Patent Grant
11230995
The disclosure relates generally to protective structures for cables and cable pathways in gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engine cables may pass directly through a bypass duct of a gas turbine engine and be exposed to engine bypass flow. The bypass flow environment is a harsh environment tending to damage or degrade cable performance over time and may expose the cable to impact with objects transported in the bypass flow.
In various embodiments the present disclosure provides a cable conduit for a bypass flow duct may comprise a head end, a sleeve, a foot end, a boot, and a split grommet wherein the head end is coupled to the sleeve opposite the foot end, wherein the foot end comprises a flared portion, wherein the boot comprises a first flange and a neck, wherein the boot is configured to couple at the neck to the flared portion of the foot end, wherein the head end comprises a second flange and a cutout penetrating into an interior volume of the sleeve, and wherein the split grommet is coupled within the interior volume of the sleeve.
In various embodiments, the sleeve includes a forward section and an aft section, wherein the sleeve comprises coupling lobes. In various embodiments, the forward section comprises a first perforation through a forward aerodynamic surface and the aft section comprises a second perforation through an aft aerodynamic surface, wherein the first perforation and the second perforation are in fluid communication with the interior volume of the sleeve, wherein a portion of a bypass flow passes through the first perforation into the interior volume and exits the interior volume through the second perforation. In various embodiments, the boot comprises a first half section and a second half section separable at a seamline. In various embodiments, the boot comprises a pusher plate and a gasket. In various embodiments, a standoff washer is embedded into the gasket. In various embodiments, the sleeve comprises a sleeve locking feature. In various embodiments, the split grommet comprises a mating surface comprising at least one of an extrusion, a finger, a cavity, a pocket, a bore, or an embedded stud. In various embodiments, the gasket comprises a recessed portion configured to receive a flanged portion of the standoff washer, wherein the standoff washer defines a radial gap between the standoff washer and the gasket material. In various embodiments, the sleeve comprises at least one of a circular cross section, an elliptical cross section, an oblate cross section, an angular cross section, a teardrop cross section, or an airfoil cross section.
In various embodiments the present disclosure provides a gas turbine engine comprising a compressor section configured to compress a gas, a combustor section aft of the compressor section and configured to combust the gas, a fan section configured to produce a bypass flow, an outer case having an inner surface and an inner case having an outer surface defining a bypass flow duct there between, a cable conduit, disposed within the bypass flow duct, comprising, a head end, a sleeve having a foot end, a boot, and a split grommet, a head end, a sleeve having a foot end, a boot, and a split grommet, wherein the boot comprises a first flange and a neck, wherein the neck is coupled to a flared portion of the foot end, wherein the head end comprises a second flange having and a cutout penetrating into an interior volume of the sleeve, wherein the split grommet is coupled within the interior volume of the sleeve, wherein the second flange is coupled the inner case and the first flange is coupled to the outer case.
In various embodiments, the cable conduit further comprises a forward section and an aft section, wherein the sleeve comprises coupling lobes. In various embodiments, the forward section comprises a first perforation through a forward aerodynamic surface and the aft section comprises a second perforation through an aft aerodynamic surface, wherein the first perforation and the second perforation are in fluid communication with the bypass flow duct and the interior volume of the sleeve, wherein a portion of the bypass flow passes through the first perforation into the interior volume and exits the interior volume through the second perforation. In various embodiments, the boot comprises a first half section and a second half section separable at a seamline. In various embodiments, the boot comprises a pusher plate and a gasket. In various embodiments, a standoff washer is embedded into the gasket. In various embodiments, the sleeve comprises a sleeve locking feature. In various embodiments. In various embodiments, the split grommet comprises a mating surface comprising at least one of an extrusion, a finger, a cavity, a pocket, a bore, or an embedded stud. In various embodiments, the gasket comprises a recessed portion configured to receive a flanged portion of the standoff washer, wherein the standoff washer defines a radial gap between the standoff washer and the gasket material.
