MULTI-FUNCTION BOSS FOR A TURBINE EXHAUST CASE

• US 20160201490A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Scott, Jonathan Ariel
• Granted Patent: US 10,329,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/30 Exhaust heads, chambers, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods

Abstract

A turbine exhaust case frame (100) comprises an inner ring (104), an outer ring (102), and a plurality of load-bearing struts (106). The inner ring is configured to carry load from inner bearings. The outer ring features a multi-function boss (116) with a service line aperture (124) and a mounting point for the turbine exhaust case. The load-bearing struts connect the inner ring to the outer ring, and have a service line passage (128) extending from the service line aperture to the inner ring.

Claims

1. A turbine exhaust case frame comprising:

an inner ring configured to carry load from inner bearings;

an outer ring with a multi-function boss having a service line aperture and a mounting point for the turbine exhaust case; and

a plurality of load-bearing struts connecting the inner ring to the outer ring, and having a service line passage extending from the service line aperture to the inner ring.

2. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the service line aperture is an aperture configured to receive a plurality of service lines.

3. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 2, wherein the service line aperture is contoured to retain a plurality of service lines at distinct axial locations.

4. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the service line aperture is configured to accept an air supply line.

5. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the service line aperture is configured to accept an oil supply line.

6. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the service line aperture is configured to accept an oil scavenging line.

7. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the multi-function boss has a stair-step shape such that the service line interface is situated in an outer step surface of the boss, and the mounting point is situated in an inner step surface of the boss located axially forward and radially inward of the outer step surface.

8. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the outer ring comprises a plurality of bosses, each with the same configuration as the multi-function boss.

9. The turbine exhaust case frame of claim 1, wherein the mounting point is a threaded mounting hole configured to receive mounting hardware.

10. A turbine exhaust case assembly comprising:

a frame comprising;

an inner ring configured to carry bearing loads;

an outer ring with a multi-function boss having a service line aperture and a mounting point for the turbine exhaust case; and

a plurality of load-bearing struts connecting the inner ring to the outer ring, and having a service line passage extending from the service line aperture to the inner ring; and

a seal plate disposed atop the service line aperture, and including at least one service line hole;

a service line extending through the service line hole, the service line aperture, and the service line passage.

11. The turbine exhaust case assembly of claim 10, wherein the frame is formed of steel.

12. The turbine exhaust case assembly of claim 10, wherein the seal plate is secured to the multi-function boss with seal plate fasteners.

13. The turbine exhaust case assembly of claim 10, and further comprising one or more service lines passing through the seal plate, the service line aperture, and the service line passage, and wherein the seal plate is selected to have a seal plate hole for each service line.

14. The turbine exhaust case assembly of claim 10, further comprising a fairing disposed within the frame between the inner ring and the outer ring, the fairing defining an airflow path through the turbine exhaust case.

15. A method of installing a service line in a turbine exhaust case, the method comprising:

attaching a first end of the service line to a seal plate through a service line hole;

inserting a second end of the service line opposite the second end through a service line passage extending through a strut of a turbine exhaust case frame; and

securing the seal plate to a multi-function boss on an outer ring of the frame, the multi-function seal plate having a service line aperture opening into the service line passage, and a mounting point for the turbine exhaust case.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting the seal plate to have a number of service line holes corresponding to a number of service lines extending through the service line aperture.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the service line passage is contoured to receive and position a plurality of service lines at distinct chordwise locations.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the service line passage is contoured to receive and position three service lines at distinct chordwise locations.