Turbofan with gear-driven compressor and fan-driven core
First Claim
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
- an outer engine case;
an inner engine case coupled to the outer case radially inward of the outer engine case;
a combustor disposed between the outer engine case and the inner engine case;
a high pressure spool having an annular drum configured for rotation within the outer engine case;
wherein the annular drum has an axially-extending portion configured for rotation outward of the combustor; and
a low pressure spool having a drive shaft configured for rotation inward of the inner engine case.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gas turbine engine comprises an outer engine case, a combustor, a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool. The combustor is disposed within the outer engine case. The high pressure spool is configured for rotation coaxially with the combustor. The low pressure spool is configured for rotation coaxially with the high pressure spool. The low pressure spool is configured to rotate at speeds faster than that of the high pressure spool during operation of the gas turbine engine. In one embodiment, the low pressure spool includes a gear system configured to rotate a low pressure compressor faster than a low pressure turbine. In another embodiment, the high pressure spool rotates outward of the combustor within the outer engine case. In another embodiment, the high pressure spool includes a drum having radially inward projecting blades and vanes and radially outward projecting fan blades.
25 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
-
an outer engine case; an inner engine case coupled to the outer case radially inward of the outer engine case; a combustor disposed between the outer engine case and the inner engine case; a high pressure spool having an annular drum configured for rotation within the outer engine case;
wherein the annular drum has an axially-extending portion configured for rotation outward of the combustor; anda low pressure spool having a drive shaft configured for rotation inward of the inner engine case. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A turbofan engine comprising:
-
a combustor for producing gas; a high pressure turbine configured to be rotationally driven by the gas; a high pressure compressor; a high spool shaft coupling the high pressure turbine to the high pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine configured to be rotationally driven by the gas leaving the high pressure turbine; a low spool shaft coupled to the low pressure turbine; a low pressure compressor; a gear system coupling the low pressure compressor to the low spool shaft; and a fan stage driven by the high spool shaft. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A gas turbine engine comprising:
-
an outer engine case; a combustor disposed within the outer engine case; a low pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with the combustor; and a high pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with the low pressure spool, the high pressure spool comprising; an annular drum extending axially between a forward end and an aft end radially outward of the combustor; a plurality of compressor blades extending radially inward from the drum upstream of the combustor; a plurality of turbine blades extending radially inward from the drum downstream of the combustor; and a plurality of fan blades extending radially outwardly from the annular drum. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
-
26. A gas turbine engine comprising:
-
an outer engine case; a combustor disposed within the outer engine case; a high pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with the combustor; and a low pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with the high pressure spool, the low pressure spool comprising; a low pressure turbine having a drive shaft; a low pressure compressor having a stub shaft; and a gear system having a sun gear, a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears, and a gear carrier, wherein the gear system couples the drive shaft to the stub shaft and is configured so that the stub shaft rotates at speeds faster than that of the drive shaft during operation of the gas turbine engine, and wherein the sun gear connects to the stub shaft and the gear carrier connects to the drive shaft.
-
-
27. A gas turbine engine comprising:
-
an outer engine case; a combustor disposed within the outer engine case; a low pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with respect to the combustor; a high pressure spool configured for rotation coaxially with respect to the low pressure spool, wherein the high pressure spool has an annular drum having a portion radially outward from the combustor; and a fan stage directly driven by the high pressure spool, wherein the fan stage has a plurality of fan blades extending from the annular drum.
-
-
28. A turbofan engine comprising:
-
an outer engine case through which gas flows from an upstream end to a downstream end, the outer engine case comprising; a low pressure turbine vane array extending radially inward from the outer engine case near the downstream end; an inner engine case disposed concentrically within the outer engine case, the inner engine case comprising; a low pressure compressor vane array extending radially inward from the inner engine case; a high pressure compressor vane array extending radially outward from the inner engine case downstream of the low pressure compressor vane array; and a high pressure turbine vane array extending radially outward from the inner engine case downstream of the high pressure compressor vane array and upstream of the low pressure turbine vane array; a combustor disposed between the high pressure compressor vane array and the high pressure turbine vane array; a high pressure drum extending from an upstream end to a downstream end between the outer engine case and the inner engine case, the high pressure drum comprising; a fan stage extending radially outward from the high pressure drum; a high pressure compressor blade array extending radially inward from the high pressure drum to engage the high pressure compressor vane array; and a high pressure turbine blade array extending radially inward from the high pressure drum to engage the high pressure turbine vane array; a low pressure shaft extending from the upstream end to the downstream end within the inner engine case, the low pressure shaft comprising; a low pressure compressor blade array extending radially outward from the low pressure shaft to engage the low pressure compressor vane array; and an epicyclic gear system driven by the low pressure shaft; and a low pressure compressor shaft driven by the planetary gear system, the low pressure compressor shaft comprising a low pressure compressor blade array extending radially outward from the low pressure compressor shaft to engage the low pressure compressor vane array.
-
Specification