REVERSE FLOW ENGINE ARCHITECTURE

• US 20180172012A1
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: PLANTE, Ghislain, VALOIS, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,533,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/12 Combinations with mechanical gearing driven by multiple engines F01D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/06 Rotors for more than one axial stage, e.g. of drum or multiple disc type; Details thereof, e.g. shafts, shaft connections F01D5/022, F01D5/023 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/02 Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits , e.g. individual nozzles nozzle boxes F01D9/047
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/145 the combustion chamber being in the reverse flow-type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/206 the vehicles being airscrew driven
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/143 before or between the compressor stages
• 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: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/02 Multi-stage pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/045 the pump wheel carrying the fluid driving means, e.g. turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/009 by bleeding, by passing or recycling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/053 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/321 for axial flow compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/312 the axes being parallel to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/313 the axes being perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 : by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/40311 : of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A reverse flow gas turbine engine has a low pressure (LP) spool and a high pressure (HP) spool arranged sequentially in an axial direction. The LP spool comprises an LP compressor disposed forward of an LP turbine and drivingly connected thereto via an LP compressor gear train. The HP spool comprises an HP compressor in flow communication with the LP compressor, and an HP turbine disposed forward of the HP compressor and drivingly connected thereto via an HP shaft.

Claims

1. A reverse flow gas turbine engine comprising:

a low pressure (LP) spool and a high pressure (HP) spool arranged sequentially in an axial direction, the LP spool comprising an LP compressor drivingly connected to an LP turbine via an LP compressor gear train;

the HP spool comprising an HP compressor in flow communication with the LP compressor, and an HP turbine disposed forward of the HP compressor and aft of the LP turbine, the HP turbine being drivingly connected to the HP compressor via an HP shaft.

2. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 1, wherein the LP spool further comprises an LP compressor shaft drivingly connected to the LP compressor gear train, and wherein the LP compressor shaft is disposed entirely forward of the HP shaft.

3. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 2, wherein the LP spool further comprises an LP turbine shaft drivingly connected to a reduction gearbox (RGB) having an output shaft adapted to be connected to a rotatable load.

4. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 3, wherein the LP compressor shaft is parallel to the LP turbine shaft, and wherein both shafts extend forward of the LP turbine.

5. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 3, wherein the LP compressor shaft branches off at an angle from the LP turbine shaft.

6. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 5, wherein the LP compressor is non-coaxially disposed with respect to the LP turbine.

7. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 1, wherein the LP spool and the HP spool are disposed on opposed sides of an engine split plane (P) extending between the LP turbine and the HP turbine, the split plane (P) including a flange assembly for allowing the engine to be split between the LP turbine and the HP turbine.

8. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 1, wherein the LP spool and the HP spool respectively form part of an LP spool module and an HP spool module, the LP spool module being detachable from the HP spool module at a flange assembly (F) provided between the LP turbine and the HP turbine.

9. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 1, wherein the HP compressor is connected in fluid communication with the LP compressor via an external duct line disposed radially outside of a core of the engine.

10. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 8, wherein an air cooler is mounted to the duct line.

11. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 1, wherein the LP turbine is mounted for rotation about an engine centerline, and wherein LP compressor is offset from the engine centerline.

12. A reverse flow gas turbine engine comprising:

a low pressure (LP) spool and a high pressure (HP) spool arranged sequentially in an axial direction, the LP spool comprising an LP turbine drivingly connected to an LP turbine shaft adapted to be connected to a load, an LP compressor non-coaxially mounted with respect to the LP turbine, and an LP compressor shaft drivingly connecting the LP turbine to the LP compressor, the LP compressor shaft extending at an angle with respect to the LP turbine shaft;

the HP spool comprising an HP compressor in flow communication with the LP compressor, an HP turbine disposed forward of the HP compressor and aft of the LP turbine, and an HP shaft drivingly connecting the HP turbine to the HP compressor.

13. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP compressor shaft is geared to the LP turbine.

15. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP compressor shaft branches-off radially away from the LP turbine shaft.

16. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP compressor has a rotation axis generally perpendicular to a rotation axis of the LP turbine.

18. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP compressor is aligned with a front facing air inlet.

19. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP spool and the HP spool are disposed on opposed sides of an engine split plane (P) extending between the LP turbine and the HP turbine, the split plane (P) allowing the engine to be split between the LP turbine and the HP turbine.

20. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 12, wherein the LP spool and the HP spool respectively form part of an LP spool module and an HP spool module, the LP spool module being detachable from the HP spool module at a flange assembly (F) provided between the LP turbine and the HP turbine.

14. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined 13, wherein the LP turbine shaft is drivingly connected to an input end of an LP compressor gear train, and wherein the LP compressor shaft is drivingly connected to an output end of the LP compressor gear train.

17. The reverse flow gas turbine engine defined in claim 14, wherein the LP compressor shaft provides an input to a set of gears having an output shaft parallel to the LP turbine shaft, the output shaft being offset from the LP turbine shaft.