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of assembling a cable conduit in a bypass flow duct comprising inserting a cable through an outer case and an inner case of the bypass flow duct, inserting a forward section of the cable conduit into the bypass flow duct and coupling the forward section to the inner case, inserting the aft section of the cable conduit into the bypass flow duct and coupling the aft section about the cable to the forward section, coupling the forward section to the inner case, coupling a first half section and a second half section of a boot about the cable such that the cable passes through an annular structure of a neck portion of the boot, inserting the neck portion of the boot into a flared portion of the cable conduit, coupling the boot to the outer case.
The forgoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated herein otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosures, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way of illustration and their best mode. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosures, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical, and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosures. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.
In various embodiments and with reference to
Gas turbine engine 20 may generally comprise a low speed spool 30 and a high speed spool 32 mounted for rotation about an engine central longitudinal axis A-A′ relative to an engine static structure 36 via one or more bearing systems, shown as 38, 38-1, and 38-2 in
Low speed spool 30 may generally comprise an inner shaft 40 that interconnects a fan 42, a low pressure (or first) compressor section 44 (also referred to a low pressure compressor) and a low pressure (or first) turbine section 46. Inner shaft 40 may be connected to fan 42 through a geared architecture 48 that can drive fan 42 at a lower speed than low speed spool 30. Geared architecture 48 may comprise a gear assembly 60 enclosed within a gear housing 62. Gear assembly 60 couples inner shaft 40 to a rotating fan structure. High speed spool 32 may comprise an outer shaft 50 that interconnects a high pressure compressor (“HPC”) 52 (e.g., a second compressor section) and high pressure (or second) turbine section 54. A combustor 56 may be located between HPC 52 and high pressure turbine 54. A mid-turbine frame 57 of engine static structure 36 may be located generally between high pressure turbine 54 and low pressure turbine 46. Mid-turbine frame 57 may support one or more bearing systems 38 in turbine section 28. Inner shaft 40 and outer shaft 50 may be concentric and rotate via bearing systems 38 about the engine central longitudinal axis A-A′, which is collinear with their longitudinal axes. As used herein, a “high pressure” compressor or turbine experiences a higher pressure than a corresponding “low pressure” compressor or turbine.
The core airflow C may be compressed by low pressure compressor 44 then HPC 52, mixed and burned with fuel in combustor 56, then expanded over high pressure turbine 54 and low pressure turbine 46. Mid-turbine frame 57 includes airfoils 59 which are in the core airflow path. Low pressure turbine 46, and high pressure turbine 54 rotationally drive the respective low speed spool 30 and high speed spool 32 in response to the expansion.
Gas turbine engine 20 may be, for example, a high-bypass geared aircraft engine. In various embodiments, the bypass ratio of gas turbine engine 20 may be greater than about six (6). In various embodiments, the bypass ratio of gas turbine engine 20 may be greater than ten (10). In various embodiments, geared architecture 48 may be an epicyclic gear train, such as a star gear system (sun gear in meshing engagement with a plurality of star gears supported by a carrier and in meshing engagement with a ring gear) or other gear system. Geared architecture 48 may have a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2.3 and low pressure turbine 46 may have a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5. In various embodiments, the bypass ratio of gas turbine engine 20 is greater than about ten (10:1). In various embodiments, the diameter of fan 42 may be significantly larger than that of the low pressure compressor 44, and the low pressure turbine 46 may have a pressure ratio that is greater than about (5:1). Low pressure turbine 46 pressure ratio may be measured prior to inlet of low pressure turbine 46 as related to the pressure at the outlet of low pressure turbine 46 prior to an exhaust nozzle. It should be understood, however, that the above parameters are exemplary of various embodiments of a suitable geared architecture engine and that the present disclosure contemplates other gas turbine engines including direct drive turbofans.
In various embodiments, the next generation of turbofan engines may be designed for higher efficiency which is associated with higher pressure ratios and higher temperatures in the HPC 52. These higher operating temperatures and pressure ratios may create operating environments that may cause thermal loads that are higher than the thermal loads encountered in conventional turbofan engines, which may shorten the operational life of current components.
