Integrated mount duct for use with airborne auxiliary power units and other turbomachines

• US 20060144050A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Nicholas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,419,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/796
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/002 Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/243 Flange connections; Bolting arrangements F01D25/265 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/20 Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0536 Highspeed fluid intake means [e.g., jet engine intake]

Abstract

An integrated mount duct includes a load ring for mounting a turbomachine to a flight vehicle, wherein the load ring has a cylindrical shape with a flange edge and a stepped edge, and comprises one or more mechanical attachment members disposed on an outside surface of the load ring, the mechanical attachment members configured to mate with a strut.

Claims

1. A load ring comprising:

a mount flange edge and a stepped edge; and

at least one mechanical attachment member disposed on an outside surface of said load ring, said mechanical attachment member configured to mate with a strut.

2. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said mount flange edge is configured for mating with a turbomachine enclosure component.

3. The load ring of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of flange holes in said mount flange edge, said flange holes for use in mechanically attaching said load ring to said turbomachine enclosure component.

4. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said stepped edge is configured for mating with an inlet duct.

5. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said stepped edge comprises a cylindrical lip.

6. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a load ring pad configured to mate with a stud adapter on said strut.

7. The load ring of claim 6 wherein said load ring pad comprises a cloverleaf shaped mounting surface.

8. The load ring of claim 6 wherein said load ring pad comprises a mounting surface defining a plane normal to a radius of said load ring.

9. The load ring of claim 6 wherein said load ring pad comprises a plurality of bolt holes configured to mate with standard stud adapter.

10. The load ring of claim 9 wherein said plurality of bolt holes comprises a four-bolt hole pattern.

11. The load ring of claim 6 wherein said load ring pad comprises a bearing hole configured to mate with standard stud adapter.

12. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a load ring lug configured to mate with a yoke on said strut.

13. The load ring of claim 12 wherein load ring lug comprises a spherical bearing.

14. The load ring of claim 1 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a first universal yoke, said first universal yoke configured to mate with a second universal joint yoke and a universal joint spider on said strut.

15. An integrated mount duct comprising:

a load ring having a cylindrical shape and at least one load ring pad disposed on an outside surface of said load ring, said load ring pad configured to mate with a stud adapter; and

an inlet duct attached to said load ring.

16. The integrated mount duct of claim 15 wherein said load ring comprises a stepped edge with a cylindrical lip, said cylindrical lip configured for placement into said inlet duct.

17. The integrated mount duct of claim 15 wherein said load ring is attached to said inlet duct by at least one of a threaded fastener, a deformable fastener, a bonding agent, a welding material, and a brazing material.

18. The integrated mount duct of claim 15 wherein said inlet duct comprises acoustic treatment.

19. An arc-shaped load ring bearing flange sector comprising:

a mount flange edge configured to mate with a turbomachine enclosure component;

a stepped edge configured to mate with an inlet duct;

a first interlocking axial edge;

a second interlocking axial edge; and

a mechanical attachment member disposed on an outside surface of said load ring bearing flange sector, said mechanical attachment member configured to mate with a proximate end of a strut attached to a flight vehicle.

20. The arc-shaped load ring bearing flange sector of claim 19 wherein said first interlocking axial edge comprises an interlocking male form.

21. The arc-shaped load ring bearing flange sector of claim 20 wherein said interlocking male form comprises one of either a dovetail form or a fir tree form.

22. The load ring of claim 19 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a load ring pad configured to mate with a stud adapter on said strut.

23. The load ring of claim 19 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a load ring lug configured to mate with a yoke on said strut.

24. The load ring of claim 19 wherein said mechanical attachment member comprises a first universal joint yoke, said first universal joint yoke configured to mate with a second universal joint yoke and a universal joint spider on said strut.

25. An arc-shaped load ring blank flange sector comprising:

a mount flange edge configured to mate with a turbomachine enclosure component;

a stepped edge configured to mate with an inlet duct;

a first interlocking axial edge; and

a second interlocking axial edge.

