Airflow straightening assembly having improved aerodynamic performances

• US 10,641,289 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Inventors: Maniere, Vianney Christophe Marie, Damevin, Henri-Marie, Fessou, Philippe Jacques Pierre, Jiugne, Sebastien Nicolas, Schvallinger, Michael Franck Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn, Igor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Jason G
• Application Number:
  US15/748,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20180231025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/143 Contour of the outer or inner working fluid flow path wall, i.e. shroud or hub contour
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/145 Means for influencing boundary layers or secondary circulations for compressors F04D29/68
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/544 Blade shapes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/36 specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/322 tangential
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The proposed invention is an airflow straightening assembly for a turbine engine comprising: —a cylindrical platform (15) centered on an axis (X-X), —at least one straightener blade (20) extending from the platform, —a structural unit (30) extending radially relative to the axis, and —a mechanical member (40) protruding from the platform (15), said mechanical member (40) being one of the group comprising: —a radial shaft, —an angle transmission box of a radial shaft, —an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic connection element, —an intermediate gear driving a radial shaft, the straightening assembly further comprising a fairing (50) or the protruding mechanical member, the fairing having a three-dimensional surface defined by: —at least one upstream end point (Ai, A_e) located axially upstream from the mechanical member (40) relative to the direction of air flow in the turbine engine, and —at least one downstream end point (Ci, C_e) located axially downstream from the mechanical member, the three-dimensional surface being tangential to the platform at the upstream and downstream end points (Ai, A_e, Ci, C_e), and having a larger cross-section measured along an axis (Y-Y) orthogonal to the first, and in which the three-dimensional surface is further defined by two lateral end point (B_i, B_e) corresponding to the ends of said larger cross-section respectively on the pressure side and suction side of the structural arm (30), the axial positions or said points being separated by at most 0.1 C_QGV—in which C_OGV is the chord of the straightener blade (20).

Claims

1. A turbine engine air-flow straightening assembly comprising:

a cylindrical platform centered on an axis X-X,

at least one straightener blade extending from the cylindrical platform,

a structural arm extending radially with respect to the axis, and

a mechanical member protruding from the cylindrical platform, said mechanical member being one of the group consisting of;

a radial shaft,

an angle transmission gearbox of a radial shaft,

a pipe,

intermediate gear transmission of a radial shaft,

wherein the straightening assembly further comprises a fairing of the protruding mechanical member, the fairing having a three-dimensional surface defined by;

at least one upstream end point located axially upstream of the mechanical member with respect to the air flow direction in the turbine engine, and

at least one downstream end point located axially downstream of the mechanical member,

the three-dimensional surface being tangent to the cylindrical platform at the at least one upstream end point at the at least one downstream end point, and having a larger section measured along an axis Y-Y orthogonal to the axis X-X and tangential to a circle centered on the axis X-X,

and wherein the three-dimensional surface is further defined by two lateral extreme points corresponding to ends of said larger section respectively on a pressure side and on a suction side of the structural arm, the axial positions of said lateral extreme points being distant from each other by 0.1c_OGV at most, where c_OGV is a chord of the at least one straightener blade.

2. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one straightener blade comprises a leading edge, and each upstream end point of the three-dimensional surface is located downstream of the leading edge of the at least one straightener blade and upstream of the upstream end of the mechanical member, the axial position of each upstream end point being distant from the axial position of the leading edge of the at least one straightener blade by at least a quarter of a chord of the at least one straightener blade.

3. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional surface is further defined by at least one maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform vertically above a maximum-height point of the mechanical member with respect to the cylindrical platform, and the three-dimensional surface has, between the at least one maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform and one of the at least one downstream end point, a slope of less than 30%.

4. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one upstream end point comprises an upstream end point on the pressure side of the structural arm, and an upstream end point on the suction side of the structural arm, the upstream end point on the pressure side and the upstream end point on the suction side having axial positions distant from each other by 0.1c_OGV at most.

5. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one downstream end point comprises a downstream end point on the pressure side of the structural arm, and a downstream end point on the suction side of the structural arm, the downstream end point on the pressure side and the downstream end point on the pressure side having axial positions distant from each other by 0.1c_OGV at most.

6. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional surface is further defined by a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the pressure side of the structural arm and a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the suction side of the structural arm, and the distance between the axial positions of one of the lateral extreme points and one of the maximum-height points is 0.1c_OGV at most.

7. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional surface of the fairing is tangent to the cylindrical platform at the lateral extreme points.

8. A turbine engine, comprising an air-flow straightening assembly of claim 1.

9. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional surface is further defined by a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the pressure side of the structural arm and a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the suction side of the structural arm, and the distance between the axial positions of the lateral extreme points is 0.1c_OGV at most.

10. The air-flow straightener assembly according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional surface is further defined by a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the pressure side of the structural arm and a maximum-height point with respect to the cylindrical platform on the suction side of the structural arm, and the distance between the axial positions of the maximum-height points is 0.1c_OGV at most.