Thermal management system for a gas turbine engine

• US 8,262,344 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Alexander, Eric J., Jewess, Gordon F., Shatz′, Mark N.
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Dwayne J
• Application Number:
  US12/061,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 415/121.2, 416/93.R, 416/94, 607/72, 60/390.8, 60/390.92, 60/398.3
• US Class Current: 415/121.2
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/125 of bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/055 with intake grids, screens or guards
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/063 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/82 Micromachines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A thermal management system and method for a miniature gas turbine engine includes a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, a first lubrication passage and a second lubrication passage.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, said forward cover at least partially defines a first lubrication passage, a segment of said first lubrication passage is located through a radial cover vane of said forward cover wherein said first lubrication passage defines an annular passage about a second lubrication passage.

2. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said annular passage and at least a segment of said second lubrication passage are defined along said axis of rotation.

3. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said forward cover is forward of a rotor shaft defined along said axis of rotation, said rotor shaft supported by a forward bearing and an aft bearing.

4. The thermal management system as recited in claim 3, wherein said first lubrication passage is in fluid communication with said forward bearing and a second lubrication passage is in fluid communication with said aft bearing.

5. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a tubular member mounted to said forward cover, said tubular member extends along said axis of rotation.

6. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said forward cover is mounted to a forward housing defined about said axis of rotation, said forward cover located forward of a rotor shaft which rotates about said axis of rotation.

7. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said forward cover at least partially defines an inner diameter of an annular primary airflow path into said gas turbine engine.

8. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a rotor shaft along said axis of rotation;

a forward rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft; and

an aft rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft, said forward rotor shaft bearing and said aft rotor shaft bearing in communication with a filtered airflow from said filter portion.

9. The thermal management system as recited in claim 8, wherein said forward is cover mounted to a forward housing defined about said axis of rotation, said forward housing having a first housing lubrication passage in communication with said first lubrication passage and a second housing lubrication passage in communication with said second lubrication passage.

10. The thermal management system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a permanent magnet generator (PMG) mounted to said rotor shaft, said PMG mounted between said forward rotor shaft bearing and said aft rotor shaft bearing.

11. The thermal management system as recited in claim 8, wherein an inner race of said forward bearing includes a multiple of forward radial apertures and an inner race of said aft bearing includes a multiple of aft radial apertures.

12. A miniature gas turbine engine comprising:

a rotor shaft defined along an axis of rotation;

a compressor wheel mounted to said rotor shaft;

a forward bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft, said forward bearing comprising an inner race having a multiple of radial apertures; and

an aft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft, said forward bearing and said aft rotor shaft bearing in communication with a filtered airflow from said filter portion, said aft bearing comprising an inner race having a multiple of radial apertures; and

a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, said forward cover defining a first lubrication passage in communication with said multiple of radial apertures in said inner race of said forward bearing and a second lubrication passage in communication with said multiple of radial apertures in said inner race of said aft bearing.

13. The miniature gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, further comprising a forward housing defined about said axis of rotation, said forward housing defining a first housing lubrication passage in communication with said first lubrication passage and a second housing lubrication passage in communication with said second lubrication passage, a first forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with said first housing lubrication passage and a second forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with said second housing lubrication passage, said first forward raked radial fuel jet and said second forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with a forward shaft galley adjacent said forward bearing.

14. A method of thermal management for a miniature gas turbine engine comprising:

communicating a cooling airflow through a filter portion of a forward cover along an axis of rotation of a rotor shaft having a compressor wheel, the cooling airflow in communication with a forward bearing and an aft bearing which supports the rotor shaft;

directing a lubricant through a first lubricant passage within the forward cover toward the forward bearing;

directing the lubricant through a second lubricant passage within the forward cover toward the aft bearing; and

merging the cooling airflow into a primary airflow path downstream of the aft bearing, the primary airflow path in communication with the compressor wheel.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

communicating a primary airflow along the primary airflow path from an intake defined at least partially about the periphery of the forward cover.

16. A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, said forward cover at least partially defines a first lubrication passage, a segment of said first lubrication passage is located through a radial cover vane of said forward cover wherein said forward cover is forward of a rotor shaft defined along said axis of rotation, said rotor shaft supported by a forward bearing and an aft bearing and wherein said first lubrication passage is in fluid communication with said forward bearing and a second lubrication passage is in fluid communication with said aft bearing.

17. A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, said forward cover at least partially defines a first lubrication passage, a segment of said first lubrication passage is located through a radial cover vane of said forward cover,

a rotor shaft along said axis of rotation;

a forward rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft; and

an aft rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft, said forward rotor shaft bearing and said aft rotor shaft bearing in communication with a filtered airflow from said filter portion

wherein said forward cover is mounted to a forward housing defined about said axis of rotation, said forward housing having a first housing lubrication passage in communication with said first lubrication passage and a second housing lubrication passage in communication with said second lubrication passage.

18. The thermal management system as recited in claim 17, wherein said first housing lubrication passage and said second housing lubrication passage are each located within a respective vane of said forward housing.

19. The thermal management system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a first forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with said first housing lubrication passage and a second forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with said second lubrication passage, said first forward raked radial fuel jet and said second forward raked radial fuel jet in communication with a forward shaft galley adjacent said forward bearing.

20. A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a forward cover having a filter portion along an axis of rotation of a gas turbine engine, said forward cover at least partially defines a first lubrication passage, a segment of said first lubrication passage is located through a radial cover vane of said forward cover,

a rotor shaft along said axis of rotation;

a forward rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft; and

an aft rotor shaft bearing which rotationally supports said rotor shaft, said forward rotor shaft bearing and said aft rotor shaft bearing in communication with a filtered airflow from said filter portion wherein said forward is cover mounted to a forward housing defined about said axis of rotation, said forward housing having a first housing lubrication passage in communication with said first lubrication passage and a second housing lubrication passage in communication with said second lubrication passage and wherein an inner race of said forward bearing includes a multiple of forward radial apertures and an inner race of said aft bearing includes a multiple of aft radial apertures.

21. The thermal management system as recited in claim 20, wherein said rotor shaft includes a central shaft passage having a multiple of radial fuel jets in communication with said multiple of aft radial apertures.