26. A sectored load ring comprising:

an arc-shaped ring bearing flange sector having two interlocking axial edges and a mechanical attachment member configured to mate with a strut; and

a plurality of arc-shaped ring blank flange sectors, each arc-shaped ring blank flange sector having two interlocking axial edges for attachment to adjacent ring blank flange sectors and ring pad flange sectors.

27. The sectored load ring of claim 26 wherein said ring bearing flange sector comprises a first axial edge with an interlocking male form and a second axial edge with an interlocking female form.

28. The sectored load ring of claim 27 wherein said interlocking male form comprises one of either a male dovetail form or a male fir tree form.

29. The sectored load ring of claim 27 wherein said ring bearing flange sector subtends an arc of approximately 30°

.

30. The sectored load ring of claim 26 further comprising a second ring bearing flange sector, wherein at least one of said plurality of ring blank flange sectors is disposed between said ring bearing flange sector and said second ring bearing flange sector.

31. The sectored load ring of claim 26 wherein at least one said arc-shaped ring bearing flange sector comprises a sector flange hole.

32. A sectored load ring comprising:

an arc-shaped axial finger sector having two interlocking axial edges and an axial finger enclosing a spherical bearing; and

a plurality of arc-shaped ring blank flange sectors, each ring blank flange sector having two interlocking axial edges for attachment to adjacent ring blank flange sectors and axial finger sectors.

33. The sectored load ring of claim 32 wherein said axial finger sector comprises a first axial edge with an interlocking male form and a second axial edge with an interlocking female form.

34. The sectored load ring of claim 32 wherein said axial finger comprises an angled axial finger.

35. The sectored load ring of claim 32 wherein said axial finger includes an axial finger face, and said axial finger face is disposed at an angle of from 0°

to 90°

with respect to a sector edge.

36. The sectored load ring of claim 32 further comprising a second arc-shaped axial finger sector, said second arc-shaped axial finger sector disposed between two said ring blank flange sectors.

37. The sectored load ring of claim 36 wherein said second arc-shaped axial finger sector is circumferentially spaced from said arc-shaped lug flange sector by an angle of approximately 60°

to 120°

.

38. A sectored load ring comprising:

three arc-shaped ring pad flange sectors spaced at intervals of approximately 120°

, each said ring pad flange sector having a load ring pad configured to mate with a stud adapter, each said ring pad flange sector further having a flange hole; and

nine arc-shaped ring blank flange sectors disposed among said ring pad flange sectors, each said ring blank flange sector having a flange hole.

39. A turbomachine suitable for mounting on a structure, said turbomachine comprising:

a turbine;

a strut mounting assembly;

a strut having a proximal end connected to said strut mounting assembly and a distal end connected to the structure;

a load ring having a cylindrical shape and at least one load ring pad disposed on an outside surface of said load ring, said load ring pad configured to mate with said standard strut mounting assembly; and

an inlet duct enclosing said turbine, said inlet duct attached to said load ring.

40. The turbomachine of claim 39 wherein said load ring comprises a sectored load ring.

41. The turbomachine of claim 40 wherein said sectored load ring comprises twelve ring flange sectors each having two interlocking axial edges, said ring flange sectors connected together by means of interlocking said axial edges.

42. The turbomachine of claim 41 wherein said sectored load ring comprises at least one ring pad flange sector and at least eight ring blank flange sectors.

43. A method of attaching a turbomachine to a structure, said method comprising the steps of:

attaching a load ring to a turbomachine enclosure component, said load ring having a mount flange edge for mating with said enclosure component;

providing at least one strut attached to the structure; and

attaching said load ring to the structure using a strut mounting assembly attached to said at least one strut, said load ring having a first mechanical attachment member disposed on an external circumference of said load ring and fastened to said strut mounting assembly.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said first mechanical attachment member comprises a mounting surface defining a plane normal to a radius of said load ring.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein said load ring comprises a second mechanical attachment member, said second mechanical attachment member circumferentially spaced from said first mechanical attachment member by an angle of from approximately 60°

to 120°

.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein said first mechanical attachment member comprises a cloverleaf shaped mounting surface having a four-bolt hole pattern and a bearing hole configured to mate with a stud adapter.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein said load ring is attached to an inlet duct.