HIGH COMPRESSOR BUILD CLEARANCE REDUCTION

• US 20180230946A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Virtue, JR., John P., Saftler, Rishon, Schwarz, Frederick M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2027/005 Aircraft with an unducted turbofan comprising contra-rotating rotors, e.g. contra-rotating open rotors [CROR]
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/18 using stator or rotor components with predetermined thermal response, e.g. selective insulation, thermal inertia, differential expansion
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 19/00 Starting of machines or engines; Regulating, controlling, or safety means in connection therewith warming-up before starting F01D25/10; turning or inching gear F01D25/34
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/164 Flexible supports; Vibration damping means associated with the bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/36 using electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/26 Starting; Ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/42 specially adapted for the control of two or more plants simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/025 the by-pass flow being at least partly used to create an independent thrust component
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/068 being characterised by a short axial length relative to the diameter
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/075 controlling flow ratio between flows
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/11 by means of burners or combustion chambers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/642 by adjusting the clearances between rotary and stationary parts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/3219 for the last stage of a compressor or a high pressure compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/36 specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/84 Redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An aspect includes a system including a high compressor of a gas turbine engine having a ratio of a cold-rotor build clearance to a span between 0.7% and 7%. The cold-rotor build clearance is defined for a plurality of rotor blades of the high compressor with respect to an engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor, and the span is defined as a gap between a rotor disk of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor for at least a last two stages of the high compressor closest to a combustor section of the gas turbine engine. The system also includes at least two bowed rotor management systems for the gas turbine engine to prevent damage to the rotor blades for a bowed rotor condition of the high compressor under a plurality of operating conditions.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a high compressor of a gas turbine engine having a ratio of a cold-rotor build clearance to a span between 0.7% and 7%, wherein the cold-rotor build clearance is defined for a plurality of rotor blades of the high compressor with respect to an engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor, and the span is defined as a gap between a rotor disk of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor for at least a last two stages of the high compressor closest to a combustor section of the gas turbine engine; and

at least two bowed rotor management systems for the gas turbine engine to prevent damage to the rotor blades for a bowed rotor condition of the high compressor under a plurality of operating conditions.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a rotor abrasion system including abrasive blade tips on the rotor blades of the high compressor and one or more rub strips on the engine casing assembly interior surface.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a core-turning motor system.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a dry motoring system.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a multi-engine dry motoring coordination system.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a damper system operable to maintain a minimum running clearance between the rotor blades of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface across a critical rotor speed range of the high compressor including a resonant frequency of the high compressor with an oil pressure above 25 pounds per square inch gage.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprise a combination of:

a rotor abrasion system, a core-turning motor system, a dry motoring system, a multi-engine dry motoring coordination system, and a damper system operable to maintain a minimum running clearance between the rotor blades of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface across a critical rotor speed range of the high compressor including a resonant frequency of the high compressor with an oil pressure above 25 pounds per square inch gage.

8. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to determine a status of the bowed rotor condition of the high compressor, wherein the controller is operable to select between use of the at least two bowed rotor management systems based on the status of the bowed rotor condition of the high compressor or a condition external to the gas turbine engine.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a mitigation monitor operable to sequence use of the at least two bowed rotor management systems, restart use of one or more of the at least two bowed rotor management systems, and trigger a maintenance request based on a detected bowed rotor elimination fault condition.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein a ratio of the cold-rotor build clearance to a rotor diameter of the high compressor is between 0.02% and 0.3%, and a ratio of the cold-rotor build clearance to a chord of the rotor blades of the high compressor is between 0.5% and 5%.

11. A method comprising:

executing a bowed rotor mitigation process on a gas turbine engine using at least one bowed rotor management system, the gas turbine engine comprising a high compressor having a ratio of a cold-rotor build clearance to a span between 0.7% and 7%, wherein the cold-rotor build clearance is defined for a plurality of rotor blades of the high compressor with respect to an engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor, and the span is defined as a gap between a rotor disk of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface of the high compressor for at least a last two stages of the high compressor closest to a combustor section of the gas turbine engine, wherein at least two bowed rotor management systems for the gas turbine engine are provided to prevent damage to the rotor blades for a bowed rotor condition of the high compressor under a plurality of operating conditions.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a rotor abrasion system including abrasive blade tips on the rotor blades of the high compressor and one or more rub strips on the engine casing assembly interior surface.

13. The method as in claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a core-turning motor system.

14. The method as in claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a dry motoring system.

15. The method as in claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a multi-engine dry motoring coordination system.

16. The method as is claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprises a damper system operable to maintain a minimum running clearance between the rotor blades of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface across a critical rotor speed range of the high compressor including a resonant frequency of the high compressor with an oil pressure above 25 pounds per square inch gage.

17. The method as in claim 11, wherein the at least two bowed rotor management systems comprise a combination of:

a rotor abrasion system, a core-turning motor system, a dry motoring system, a multi-engine dry motoring coordination system, and a damper system operable to maintain a minimum running clearance between the rotor blades of the high compressor and the engine casing assembly interior surface across a critical rotor speed range of the high compressor including a resonant frequency of the high compressor with an oil pressure above 25 pounds per square inch gage.

18. The method as in claim 11, further comprising:

configuring a controller to determine a status of the bowed rotor condition of the high compressor and select between use of the at least two bowed rotor management systems based on the status of the bowed rotor condition of the high compressor or a condition external to the gas turbine engine.

19. The method as in claim 11, further comprising:

configuring a mitigation monitor to sequence use of the at least two bowed rotor management systems, restart use of one or more of the at least two bowed rotor management systems, and trigger a maintenance request based on a detected bowed rotor elimination fault condition.

20. The method as in claim 11, wherein a ratio of the cold-rotor build clearance to a rotor diameter of the high compressor is between 0.02% and 0.3%, and a ratio of the cold-rotor build clearance to a chord of the rotor blades of the high compressor is between 0.5% and 5%.