JOURNAL PIN OIL SUPPLY FOR GEAR SYSTEM

• US 20130035190A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: McCune, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/159
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/40311 of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/02 Parts of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/085 Bearings for orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/043 within rotary parts, e.g. axial channels or radial openings in shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0479 Gears or bearings on planet carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49464 Assembling of gear into force transmitting device

Abstract

An example journal pin includes a generally cylindrical body disposed on an axis having a supply passage. A first chamber and a second chamber are disposed in the generally cylindrical body and are in fluid communication with the supply passage. A recess on an outer diameter of the cylindrical body is in fluid communication with the first chamber and the second chamber. The first chamber and second chamber are each radially outward of the supply passage and including an outlet to the recess. The first chamber and second chamber each have a first section radially inward of a second section. A cross sectional area of the second section is greater than a cross sectional area of the corresponding first section.

Claims

1. A journal pin comprising:

a generally cylindrical body disposed about an axis having a supply passage;

a first chamber and a second chamber disposed in the generally cylindrical body in fluid communication with the supply passage; and

a recess on an outer diameter of the cylindrical body in fluid communication with the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the first chamber and second chamber are each radially outward of the supply passage and include an outlet to the recess, each of the first chamber and second chamber having a first section radially inward of a second section, wherein a cross sectional area of the second section is greater than a cross sectional area of the corresponding first section.

2. The journal pin of claim 1, wherein a ratio of an axial length of the recess to an axial length of the body is between 0.4:

1 and 0.5;

1.

3. The journal pin of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a radial depth of the recess to a radius of the cylindrical body is between 0.02:

1 and 0.05;

1.

4. The journal pin of claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are symmetrically aligned relative to the axial ends of the recess.

5. The journal pin of claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are non-symmetrically aligned relative to the axial ends of the recess.

6. The journal pin of claim 1, wherein a first axial and second axial end of the recess are tapered.

7. The journal pin of claim 6, wherein the taper of the first axial end and second axial end of the recess is at an angle between 40°

and 50°

.

8. A turbomachine epicyclic gear system comprising:

a sun gear rotatable around an axis;

a ring gear radially outward of the sun gear;

a plurality of intermediate gears meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear; and

a plurality of journal pins each configured to support one of the plurality of intermediate gears, each of the plurality of journal pins having a supply passage in fluid communication with a recess disposed on the outer circumference of each journal pin through a first chamber and a second chamber disposed in each of the plurality of journal pins, wherein the first chamber and second chamber are each radially outward of the supply passage and have an outlet to the recess, each of the first chamber and second chamber having a first section radially inward of a second section, wherein a cross sectional area of the second section is greater than a cross sectional area of the corresponding first section.

9. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein each journal pin has a load plane circumferentially aligned with a normal load applied to the journal pins, wherein the normal load is perpendicular to the axis.

10. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 9, wherein a center of the first chamber and a center of the second chamber are between 95°

and 110°

circumferentially offset from the load plane.

11. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein the cross sectional area of the second section is 100 times the cross sectional area of the first section.

12. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein an oil track is in fluid communication with the supply passage to communicate oil from an oil source to the supply passage.

13. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 12, wherein the oil track supplies oil to the supply passage at an axially aft end of the supply passage.

14. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein the epicyclic gear system includes five intermediate gears circumferentially spaced equally about the sun gear.

15. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein each journal pin attaches the corresponding intermediate gear to a carrier, the corresponding intermediate gear configured to rotate relative to the journal pin.

16. The turbomachine epicyclic gear system of claim 8, wherein the sun gear is rotatably driven by a low speed spool.

17. A method for assembling an epicyclic gear system in a turbomachine comprising:

supporting a first intermediate gear with a journal pin having a supply passage in fluid communication with a recess through a first chamber and a second chamber disposed in the journal pin, wherein the first chamber and second chamber are each radially outward of the supply passage, each of the first chamber and second chamber having a first section radially inward of a second section, wherein a cross sectional area of the second section is greater than a cross sectional area of the corresponding first section; and

orienting the journal pin such that the recess is circumferentially offset from a load plane of the journal pin.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising inserting the first intermediate gear and a plurality of additional intermediate gears onto the epicyclic gear system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising attaching the epicyclic gear system to communicate with a low pressure turbine shaft such that the sun gear rotates with the low pressure turbine shaft.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising orienting a plurality of additional intermediate gears with corresponding journal pins relative to the orientation of the first intermediate gear.