DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL POWER IN A TWO-SPOOL GAS TURBINE ENGINE

• US 20090015011A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Lebrun, Arnaud, Colin, Antoine Olivier Francois, Barjon, Gilles
• Granted Patent: US 7,973,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/52
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/90 Braking
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/005 Machines with only rotors, e.g. counter-rotating rotors DC commutator machines or universal AC/DC commutator motors having a rotating armature and a rotating excitation field H02K23/60
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing electrical power in a multi-spool gas turbine engine comprising at least one first rotary spool (69), for example a low-pressure spool, and a second rotary spool (24), for example a high-pressure spool, and driving an electrical machine (10). The device is one wherein, with the electrical machine (10) being of the twin-rotor type with a first rotor (13) and a second rotor (14), the first rotor (13) is mechanically connected to the first rotary spool (69) and the second rotor is mechanically connected to the second rotary spool (24).

Claims

1. A device for producing electrical power in a multi-spool gas turbine engine comprising at least one first rotary spool, for example a low-pressure spool, and a second rotary spool, for example a high-pressure spool, and driving an electrical machine, wherein, with the electrical machine being of the twin-rotor type with a first rotor and a second rotor, the first rotor is mechanically connected to the first rotary spool and the second rotor is mechanically connected to the second rotary spool and wherein the electrical machine is reversible, capable of operating as an electric generator when at least one of the rotors is driven by the rotary spool to which it is connected or alternatively of operating as a motor to drive at least one of the rotary spools.

2. The device as claimed in the preceding claim, in which the rotors are mechanically connected to the rotary spools by speed reducing gearboxes.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, in which the rotors are mechanically connected to the rotary spools by direct drive.

4. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the mechanical transmission between the first rotor and the first rotary spool comprises a brake via which the first rotary spool can be kept stationary.

5. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the first rotor is concentric with and inside the second rotor.

6. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the brake consists of a ratchet wheel.

7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the first rotor is a permanent magnet rotor.

8. A two-spool gas turbine engine comprising at least one auxiliary electrical machine as claimed in one of the preceding claims.

9. The gas turbine engine as claimed in the preceding claim, of the two-spool type, the first spool of which is the low-pressure spool and the second spool of which is the high-pressure spool.

10. The gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the rotary spools are contrarotating.

11. A method of starting a gas turbine engine as claimed in one of claims 7, 8 or 9, consisting in supplying the machine with electrical power in order to drive one of the rotary spools.

12. The method of starting a gas turbine engine as claimed in one of claims 7, 8 or 9 and incorporating the brake as claimed in claim 4, which consists in supplying the machine with electrical power while keeping the brake applied so as to drive the second rotary spool alone until a determined rotational speed is reached, at which the brake is released.