Accessory Gearboxes and Related Gas Turbine Engine Systems

• US 20090188334A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Dye, Christopher M., Suciu, Gabriel L., McCune, Michael E., Merry, Brian D.
• Application Number:
  US12/019,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/15.200
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing

Abstract

Accessory gearboxes and related gas turbine engine systems are provided. In this regard, a representative accessory gearbox for a gas turbine engine is operative to be driven by rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine and imparted to the gearbox by multiple tower shafts.

Claims

1. An accessory assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:

an accessory gearbox operative to be driven by rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine;

a first tower shaft operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox with rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine; and

a second tower shaft operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox with rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine.

2. The accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the engine has a first spool operative to interconnect a first compressor and a first turbine, and a second spool operative to interconnect a second compressor and a second turbine; and

the first tower shaft is operative to be driven by the first spool; and

the second tower shaft is operative to be driven by the second spool.

3. The accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein the first tower shaft and the second tower shaft extend radially outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the engine at different circumferential locations.

4. The accessory assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first generator operative to be driven, at least in part, by the first tower shaft.

5. The accessory assembly of claim 4, further comprising a second generator operative to be driven, at least in part, by the second tower shaft.

6. The accessory assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a first generator operative to be driven, independently, by the first tower shaft; and

a second generator operative to be driven, independently, by the second tower shaft.

7. The accessory assembly of claim 6, wherein the first generator is a starter/generator.

8. An accessory gearbox for a gas turbine engine operative to be driven by rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine and imparted to the gearbox by multiple tower shafts.

9. The accessory gearbox of claim 8, wherein the multiple tower shafts consist of two tower shafts.

10. The accessory gearbox of claim 8, wherein the accessory gearbox is configured such that a first tower shaft is operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox with rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine and a second tower shaft is operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox with rotational energy extracted from the gas turbine engine.

11. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a turbine section;

multiple tower shafts operative to extract rotational energy from the turbine section; and

an accessory gearbox operative to be driven by rotational energy imparted to the gearbox from the multiple tower shafts.

12. The engine of claim 11, wherein:

the engine further comprises an annular gas flow path and fairings extending across the gas flow path; and

each of the multiple tower shafts extends across the annular gas flow path through an interior of a corresponding one of the fairings.

13. The engine of claim 12, wherein:

the engine further comprises a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor; and

the annular gas flow path is located between the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor.

14. The engine of claim 11, wherein:

the engine further comprises a wall defining at least a portion of the annular gas flow path; and

the accessory gearbox comprises a housing; and

the housing and the wall are attached to form an enclosure.

15. The engine of claim 11, wherein:

the engine further comprises a first spool and a second spool; and

a first of the multiple tower shafts is driven by the first spool; and

a second of the multiple tower shafts is driven by the second spool.

16. The engine of claim 11, wherein at least one of the multiple tower shafts is driven by a high spool of the engine and at least another of the multiple tower shafts is driven by a spool other than the high spool of the engine.

17. The engine of claim 11, further comprising:

a first generator operative to be driven by a first tower shaft of the multiple tower shafts; and

a second generator operative to be driven by a second tower shaft of the multiple tower shafts.

18. The engine of claim 11, wherein the multiple tower shafts comprise:

a first tower shaft operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox; and

a second tower shaft operative to drive at least a portion of the accessory gearbox.

19. The engine of claim 11, wherein the engine is a turbofan gas turbine engine having a fan.

20. The engine of claim 19, wherein:

the engine further comprises a differential gear assembly; and

the fan is operative to be driven by the differential gear assembly.