General Electric Company

Shashank Suresh Puranik

Peeyush Pankaj

Richard Ludwig Schmidt

Darek Tomasz Zatorski

Christopher Charles Glynn

Bhaskar Nanda Mondal

Narayanan Payyoor

Praveen Sharma

Vidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla

Kudum Shinde

Charles Stanley Orkiszewski

Shivam Mittal

Ramana Reddy Kollam

Anthony Michael Metz

Carl Lawrence MacMahon

Arvind Kumar Rao

Brian Drummond

Sankarapandian Palaniappan

Sampath Karthikeyan

Chirayu Pradip Inamdar

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

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

Embodiments are generally provided of a gas turbine engine including a rotor assembly comprising a shaft extended along a longitudinal direction, in which a compressor rotor and a turbine rotor are each coupled to the shaft; a casing surrounding the rotor assembly, in which the casing defines a first opening radially outward of the compressor rotor, the turbine rotor, or both, and a second opening radially outward of the compressor rotor, the turbine rotor, or both; a first manifold assembly coupled to the casing at the first opening; a second manifold assembly coupled to the casing at the second opening, in which the first manifold, the casing, and the second manifold together define a thermal circuit in thermal communication with the rotor assembly; and a fluid flow device in fluid communication with the first manifold assembly, in which the fluid flow device provides a flow of fluid to the first manifold assembly and through the thermal circuit, and further wherein the flow of fluid egresses the thermal circuit at the second manifold assembly.

Thermal gradient attenuation structure to mitigate rotor bow in turbine engine

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.

A turbomachine includes a turbine frame and a turbine, the turbine including 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 first support member assembly including a first support member supporting the first plurality of turbine rotor blades; a second support member assembly including a second support member supporting the second plurality of turbine rotor blades; a frame support member assembly including a frame support member coupled to and extending from the turbine frame; and a bearing assembly including a first bearing and a second bearing. The first bearing is positioned between the first support member and the second support member, and the second bearing is positioned between the frame support member and one of the first support member or the second support member.

A turbomachine includes a turbine section including a turbine center frame and a turbine, the turbine including a plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades and a plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades alternatingly spaced along the axial direction. The plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades each extend between a radial inner end and a radial outer end. At least two of the plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades are spaced from one another along the axial direction and coupled to one another at the radial outer ends. The turbomachine also includes a gearbox aligned with, or positioned forward of, a midpoint of the turbine. The gearbox includes a first gear coupled to the plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades, a second gear coupled to the plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades, and a third gear coupled to the turbine center frame.

A turbomachine includes a turbine section including a turbine, the turbine having a plurality of turbine rotor blades spaced along the axial direction, each turbine rotor blade extending generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end. The plurality of turbine rotor blades includes a first turbine rotor blade; and a second turbine rotor blade spaced from the first turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the first turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the second turbine rotor blade. The plurality of turbine rotor blades additionally includes a third turbine rotor blade spaced from the second turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial inner end of the second turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial inner end of the third turbine rotor blade.

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Bengaluru, India

Shashank Suresh Puranik