In various embodiments, HPC 52 may comprise alternating rows of rotating rotors and stationary stators. Stators may have a cantilevered configuration or a shrouded configuration. More specifically, a stator may comprise a stator vane, a casing support and a hub support. In this regard, a stator vane may be supported along an outer diameter by a casing support and along an inner diameter by a hub support. In contrast, a cantilevered stator may comprise a stator vane that is only retained and/or supported at the casing (e.g., along an outer diameter).
In various embodiments, rotors may be configured to compress and spin a fluid flow. Stators may be configured to receive and straighten the fluid flow. In operation, the fluid flow discharged from the trailing edge of stators may be straightened (e.g., the flow may be directed in a substantially parallel path to the centerline of the engine and/or HPC) to increase and/or improve the efficiency of the engine and, more specifically, to achieve maximum and/or near maximum compression and efficiency when the straightened air is compressed and spun by rotor 64.
According to various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In a like manner, aft section 204 may comprise an aft cap 302 having an aft flange 338 comprising mounting features 314 which may comprise nut plates 311. In various embodiments, aft cap 302 may be coupled to an aft sleeve 306 defining an interior volume 312. In various embodiments, aft sleeve 306 may have an aft aerodynamic surface 332 comprising perforations 316 through the aft aerodynamic surface 332 and in fluid communication with interior volume 312. Aft section 204 may further comprise upper aft half grommet 320a proximate aft flange 338 and lower aft half grommet 320b proximate distal end 328 of aft sleeve 306. In various embodiments, an aft half grommet, such as upper aft half grommet 320a or lower aft half grommet 320b, may comprise an aft half of a split grommet such as split grommet 222. In various embodiments, an upper surface of upper aft half grommet 320a is substantially in plane with upper surface 336 of aft flange 338.
In various embodiments, a perforation such as perforation 308 or perforation 316 may comprise a hole not more than one eighth of an inch (⅛″) in diameter. In various embodiments, a perforation may comprise a slot, a channel, a hole, or any other suitable geometry. In various embodiments, a sleeve such as forward sleeve 304 or aft sleeve 306 may comprise one of steel, a stainless steel, or a titanium, or an alloy.
With additional reference to
In various embodiments, a circumferential channel such as circumferential channel 406 may have a width substantially equal to a thickness of a sleeve such as, for example, sleeve 205, forward sleeve 304, or aft sleeve 306. In various embodiments, outer case flange 210 is coupled at upper surface 212 to an outer case of a bypass flow duct and boot 206 is coupled at flange 208 to a combustor case with distal end 326 of forward sleeve 304 and distal end 328 of aft sleeve 306 disposed within circumferential channel 406. In various embodiments, boot 206 tends to allow forward section 202 and aft section 204 to translate, relative to the plane defined by flange 208, along the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis. In this regard, boot 206 tends to allow cable conduit 200 to be undisturbed by differential thermal growth between outer case 102 and combustor case 104.
With reference now to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, and with additional reference to
In various embodiments and with reference now to
In various embodiments and with reference now to
In various embodiments and with reference now to
In various embodiments, method 1300 comprises steps as shown in
In various embodiments and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, the sleeve 1405 includes one or more coupling lobes such as a first coupling lobe 1422 and a second coupling lobe 1424 which protrude radially from the sleeve 1405. The coupling lobes (1422, 1424) may be each be configured to receive a fastener 1426. In various embodiments, the coupling lobes (1422, 1424) may be split in to respective halves (i.e. a forward half and an aft half) along the a separation plane 1428 between the forward section 1402 and the aft section 1404 of the sleeve 1405. In this regard, the coupling lobes (1422, 1424) may be configured to couple the forward section 1402 to the aft section 1404 along the separation plane 1428. In various embodiments, the coupling lobes (1422, 1424) may be disposed proximate the foot end 1418.
