METHOD OF IMMOBILIZING LOW PRESSURE SPOOL AND LOCKING TOOL THEREFORE
First Claim
1. A method of immobilizing a low pressure spool assembly of a gas turbine engine with a locking tool, the gas turbine engine also having a high pressure spool assembly, the high pressure spool assembly and the low pressure spool assembly being independently rotatable around a main axis and each having a plurality of rotors, each rotor having a set of blades extending across a corresponding portion of an annular gas path, the gas turbine engine further having an annular wall delimiting the annular gas path, the method comprising:
- while maintaining a body of the locking tool in the annular gas path, attaching a securing portion of the body across an aperture defined through an annular wall delimiting the gas path;
positioning a stop connected to the body of the locking tool into a rotary path of a given one of the sets of blades of the low pressure spool assembly;
rotating the high pressure spool assembly to bias a blade of the given set of blades of the low pressure spool assembly against the stop, thereby immobilizing the low pressure spool assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of immobilizing a low pressure spool assembly including maintaining a body of the locking tool in the annular gas path, attaching a securing portion of the body across an aperture defined through an annular wall delimiting the gas path; positioning a stop connected to the body of the locking tool into a rotary path of a given one of the sets of blades of the low pressure spool assembly; and rotating the high pressure spool assembly thereby biasing a blade of the given set of blades of the low pressure spool assembly against the stop, thereby immobilizing the low pressure spool assembly. A locking tool and a method of performing engine maintenance are also provided.
40 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of immobilizing a low pressure spool assembly of a gas turbine engine with a locking tool, the gas turbine engine also having a high pressure spool assembly, the high pressure spool assembly and the low pressure spool assembly being independently rotatable around a main axis and each having a plurality of rotors, each rotor having a set of blades extending across a corresponding portion of an annular gas path, the gas turbine engine further having an annular wall delimiting the annular gas path, the method comprising:
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while maintaining a body of the locking tool in the annular gas path, attaching a securing portion of the body across an aperture defined through an annular wall delimiting the gas path; positioning a stop connected to the body of the locking tool into a rotary path of a given one of the sets of blades of the low pressure spool assembly; rotating the high pressure spool assembly to bias a blade of the given set of blades of the low pressure spool assembly against the stop, thereby immobilizing the low pressure spool assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A locking tool for immobilizing a low pressure spool of a gas turbine engine, the low pressure spool being rotatable around a main axis of the gas turbine engine and having a plurality of rotors, each rotor having a set of blades extending across a corresponding portion of an annular gas path of the gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine further having an annular wall delimiting a portion of the annular gas path with a sensor attachment provided for removably receiving a sensor, the sensor attachment having at least one fastener element external to the gas path and an aperture defined through the annular wall of the engine, the locking tool comprising:
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an adapter portion complementary to the sensor attachment, and being removably fastenable to the sensor attachment, externally to the gas path, via the at least one fastener element, into an operative position; a body portion having a body and a securing portion extending therefrom, the body portion being securable to the adapter portion across the aperture via the securing portion into a locking configuration where the body is secured in the gas path; and a stop extending from the body portion, the stop extending into a rotary path of a given one of the sets of blades of the low pressure spool assembly when the body is secured in the gas path. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of performing engine maintenance on a gas turbine engine having a sensor attachment provided for receiving a sensor during operation, the sensor attachment having at least one fastener element and an aperture, the aperture being defined through a gas path wall of the engine, the sensor being removably fastenable to the sensor attachment externally to the gas path via the at least one fastener element into a fastened configuration in which a sensing element of the sensor is exposed to the gas path through the aperture, the method comprising:
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unfastening and removing the sensor from the sensor attachment; fastening an adapter to the sensor attachment, externally to the gas path; introducing a locking tool into the gas path, and securing it to the adapter across the aperture in a locking configuration in which a stop of the locking tool extends into the rotary path of a rotary component of the gas turbine engine; and performing said engine maintenance while the rotary component is prevented from rotation by abutment against the stop of the locking tool in the locking configuration. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification