Methods and apparatus for supplying oil to bearing assemblies

• US 6,409,464 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Demel, Herbert Franz, Hazeley, Rodney, Fisher, Kenneth Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, F. Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edgar, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US09/607,755
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 415/111, 415/112, 415/175, 415/176, 415/229, 416/174, 384/475, 384/474, 384/473, 184/6.11, 184/13.1
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/166 Sliding contact bearing gas bearings F01D25/22
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6677 from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/073 between shaft and inner race ring

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a lubrication system that supplies oil through a plurality of circumferential grooves and radial grooves to a bearing assembly. The grooves extend within an inner surface of a first rotor shaft sized to fit in an interference fit around a main rotor shaft. The circumferential grooves are spaced circumferentially around the inner surface of the first rotor shaft and are substantially perpendicular to the radial grooves. The radial grooves are in flow communication with a plurality of scoops extending between an outer and inner surface of the first rotor shaft, and with the bearing assembly.

Claims

1. A method for lubricating a bearing assembly using a lubrication system, the bearing assembly supporting a first rotor shaft having an axis of symmetry, the lubrication system including a second rotor shaft mounted concentrically around the first rotor shaft and including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface including a plurality of first grooves extending axially from at least one second groove, the second groove substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first grooves, the first grooves in flow communication with the bearing assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

supplying oil to at least one second rotor shaft second groove,

channeling the oil circumferentially along a portion of an inner circumference of the second rotor shaft;

channeling the oil from the second rotor shaft second groove through the plurality of second rotor shaft first grooves; and

channeling the oil from at least one second rotor shaft first groove to the bearing assembly through at least one opening that extends between the second rotor shaft inner and outer surfaces.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the second rotor shaft further includes a plurality of scoops extending between the second rotor shaft inner and outer surfaces, said step of supplying oil to at least one second rotor shaft second groove further comprising the step of supplying oil through a plurality of scoops to the second rotor shaft second groove.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of the second rotor shaft inner surface first grooves includes an opening extending between the second rotor shaft inner and outer surfaces, said step of channeling oil from the second rotor shaft second groove further comprising the step of channeling oil from the second rotor shaft second grooves through each of the second rotor shaft second groove openings to the bearing assembly.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the second rotor shaft inner surface further includes a plurality of second grooves spaced circumferentially around the first rotor shaft, said step of supplying oil further comprising the step of supplying oil to the plurality of second rotor shaft plurality of second grooves.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of supplying oil further comprises the step of supplying oil to the second rotor shaft through a nozzle.

6. A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine including a first rotor shaft and an axis of symmetry, said lubrication system comprising a second rotor shaft concentrically around said first rotor shaft, said second rotor shaft comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising a plurality of first grooves and at least one second groove, said plurality of first grooves in flow communication with and extending axially from said at least one second groove, said at least one second groove substantially perpendicular to said plurality of first grooves and extending partially circumferentially through said inner surface, at least one of said plurality of first grooves comprising an opening extending between said second rotor shaft inner surface and said second rotor shaft outer surface.

7. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a nozzle, said second rotor shaft further comprising a plurality of scoops extending between said second rotor shaft outer surface and said second rotor shaft inner shaft, said plurality of scoops in flow communication with said at least one second groove and configured to receive fluid from said lubrication system nozzle.

8. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said plurality of scoops spaced are circumferentially around the first rotor shaft.

9. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said second rotor shaft inner surface comprises an inner circumference, said at least one second groove extends through a portion of said inner circumference.

10. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of first grooves comprises at least one opening extending between said second rotor shaft inner surface and said second rotor shaft outer surface.

11. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said second rotor shaft inner surface further comprises a plurality of second grooves spaced evenly and circumferentially around the first rotor shaft.

12. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said second rotor shaft further comprises a plurality of scoops extending from said second rotor shaft outer surface to said second rotor shaft inner surface, each of said plurality of second grooves in flow communication with one of said plurality of scoops.

13. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 6 wherein each of said first grooves is in further flow communication with a bearing assembly.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a first rotor shaft comprising an outer surface and an axis of symmetry;

a bearing assembly configured to support said first rotor shaft; and

a lubrication system comprising a second rotor shaft concentrically around said first rotor shaft such that said second rotor shaft rotates simultaneously with said first rotor shaft, said second rotor shaft comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising a plurality of first grooves and at least one second groove, said plurality of first grooves in flow communication with and extending axially from said at least one second groove, said at least one second groove substantially perpendicular to said plurality of first grooves and extending partially circumferentially around said inner surface, said lubrication system configured to supply lubricate said bearing assembly, said at least one second groove comprising an opening extending between said second rotor shaft inner and outer surfaces.

15. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 14 wherein said lubrication system further comprises a nozzle, said lubrication system second rotor shaft further comprises a plurality of scoops extending between said second rotor shaft outer surface and said second rotor shaft inner surface, said plurality of scoops in flow communication with said at least one second groove and configured to receive fluid from said nozzle.

16. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said second rotor shaft plurality of scoops are spaced circumferentially around said first rotor shaft.

17. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said second shaft inner surface further comprises a plurality of second grooves spaced circumferentially around said first rotor shaft, each of said second grooves in flow communication with one of said plurality of scoops.

18. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 15 wherein each of said second rotor shaft second grooves comprises an opening extending between said second rotor shaft inner surface and said second rotor shaft outer surface.

19. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 18 wherein each of said second rotor shaft second groove openings is in flow communication with said bearing assembly.

20. A lubrication system in accordance with claim 18 wherein each of said second rotor shaft second groove openings is in flow communication with said nozzle and said bearing assembly.