In various embodiments, first flange 1410 may have a cutout 1420 penetrating into an interior of the cable conduit. In various embodiments, a split grommet may be inserted within cutout 1420 about an inner diameter of cutout 1420. In various embodiments, the split grommet may fill the cutout 1420 or may recessed into the cutout 1420 below the upper surface 1412. In various embodiments, a sleeve such as sleeve 1405 may comprise one of a circular cross section, an elliptical or oblate cross section, an angular cross section, a teardrop or airfoil cross section, or any other cross section tending to minimize aerodynamic disturbance and/or pressure loss in a bypass flow. In various embodiments, angle θ may be between 90° and 45°, or may be between 80° and 55°, or may be between 70° and 65°.
In various embodiments and with additional reference to
In various embodiments and with additional reference to
In various embodiments and with additional reference to
The first neck portion 1612 defines an annular structure configured to couple with the flared portion 1604 and, in this regard, provides a passage into the interior volume 1602 of the sleeve 1405. In various embodiments, the gasket 1610 includes a second neck portion 1614 which extends relatively perpendicular to the plane of the gasket 1610. In the installed configuration, the gasket 1610 may be coupled relatively between the pusher plate 1608 and the outer case 102 enabling a gas seal therebetween. In like regard, the second neck portion 1614 may be coupled relatively between the first neck portion 1612 and the flared portion 1604 enabling a gas seal therebetween. The interior volume 1602 of the sleeve 1405 may thereby be isolated from the bypass flow duct 103 environment.
In various embodiments, the half section 1620 is split from the boot 1406 along a seamline 1622. The seamline 1622 includes an overlapping portion 1624 of the gasket 1610 material extending from the seamline. The overlapping portion 1624 is configured to couple with a corresponding portion of the pusher plate on the corresponding section. In this regard, the overlapping portion 1624 generates a tortuous path tending to inhibit seal leakage along the seamline 1622 of the half section 1620. Half section 1620 may include penetrations 1618 configured to receive fasteners 1502.
In various embodiments and with additional reference to
In various embodiments, the annular wall 1704 of the standoff washer 1700 may extend partially into the gasket 1610 and thereby define an axial gap 1712 between the standoff washer 1700 and the outer case 102. In response to applying a torque to the fastener 1502, the pusher plate 1608 is driven toward the outer case 102 tending to compress the gasket 1610. In response, the gasket 1610 tends to expand and close the radial gap 1710. In response to further application of torque to the fastener 1502, the annular wall 1704 of the standoff washer 1700 is driven across the axial gap 1712 to contact the outer case 102. In this regard, additional application of torque to the fastener 1502 is converted into a compressive force which flows through the annular wall 1704 of the standoff washer 1700 into the outer case 102. In this regard, the standoff washer 1700 may act as a grommet and tend to inhibit over compression of the gasket 1610. In various embodiments, the radial gap 1710 and the axial gap 1712 may be selected to enable a desired compression of the gasket 1610 tending thereby to improve the seal between the boot 1406 and the outer case 102 generated by the gasket 1610 in response to torqueing the fastener 1502. Stated another way, the standoff washer 1700 may be configured to inhibit over-compression of the gasket 1610.
In various embodiments, a method 1800 of assembling a cable conduit may include inserting cable 1400′ through the outer case 102 and the inner case 1500 (step 1802). The forward section 1402 of the cable conduit may be inserted in to the bypass flow duct 103 and coupled to the inner case 1500 at the first flange 1410 (step 1804). The aft section 1404 may be inserted into the bypass flow duct 103 and coupled about the cable 1400′ to the forward section 1402 via the coupling lobes (1422, 1424) (step 1806). The aft section 1404 may be coupled to the inner case 1500 at the first flange 1410 (step 1808). The first half section and the second half section of the boot 1406 may be coupled about the cable 1400′ with the cable passing through the annular structure of the first neck portion 1612 (step 1810). The first neck portion 1612 may be inserted into the flared portion 1604 of the foot end 1418 and the boot 1406 may be coupled to the outer case 102 (step 1812). Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosures.
The scope of the disclosures is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiment
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
This application is a continuation-in-part of, claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. application Ser. No. 15/807,379 which was filed on Nov. 8, 2017, and entitled “IGNITER CABLE CONDUIT FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINE,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 15807379 | Nov 2017 | US |
| Child | 16933644 | US |
