A TURBINE ENGINE COMPRISING A DRIVE SYSTEM FOR A DEVICE SUCH AS AN ACCESSORIES CASE

• US 20170122122A1
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company, Snecma (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Inventors: Lepretre, Jean-Baptiste Etienne Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 9,982,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/08 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/12 Combinations with mechanical gearing driven by multiple engines F01D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/04 Antivibration arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/20 using lubrication pumps
• 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: 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 2220/30 in turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/50 for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise

Abstract

The present invention relates to a turbine engine (10) comprising:

• • at least one hollow guidance arm (44) radially extending from a hub (38) to an annular housing (42), and having one radially external end which opens out in an opening (60) of said annular housing,
  • a radial countershaft (48) located in said guidance arm (44) for rotatably driving at least one device arranged at the periphery of said annular housing (42).

According to the invention, a transfer case (50) is disposed facing the opening (60) of the annular housing, and the turbine engine comprises rotational power transfer means (78, 52) between the radial countershaft (48) and the device, with the guidance arm (44) being equipped, at the external end thereof, with a widened section (56) by which it opens out in the opening (60) of the annular housing and in which part of the transfer case (50) is accommodated.

Claims

1. A turbine engine, such as a turbojet or a turboprop, extending along a motor axis and comprising:

at least one hollow guidance arm radially extending relative to the motor axis from a hub to an annular housing of the turbine engine, having a radially external end secured to said annular housing and opening out in an opening of said annular housing,

one radial countershaft positioned in said guidance arm for rotatably driving at least one device arranged at the periphery of said annular housing,

further comprising a transfer case positioned facing the opening of the annular housing and comprising rotational power transfer means between the radial countershaft and the device, and wherein the guidance arm is equipped, at the radially external end thereof, with a widened section by which it opens out in the opening of the annular housing and in which a portion of the transfer case is accommodated.

2. A turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the rotational power transfer means of the transfer case comprises a hollow shaft comprising:

splines inside a radially internal end of the hollow shaft, with said splines being engaged between external splines formed at a radially external end of the countershaft,

and a bevel gear coaxial with the hollow shaft, with the hollow shaft of the transfer case being held by bearings positioned inside an enclosure of the transfer case, with said enclosure being partly positioned in the widened portion of the guidance arm radially inside the annular housing.

3. A turbine engine according to claim 2, wherein the enclosure of the transfer case comprises a main portion and a linking portion sealingly connected to the main portion, and at least one of said bearings is positioned at an opening of the main portion whereto the linking portion is connected.

4. A turbine engine according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said bearings is partially radially positioned at the opening of the annular housing.

5. A turbine engine according to claim 2, wherein the enclosure of the transfer case comprises an opening through which the hollow shaft of the transfer case extends, with said opening being sealingly connected to the widened portion of the guidance arm so as to form a single sealed cavity comprising the inside of the guidance arm and the inside of the enclosure, with sealing means connecting the enclosure with the guidance arm being arranged inside the annular housing of the turbine engine.

6. A turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the radially external end of the radial countershaft is located radially inside the annular housing of the turbine engine.

7. A turbine engine according to claim 1, comprising a transfer case oil drain circuit, wherein at least two oil recovery pumps are respectively connected to two oil discharge ports each passing through a bottom wall of the transfer case and distant from each other in a transverse direction of the turbine engine.

8. A turbine engine according to claim 1, comprising an upper guidance arm and a lower guidance arm extending substantially vertically from two opposing sides of the hub to the annular housing of the turbine engine, with the transfer case being positioned under the lower guidance arm, wherein a transfer shaft rotatably connects the transfer case to an accessory box of the turbine engine arranged at the periphery of the annular housing of the turbine engine in an angular sector different from the angular sectors where the upper guidance arm and lower guidance arm are located.

9. A turbine engine according to claim 8, wherein the accessories case carries an electric generator driven by the radial countershaft via the transfer means and the transfer shaft.

10. A turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the annular housing of the turbine engine is internally covered with a sound attenuation panel comprising a radially internal surface swept over by a secondary air stream from the turbine engine, and wherein at least 90% of the volume of the widened portion of the guidance arm is located in the radial thickness of the sound attenuation panel.

11. A turbine engine according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the widened portion of the guidance arm, representing less than 10% of the volume of said widened portion extends beyond the radially internal surface of the sound attenuation panel and is so contoured as to minimize the impact thereof on the flow of the secondary air stream around the guidance arm.

12. A propulsion system comprising a turbine engine according to claim 1, which is arranged inside a nacelle, with an annular space being formed between the housing of the engine and the nacelle, with said annular space being radially smaller in dimension at the angular sector where the transfer case is located than at the angular sector where said at least one rotatably driven device is located.