Integrated inlet vane and strut

• US 9,068,460 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Suciu, Gabriel L., Merry, Brian D., Brilliant, Lisa I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): EASTMAN, AARON ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US13/435,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 415/142, 415/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 1/04 traversed by the working-fluid substantially axially
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/02 Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits , e.g. individual nozzles nozzle boxes F01D9/047

Abstract

A gas turbine engine case structure includes inner and outer annular case portions radially spaced from one another to provide a flow path and circumferentially arranged airfoils extend radially and interconnect the inner and outer annular case portions. The airfoils include multiple vanes and multiple strut-vanes. Each vane has a vane leading edge. Each strut-vane includes a strut-vane leading edge. The vane leading edges and strut-vane leading edges are aligned in a common plane. The vanes include a first axial length and the strut-vanes include a second axial length that is at least double the first axial length.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine case structure comprising:

inner and outer annular case portions radially spaced from one another to provide a flow path;

circumferentially arranged airfoils extending radially and interconnecting the inner and outer annular case portions, the airfoils including multiple vanes and multiple strut-vanes, each vane having a vane leading edge, each strut-vane including a strut-vane leading edge, the vane leading edges and strut-vane leading edges aligned in a common plane, wherein the vanes include a first axial length and the strut-vanes includes a second axial length that is greater than the first axial length; and

the leading edges of the vanes and strut-vanes are spaced equally apart.

2. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the vanes have solid cross-sections without hollow cavities.

3. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the number of vanes is in the range of 40 to 120.

4. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the number of strut-vanes is in the range of 6 to 14.

5. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the case structure provides an inlet case configured to be arranged upstream from a low pressure compressor section.

6. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the case structure provides an intermediate case configured to be arranged downstream from a low pressure compressor section.

7. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the vanes each include a trailing edge and an airfoil curvature, and an inlet angle and an outlet angle respectively intersect the leading and trailing edges and intersect one another to provide the airfoil curvature.

8. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 7, wherein airfoil curvature of vanes adjacent to the strut-vane are different than other vanes.

9. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 8, wherein some of the outlet angles amongst the vanes differ from one another.

10. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 7, wherein the strut-vane includes a strut-vane inlet angle that is generally the same as the inlet angle of the vanes.

11. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, at least one strut-vane including a radial cavity extending through the inner and outer annular case portions and configured to accommodate a component there through.

12. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the strut-vanes includes a vane portion integral with a strut portion, the vane portion includes the strut-vane leading edge, and the strut portion includes lateral sides tapering rearward in an axial direction to a strut trailing edge, and a concavity is provided in the one of the lateral sides at a pressure side of the vane portion.

13. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 12, wherein the lateral sides include portions that are symmetrical with one another along the axial direction.

14. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 1, wherein the second axial length is at least double the first axial length.

15. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a case structure including inner and outer annular case portions radially spaced from one another to provide a flow path;

circumferentially arranged airfoils extending radially and interconnecting the inner and outer annular case portions, the airfoils including multiple vanes and multiple strut-vanes, each vane having a vane leading edge, each strut-vane including a strut-vane leading edge, the vane leading edges and strut-vane leading edges aligned in a common plane, at least one strut-vane including a radial cavity extending through the inner and outer annular case portions and configured to accommodate a component there through, the leading edges of the vanes and strut-vanes are spaced equally apart; and

a low pressure compressor section arranged adjacent to the case structure.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15, wherein the case structure provides an inlet case arranged upstream from the low pressure compressor section.

17. The gas turbine engine case structure according to claim 15, wherein the case structure provides an intermediate case arranged downstream from the low pressure compressor section.

18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15, comprising a fan section arranged upstream from the case structure and the low pressure compressor section.

19. The gas turbine engine according to claim 18, comprising a geared architecture coupling the fan section a low speed spool that supports the low pressure compressor section, and a lubrication conduit extends through the strut-vane to a gear compartment arranged about the geared architecture.

20. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15, comprising a low speed spool supporting the low pressure compressor section, the low speed spool supported by a bearing arranged in a bearing compartment, and a lubrication conduit extends through the strut-vane to the bearing compartment.