Rolls-royce Corporation

Todd M Coxhead

Kenneth Franklin Udall

James M Townsend

A stub shaft for a turbine engine is described in which respective masses are positioned along the stub shaft in a balanced rotation relationship for normal rotation. One mass is positioned at the periphery of a shaft end rim such that upon failure of the stub shaft this mass is detached. Such displacement or detachment of the mass causes imbalance which creates vibration which in turn causes surge within a compressor associated with the stub shaft as well as possibly interference engagement with stable structure elements in order to limit turbine and/or compressor over speed.

Stub axle

A gas turbine engine includes an intermediate pressure compressor connected to an intermediate pressure turbine by a driveshaft . The driveshaft comprises a downstream turbine shaft attached to the intermediate pressure turbine and an upstream compressor shaft attached to the intermediate pressure compressor . The compressor shaft and turbine shaft are connected together by a splined connection which allows the turbine shaft to drive the compressor shaft . If the splined connected should fail, so that it no longer transmits torque, a further splined connection comes into operation to transmit torque between the turbine shaft and compressor shaft . When this happens, torque is transmitted via a torsionally weakened, shear section of the turbine shaft which tends to break under certain engine conditions. The turbine shaft is then released axially and turbine overspeed is restrained.

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Derby, United Kingdom

Todd M Coxhead