General Electric Company

Ge Avio S.r.l.

Peeyush Pankaj

Richard Ludwig Schmidt

Shashank Suresh Puranik

Narayanan Payyoor

Darek Tomasz Zatorski

Christopher Charles Glynn

Bhaskar Nanda Mondal

Praveen Sharma

Thomas Ory Moniz

Bugra Han Ertas

Vidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla

Ramana Reddy Kollam

Antonio Giuseppe D'Ettole

Sanjeev Sai Kumar Manepalli

Arvind Kumar Rao

Randy Thomas Antelo

Shishir Paresh Shah

Rajesh Kumar Undipalli

Manoj Nayani

Anil Soni

Praveen Thirumalasetty

Sankarapandian Palaniappan

Sampath Karthikeyan

Chirayu Pradip Inamdar

N V Sai Krishna Emani

Ranganayakulu Alapati

Damping devices, turbomachines, and methods of damping vibration are provided. For example, a damping device for damping vibration of a shaft rotatable about an axis of rotation is provided. The damping device defines radial and axial directions. The damping device comprises a bearing, a housing, and a damper element. The housing and damper element define a cavity therebetween for receipt of a damping fluid. The cavity has a length along the axial direction that is curved away from the axis of rotation. As another example, a turbomachine comprising a shaft rotatable about an axis of rotation includes a damping device positioned annularly about the shaft. The damping device comprises a housing and a damper element defining a cavity therebetween for receipt of a damping fluid that has a curved shape. The cavity is curved in a plane extending along the radial and axial directions and including the axis of rotation.

Damping device for damping shaft vibration

A gas turbine engine includes a fan located at a forward portion of the gas turbine engine, and a compressor section and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order. The compressor section and the turbine section together define a core airflow path. A rotary member is rotatable with the fan and with a low pressure turbine of the turbine section. The low pressure turbine includes a rotating drum to which a first airfoil structure is connected and extends radially inward toward the rotary member. A torque frame connects the rotating drum to the rotary member and transfers torque from the first airfoil structure mounted to the rotating drum to the rotary member. The torque frame includes an inner disk mounted to the rotary member, an outer ring and a second airfoil structure formed separately from the outer ring and connected thereto by a releasable connecting structure. The second airfoil structure extends radially inward from the outer ring toward the inner disk.

Counter-rotating gas turbine engines including turbine sections with separable torque frames

A rotor damping device for a turbomachine is provided. The rotor damping device includes a first fluid damper; and a second damper in communication with the first fluid damper, the second damper comprising a wire mesh, wherein the first fluid damper is transitionable between a working condition and an interruption condition, and wherein, during the interruption condition, the wire mesh of the second damper dampens vibration of the turbomachine.

Rotor damping devices for a turbomachine

An epicyclic gearbox is configured to transfer rotational motion between a first rotating component and a second rotating component of the gas turbine engine. The gearbox includes a centrally located sun gear, two or more planet gears circumscribing the sun gear, and a ring gear circumscribing the plurality of planet gears. The gearbox is configured such that the sun gear is drivingly coupled to the first rotating component, such that rotation of the sun gear causes rotation of each planet gear, and such that the ring gear rotates relative to the plurality of planet gears. The gearbox includes one or more shape memory alloy dampers provided in association with the sun gear, the ring gear, and/or the plurality of planet gears. The shape memory alloy damper(s) is configured in order to reduce vibrations transferred through the epicyclic gearbox to the frame, the first rotating component, and/or the second rotating component.

Gearbox for a gas turbine engine utilizing shape memory alloy dampers

A turbomachine engine and gear assembly is provided. The engine includes a first power input component rotatable along a first direction relative to the engine centerline axis, a second power input component rotatable along a second direction relative to the engine centerline axis, a power output component rotatable relative to the engine centerline axis, a static component fixed relative to a circumferential direction relative to a gear assembly centerline axis, and a gear assembly. The gear assembly includes a first rotatable gear operably coupled to the first power input component at a first interface. The first rotatable gear is operably coupled to the static component at a static component interface. The static component interface is configured to react against the first rotatable gear to rotate the first rotatable gear relative to the gear assembly centerline axis. The power output component is operably coupled to the first rotatable gear.

Turbomachine and gear assembly

Systems and techniques that facilitate predictive core rub diagnostics are provided. A sensor component can collect real-time operation parameters of a gas turbine engine. An analysis component can statistically combine first values, second values, and third values to yield a rub indicator for the engine. The first values can be based on a first comparison of fundamental mode placements of the engine, derived from the real-time operation parameters, and baseline fundamental mode placements. The second values can be based on a second comparison of a vibration spectrum of the engine, derived from the real-time operation parameters, and a baseline vibration spectrum. The third values can be based on a third comparison of the real-time operation parameters of the engine and baseline operation parameters. A classification component can generate a rub classification report indicating presence of rubbing in the engine, based on the rub indicator.

