Frusto-Conical Support for Gas Turbine Thrust Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience structural distortion and reduced blade tip clearances due to thrust loads from power turbines, which existing solutions fail to adequately address, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A frusto-conically shaped structural support is used to couple the core gas turbine engine to a power turbine, with a trapezoidally shaped thrust bearing support assembly that reacts the net axial thrust at the engine centerline, minimizing distortion and transferring all remaining thrust to the ground, thereby balancing loads and reducing structural distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If thrust loads from power turbine are transferred to engine thrust mounts, then the power turbine can generate thrust, but structural distortion of the core gas turbine engine casing occurs which reduces blade tip clearances
Solution Approach 1:
A frusto-conically shaped structural support is introduced as an intermediary component between the power turbine and the thrust bearing support assembly. This structural support redirects the thrust load path so that it reacts through the thrust bearing support assembly at the engine centerline rather than directly through the engine thrust mounts, thereby minimizing casing distortion while still allowing the power turbine to generate thrust
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust load path is redirected from a radial mounting configuration to an axial configuration through the use of the frusto-conical structural support. By changing the dimensional orientation of the thrust reaction path to align with the engine centerline, the load is distributed in a manner that prevents casing distortion while maintaining thrust generation capability
2Force
If power turbine thrust is balanced between engine thrust mounts and thrust bearing support, then loading is distributed, but combined loads still cause core gas turbine engine casing distortion which reduces blade tip clearances
Solution Approach 1:
The frusto-conically shaped structural support acts as an intermediary that preferentially directs the thrust load through the thrust bearing support assembly at the engine centerline. This intermediary structure ensures that even when thrust is balanced between mounting points, the majority of the load path goes through the centerline reaction point, preventing the combined loads from causing casing distortion
Data Source
AI summary
A method of reducing gas turbine engine distortion includes coupling a core gas turbine engine to a power turbine, coupling the power turbine to a thrust bearing support assembly through a frusto-conically shaped structural support such that the net axial thrust of the coupled core gas turbine engine and power turbine reacts through the thrust bearing support assembly at engine centerline to facilitate minimizing distortion of the core gas turbine engine casing, and supporting the thrust bearing support assembly such that all of the remaining thrust generated by the core gas turbine engine and the power turbine is reacted to ground.