REVERSE FLOW GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH RADIALLY OUTWARD TURBINE

• US 20170306841A1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Skertic, Richard Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,378,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/073 the compressor and turbine stages being concentric
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/14 characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence
• 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: F02K 3/068 being characterised by a short axial length relative to the diameter
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a propulsor, a compressor comprising a compressor rotor, and a turbine comprising a turbine rotor fixedly mechanically coupled to the compressor rotor. The propulsor and the compressor are arranged in axial flow series. The turbine rotor is radially outward of the compressor rotor, and the direction of fluid flow through the turbine is generally opposite the direction of gas flow through the propulsor and the compressor.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a propulsor;

a compressor comprising a compressor rotor, wherein the propulsor and the compressor are arranged in axial flow series; and

a turbine comprising a turbine rotor fixedly mechanically coupled to the compressor rotor, wherein the turbine rotor is radially outward of the compressor rotor, and wherein the direction of fluid flow through the turbine and is generally opposite the direction of gas flow through the propulsor and the compressor.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein:

the compressor comprises;

a low pressure compressor comprising a low pressure compressor rotor; and

a high pressure compressor comprising a high pressure compressor rotor, wherein the propulsor, the low pressure compressor, and the high pressure compressor are arranged in axial series flow;

the turbine comprises;

a low pressure turbine comprising a low pressure turbine rotor, wherein the low pressure turbine rotor is fixedly mechanically coupled to the low pressure compressor rotor, and wherein the low pressure turbine rotor is radially outward of the low pressure compressor rotor; and

a high pressure turbine comprising a high pressure turbine rotor, wherein the high pressure turbine rotor is fixedly mechanically coupled to the high pressure compressor rotor, and wherein the high pressure turbine rotor is radially outward of the high pressure compressor rotor.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, further comprising a gearbox, wherein the propulsor is mechanically coupled to the gearbox, and wherein the gearbox is mechanically coupled to the low pressure compressor rotor.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, which does not include a shaft joining the low pressure turbine rotor and the low pressure compressor rotor, and which does not include a shaft joining the high pressure turbine rotor and the high pressure compressor rotor.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising a structure configured to cause fluid, after flowing through the compressor, to reverse flow direction prior to flowing through the turbine.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 5, further comprising a combustor in flow series between the compressor and the turbine.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 5, further comprising a recuperator adjacent to the structure configured to cause fluid to reverse flow direction.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising a structure configured to cause fluid, after flowing through the turbine, to reverse flow direction.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8, wherein the gas turbine engine is configured to cause the fluid that flows through the turbine to join fluid that bypasses the turbine and the compressor prior to exiting the gas turbine engine.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, wherein the low pressure compressor comprises a plurality of low pressure compressor rotors interleaved with a plurality of low pressure compressor stators.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10, wherein the low pressure turbine comprises a single low pressure turbine rotor.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the single low pressure turbine rotors drives the plurality of low pressure compressor rotors.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, wherein the high pressure compressor comprises a plurality of high pressure compressor rotors interleaved with a plurality of high pressure compressor stators.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13, wherein the high pressure turbine comprises a single high pressure turbine rotor.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14, wherein the single high pressure turbine rotor drives the plurality of high pressure compressor rotors.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, further comprising:

a first shaft joining a first low pressure compressor rotor to a second low pressure compressor rotor; and

a second shaft joining a first high pressure compressor rotor to a second high pressure compressor rotor.