Core rub diagnostics in engine fleet

An interdigitated turbine assembly for a gas turbine engine, the interdigitated turbine assembly including a first turbine rotor assembly interdigitated with a second turbine rotor assembly. A first static frame is positioned forward of the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly. The first turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an inner rotatable component of a gear assembly. The second turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an outer rotatable component of the gear assembly. The static structure is connected to the first static frame. A driveshaft is operably coupled to the outer rotatable component. A first bearing assembly is operably coupled to the driveshaft and the first static frame. A second bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first static frame and first turbine rotor assembly. A third bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly.

Turbine engine bearing arrangement

A damper seal for a turbomachine includes an annular body having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface separated by a thickness. As such, the inner circumferential surface may define a plurality of cavities arranged into a plurality of circumferential rows and at least one partition positioned between at least two of the plurality of cavities. In addition, the inner circumferential surface may further define at least one plenum arranged between two of the plurality of circumferential rows.

Damper seals for rotating drums in turbomachines

A rotor support system for a gas turbine engine includes a rotatable drum rotor and a non-rotatable support casing. The rotor support system includes a bearing assembly configured for positioning between the rotatable drum rotor and the non-rotatable support casing. The bearing assembly includes, at least, a stationary support frame and a rotatable race. Further, the rotatable race is configured to engage the rotatable drum rotor at separate and discrete locations that are circumferentially spaced apart around the rotatable drum rotor.

Rotor support structures for rotating drum rotors of gas turbine engines

A gas turbine engine includes a rotatable drum rotor having a plurality of blades secured thereto. The blades extend radially inward of the rotatable drum rotor. The gas turbine engine also includes a support frame mounted radially outward of the rotating drum rotor and a rotor support system having a bearing assembly positioned between the rotatable drum rotor and the support frame. The bearing assembly includes, at least, a stationary component and at least one rotatable component. Further, the gas turbine engine includes a damper assembly for securing between the support frame and the rotatable drum rotor. Moreover, the damper assembly includes at least one damper secured between the support frame and the stationary component of the bearing assembly or to a surface of the rotatable drum rotor. As such, the damper(s) is configured to provide damping to the rotatable drum rotor during operation of the gas turbine engine.

Damper assemblies for rotating drum rotors of gas turbine engines

A turbomachine includes a spool; and a turbine section including a turbine and a turbine center frame. The turbine includes a first plurality of turbine rotor blades and a second plurality of turbine rotor blades alternatingly spaced along an axial direction and rotatable with one another. The turbomachine also includes a first support member, the first plurality of turbine rotor blades coupled to the spool through the first support member; a second support member, the second plurality of turbine rotor blades supported by the second support member; and a bearing assembly including a first bearing and a second bearing, the first bearing and the second bearing each rotatably supporting the second support member and each being supported by the turbine center frame.

Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced turbine rotor blades

A turbomachine includes a spool and a turbine section including a turbine rear frame, a turbine, and a support member. The turbine includes a first plurality of turbine rotor blades and a second plurality of turbine rotor blades, the first plurality of turbine rotor blades and second plurality of turbine rotor blades alternatingly spaced along the axial direction and rotatable with one another. The support member extends between the first plurality of turbine rotor blades and the spool and couples the first plurality of turbine rotor blades to the spool. The turbomachine also includes a bearing assembly including a bearing, the bearing rotatably supporting the support member and supported by the turbine rear frame, the bearing spaced apart from the spool along the radial direction.

A turbomachine includes a spool and a turbine section. The turbine section includes a turbine center frame and a turbine, with the turbine including a first plurality of turbine rotor blades and a second plurality of turbine rotor blades. The first plurality of turbine rotor blades and second plurality of turbine rotor blades are alternatingly spaced along the axial direction. The turbomachine also includes a gearbox aligned with, or positioned aft of, a midpoint of the turbine. The gearbox includes a first gear coupled to the first plurality of rotor blades, a second gear coupled to the second plurality of rotor blades, and a third gear coupled to the turbine center frame. The turbomachine also includes a support member, the first plurality of turbine rotor blades coupled to the spool through the support member, the support member extending aft of the gearbox.

A turbomachine includes a spool and a turbine section including a turbine and a turbine center frame. The turbine includes a first plurality of turbine rotor blades and a second plurality of turbine rotor blades alternatingly spaced along the axial direction and rotatable with one another. The turbomachine also includes a bearing assembly substantially completely supporting rotation of the turbine, the bearing assembly including a total of four bearings, each of the four bearings aligned with, or positioned aft of, the turbine center frame.

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Peeyush Pankaj