein to an extent greater than an operating pressure thereof, and maintain the axial seal and the pressure within the inner cavity and thereby reduce the axial loads on the shaft.

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a turbine section thereof

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Partha Das