TURBOFAN JET ENGINE

• US 20150013307A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: BURGHARDT, Sascha
• Granted Patent: US 9,828,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/003 with at least two independent shafts, i.e. cross-compound
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/02 Working-fluid interconnection of machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/045 having compressor and turbine passages in a single rotor-module F02C3/073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/10 with another turbine driving an output shaft but not driving the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/02 Plural gas-turbine plants having a common power output
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/312 the axes being parallel to each other

Abstract

A turbofan engine includes a core engine, having a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber and a high-pressure turbine which are coupled to one another via a high-pressure shaft, at least one fan from which gas is supplied into both a primary flow duct and a secondary flow duct of the turbofan engine, at least one low-pressure turbine arranged behind the core engine, and at least one low-pressure shaft, with each low-pressure shaft coupling a fan to a low-pressure turbine. It has been provided that no low-pressure shaft of the turbofan engine passes through the core engine.

Claims

1. A turbofan engine comprising:

a core engine, having a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber and a high-pressure turbine which are coupled to one another via a high-pressure shaft,

at least one fan from which gas is supplied into both a primary flow duct and a secondary flow duct of the turbofan engine,

at least one low-pressure turbine arranged behind the core engine, and

at least one low-pressure shaft, with each low-pressure shaft coupling a fan to a low-pressure turbine,

wherein no low-pressure shaft of the turbofan engine passes through the core engine.

2. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein each low-pressure shaft runs substantially parallel to the high-pressure shaft.

3. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein no low-pressure shaft of the turbofan engine runs coaxially to the high-pressure shaft of the turbofan engine.

4. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the primary flow duct or part-ducts of the primary flow duct are deflected in front of and behind the core engine in the radial direction such that the section of the primary flow duct passing through the core engine is radially spaced from each secondary flow duct.

5. The engine in accordance with claim 4, wherein relative to the flow direction an axially front end of the primary flow duct is provided behind each fan.

6. The engine in accordance with claim 4, wherein relative to the flow direction an axially rear end of the primary flow duct is provided in front of each low-pressure turbine.

7. The engine in accordance with claim 5, wherein behind each fan and in front of each low-pressure turbine the primary flow duct or part-ducts of the primary flow duct run in a curve, passing through a turning point of the curvature.

8. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the engine includes at least two fans and at least two low-pressure turbines, where a fan and a low-pressure turbine are coupled to one another by a low-pressure shaft in each case, and where however only one core engine with a high-pressure shaft exists.

9. The engine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the primary flow duct forms at its axially front end at least two ducts which merge in front of the core engine, where each duct is associated with one of the fans, so that part of the airflow passing the respective fan is guided into each duct.

10. The engine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the primary flow duct splits behind the core engine into at least two ducts which each lead to one of the low-pressure turbines.

11. The engine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the engine includes two fans, two low-pressure turbines and two low-pressure shafts, and the core engine is arranged offset to the plane defined by the two low-pressure shafts.

12. The engine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the engine includes at least one outer casing that defines several secondary flow ducts matching the number of fans.

13. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary flow duct ends in the axial direction in front of the primary flow duct.

14. The engine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the core engine furthermore has a medium-pressure compressor and a medium-pressure turbine coupled to one another by a medium-pressure shaft.