Gas turbine engine forward bearing compartment architecture

• US 9,004,849 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Stripinis, Philip S., Munsell, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn, Igor
• Application Number:
  US13/346,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 415/1, 415/111, 415/112, 415/114, 415/115, 415/116, 415/122.1, 415/142, 415/170.1, 415/175, 415/176, 415/179, 415/180, 415/229, 415/230
• 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: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/12 Cooling of plants of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/28 Arrangement of seals
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a bearing structure mounted to the front center body case structure to rotationally support a shaft driven by a geared architecture. A bearing compartment passage structure is in communication with the bearing structure through a front center body case structure.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a front center body case structure;

a geared architecture at least partially supported by said front center body case structure;

a bearing structure mounted to said front center body case structure to rotationally support a shaft driven by said geared architecture; and

a bearing compartment passage structure in communication with said bearing structure through said front center body case structure.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said bearing structure includes a seal.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said bearing structure includes a bearing.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said bearing compartment passage structure includes a hollow front center body strut.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4, wherein said hollow front center body strut is in fluid communication with a fan rotor bearing support structure which at least partially supports said bearing structure.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, further comprising a conditioning device in communication with said bearing compartment passage structure.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6, wherein said conditioning device is a heat exchanger.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6, wherein said conditioning device is in communication with a high pressure compressor.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8, wherein said high pressure compressor is axially downstream of said geared architecture.

10. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6, wherein said conditioning device is radially outboard of a low pressure compressor.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, wherein said low pressure compressor is downstream of said geared architecture.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft drives a fan through said geared architecture.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, wherein said bearing structure is axially between said fan and said geared architecture.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 13, wherein said front center body case structure defines a core flow path for a core airflow.

15. A method of communicating a buffer supply air for a gas turbine engine comprising:

communicating a buffer supply air across an annular core flow path; and

communicating the buffer supply air through a hollow front center body strut of a front center body case structure which defines the annular core flow path, the hollow front center body strut within the annular core flow path.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing compartment forward of a geared architecture.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

communicating the buffer supply air through a conditioning device upstream of the hollow front center body strut.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing structure mounted to a front center body case structure which defines the annular core flow path, the bearing structure rotationally supporting a shaft driven by a geared architecture.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

driving a fan through the geared architecture, the bearing structure axially located between the fan and the geared architecture.

20. A method of communicating a buffer supply air for a as turbine engine comprising:

communicating a buffer supply air across an annular core flow path;

communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing structure mounted to a front center body case structure which defines the annular core flow path, the bearing structure rotationally supporting a shaft driven by a geared architecture;

driving a fan through the geared architecture, the bearing structure axially located between the fan and the geared architecture; and

communicating the buffer supply air to a spinner supported by the fan.