Hi and low turbine bearing support system

• US 3,874,811 A
• Filed: 04/19/1974
• Issued: 04/01/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William T. Dennison
• Original Assignee: William T. Dennison
• Inventors: Dennison, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raduazo, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US05/462,556
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 415/60,61,122,17R 308/187.1,169,15,121,123,135 184/6.11 60/39.16R
• US Class Current: 415/60
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/162 Bearing supports

Abstract

In a turbine structure for split turbines, a bearing support structure downstream of the turbine carries a short shaft on the low pressure turbine and a second bearing inside the short shaft supports the projecting high pressure turbine shaft. To connect the low pressure turbine shaft to the drive shaft for the low pressure compressor, this drive shaft being within and spaced from the high turbine rotor and shaft, a connecting ring is splined to the low turbine shaft and to the drive shaft where they project downstream of the bearing structure.

Claims

1. In a turbine construction for a gas turbine, a low pressure turbine rotor having a first projecting stub shaft, a high pressure turbine rotor having a second projecting stub shaft within said first shaft, a casing surrounding said turbine rotors and having a bearing support structure therein, a bearing for and surrounding said first shaft, a bearing between said shafts for and supporting said second shaft, a drive shaft positioned within and in spaced relation to said second shaft and connecting means downstream of the bearings providing a connection from said drive shaft to said first shaft.

2. A turbine construction as in claim 1 in which said connecting means includes a splined ring positioned between and splined to said drive shaft and said first shaft.

3. A turbine construction as in claim 2 in which the splined ring is held in position by a clamping ring secured to said drive shaft.

4. A turbine construction as in claim 2 in which the splined ring is held to said shafts by clamping rings connected to each of said shafts.

5. A turbine construction as in claim 1 in which the casing carries rows of turbine vanes therein located within the gas path in the turbine and the rotor have cooperating rows of blades, and the bearing support is carried by struts extending inwardly from the casing across the gas path and downstream of the vanes in the casing.

6. In a gas turbine engine, a turbine construction including a casing having a plurality of rows of turbine vanes therein, and defining a gas path through the turbine, a high Pressure turbine rotor having at least one row of blades thereon positioned downstream of the first row of vanes at the inlet to the turbine, a low pressure turbine rotor having at least one row of blades thereon cooperating with one or more rows of vanes downstream of the high pressure rotor blades, each rotor having an axially extending shaft thereon, the low pressure turbine stub shaft surrounding and concentric to the high pressure rotor shaft, a bearing support structure supported by the casing downstream of the vanes therein, said support structure including struts extending inwardly from the casing across the gas path, a first bearing surrounding and supporting the low pressure shaft and carried by the support structure, a second bearing positioned between the shafts and supporting the high pressure shaft within the low pressure turbine shaft, a connecting shaft positioned within the high pressure shaft and rotor in radially spaced relation thereto, and a connecting ring positioned between the connecting shaft and the low pressure shaft downstream of the second bearing and providing a driving connection therebetween.

7. A gas turbine engine as in claim 6 in which the connecting ring is held in position between the shafts by a clamping ring engaging the downstream end of the connecting ring and releasably secured to one of said shafts.