SPINNER DE-ICING FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINES

• US 3,834,157 A
• Filed: 02/05/1973
• Issued: 09/10/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ambros S. Hoffmann
• Original Assignee: Ambros S. Hoffmann
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Ambros S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, C. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garrett, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US05/329,719
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 416/94,95,96 60/39.9D,266 415/175 165/86,87
• US Class Current: 60/39.093
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/02 De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing

Abstract

The inlet spinner of a gas turbine engine is de-iced by directing a stream of heated lubricant from the lubrication system of a gas turbine engine against a generally concave heat transfer surface formed on the interior of the inlet spinner. The heat transfer surface is formed to maximize the transfer of heat from the lubricating fluid to those portions of the exterior surface of the spinner that tend to accumulate ice. The heat transfer surface also provides a pumping action which produces a continuous flow of lubricant across it.

Claims

1. A de-icing system for an annular hollow inlet spinner of a gas turbine engine rotatable about an axis and having an aerodynamic diverging outer shape terminating in a first diameter, said system comprising:

an annular heat-transfer surface on the interior of said spinner and having a diameter substantially less than said first diameter, said heat transfer surface being rotatable with and in heat transfer relation to the exterior surface of said inlet spinner upon which ice has a tendency to form;

a nozzle nonrotatable relative to said spinner and spaced from said heat transfer surface for directing a stream of hot liquid against said surface thereby heating the exterior surface of said inlet spinner; and

means forming a passageway extending aft from and coaxial with said heat transfer surface for carrying liquid away from said heat transfer surface, said passageway means having an interior diameter approximately the diameter of said heat transfer surface.

2. A de-icing system as in claim 1 wherein:

said heat transfer surface is generally symmetrical about the rotational axis of said spinner;

said nozzle directs said stream against said heat transfer surface at a point adjacent its center of rotation; and

said heat transfer surface is contoured to pass said liquid radially outward in response to centrifugal force, thereby producing a flow of heated liquid across said heat transfer surface.

3. A de-icing system as in claim 2 wherein said heat transfer surface has a smooth concave contour.

4. A de-icing system as in claim 2 wherein said heat transfer surface has a contour producing a predetermined high liquid velocity relative to the surface.

5. A de-icing system as in claim 4 wherein said surface includes a generally concave contour with a spiral groove formed therein.

6. A de-icing system as in claim 1 wherein said heat transfer surface has a preferential heat transfer path to the downstream regions of said inlet spinner.

7. A de-icing system as in claim 6 wherein said spinner comprises a nose section and a downstream section, and wherein said heat transfer surface provides a preferential heat transfer to said downstream portion.

8. A de-icing system as in claim 7 wherein said spinner comprises an annular diverging streamlined downstream section and a shallow disc-like nose section secured to the forward end of said downstream section, and wherein:

said heat transfer surface comprises a first portion integral with the interior side of said nose section and an adjacent second portion integral with the interior of said annular downstream section, the heat transfer area of said second portion being substantially greater than the heat transfer area of said first portion.

9. A de-icing system as in claim 8 wherein the first portion of said heat transfer surface has a smooth concave contour and the second portion has a generally concave contour with a spiral groove formed therein.

10. A de-icing system as in claim 9 wherein said downstream section has a thickened interior adjacent the second portion of said heat transfer surface and the nose section has a small diameter boss relative to the diameter of said nose section, said boss being telescoped into said downstream section and having said first portion of the heat transfer surface formed oN its end face.

11. A de-icing system as in claim 1 further comprising means on the exterior surface of said spinner for shedding water radially outward, said water-shedding means being positioned downstream of and adjacent the exterior surface regions over which ice has been turned into water by heating the exterior surface of said inlet spinner.

12. A de-icing system as in claim 11 wherein said water-shedding means comprises circumferential grooves positioned adjacent the de-icing regions of said spinner and having a lip formed between their forward wall and the exterior surface of said spinner, thereby causing surface tension of said water on said spinner to decrease to a point where the water is thrown outward by centrifugal force.

13. A de-icing system as in claim 12 wherein said spinner comprises an annular diverging streamlined downstream section and a shallow disc-like nose section secured to the forward end of said downstream section and wherein one of said circumferential grooves is formed at the junction between said nose section and said downstream section.

14. A de-icing system as in claim 13 wherein the other of said circumferential grooves is formed in part by the downstream edge of said downstream section.

15. A de-icing system as in claim 1 wherein said stream of hot liquid comprises a lubricant.

16. A de-icing system as in claim 15 further comprising means for pressurizing said lubricant and conduit means for connecting said pressurized lubricant to said nozzle.

17. A de-icing system as in claim 15 wherein said inlet spinner connects with a disc having a plurality of fan blades, said disc being journaled for rotation by a bearing assembly and wherein said passageway means comprises a hollow shaft surrounding and extending axially from said heat transfer surface to a point adjacent said bearing assembly, said shaft having radial ports positioned to pass lubricant that has flowed from the heat transfer surface radially outward through said ports to lubricate said bearing.

18. A de-icing system as in claim 17 wherein said bearing assembly comprises a fixed outer race, a rotatable inner race and a plurality of anti-friction elements therebetween, said shaft being telescoped into the inner race of said bearing and said bearing having means forming passageways interconnecting with said radial ports in the shaft to pass a flow of lubricant to said anti-friction elements.

19. A de-icing system as in claim 18 further comprising:

means for pressurizing a source of heated lubricant;

passageway means connecting pressurized lubricant from said pressurizing means to a point adjacent the aft end of said shaft;

a conduit extending axially from said passageway means through said tube to a point adjacent said heat transfer surface, said conduit having said nozzle positioned therein to direct a stream of fluid against said heat transfer surface at a point substantially adjacent the rotational axis thereof.

20. A de-icing system as in claim 19 further comprising a thin wall tube adjacent the side of said conduit, said thin wall tube having a substantially greater diameter thereby supporting said conduit and minimizing bending thereof.

21. A de-icing system as in claim 17 wherein:

said inlet spinner comprises an annular diverging streamlined downstream section and a shallow disc-like nose section secured to the forward end of said downstream section;

said heat transfer surface comprises a first portion having a smooth concave contour integral with the interior side of said nose section and an adjacent second portion integral with the interior of said annular downstream section, said second portion of the heat transfer surface having a generally concave contour with a spiral groove formed therein;

said downstream portion of said spinner being connected to said shaft so that the end of the second portion of said heat transfer surface telescopes into the end of said shaft.

22. A de-icing system as in claim 21 furtheR comprising:

a first circumferential groove formed at the junction between said nose section and downstream section of said inlet spinner; and

a second circumferential groove formed at the downstream edge of said streamlined downstream section.