Fan module equipped with an oil-transfer device
12055052 ยท 2024-08-06
Assignee
Inventors
- Caroline Marie FRANZ (Moissy-Cramayel, FR)
- Gilles Alain Marie CHARIER (Moissy-Cramayel, FR)
- Herve Christian Denis MAINE (Moissy-Cramayel, FR)
- Serge Rene Morreale (Moissy-Cramayel, FR)
Cpc classification
F05D2240/50
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F01D17/162
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F01D25/186
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2260/40311
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Y02T50/60
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
F01D7/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2240/54
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2220/36
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F04D29/323
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2260/70
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F02C7/06
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2260/79
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F04D29/063
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F01D25/166
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
Fan module for an aircraft turbine engine, the module including a fan having variable-pitch blades and an oil-transfer device configured to transfer oil between a stator and a rotor. The device includes a stator ring having internal oil ducts, a shaft engaged in the ring and having internal oil ducts, and a plain bearing and rolling bearings which are mounted between the ring and the shaft, the ring including first fluidic-connection ports which are configured to cooperate by male-female engagement with ends of oil-supply sockets during blind assembly of the device by axial translation downstream of the device as a whole.
Claims
1. A fan module for an aircraft turbine engine, this module comprising a fan that comprises a fan shaft and variable pitch fan vanes, and an oil transfer device that is configured to ensure a transfer of oil between a stator and an actuator that is secured in rotation to the fan shaft and that is configured to control the pitch of the fan vanes, this device comprising: a stator annulus comprising an internal cylindrical surface and internal oil pipes each opening onto said internal cylindrical surface, and a shaft engaged in said annulus and comprising an external cylindrical surface extending inside said internal cylindrical surface, the shaft comprising internal oil pipes that each open out onto said external cylindrical surface, the shaft further comprising an attachment member configured to be attached to a rotor of the turbine engine to drive it in rotation about an axis, characterised in that it further comprises: a plain bearing located between said internal and external cylindrical surfaces, and rolling bearings mounted between the annulus and the shaft, on either side of the plain bearing, and in that the annulus is mounted with a degree of freedom in the axial direction on the shaft and is immobilised in the circumferential direction about the shaft by means of first elements carried by the annulus and configured to cooperate by male-female engagement in the axial direction with complementary second elements carried by said stator.
2. The module according to claim 1, wherein the annulus comprises first fluidic connection ports opening out in the axial direction, these first ports being connected to the internal pipes of the annulus and being configured to cooperate by said male-female engagement with ends of oil supply conduits or sockets.
3. The module according to claim 2, wherein the number of first ports is equal to the number of pipes in the annulus, the first ports being connected to different pipes in the annulus.
4. The module according to claim 2, wherein the first ports are located substantially in the same plane perpendicular to said axis.
5. The module according to claim 1, wherein the annulus comprises an orifice for mounting a temporary pin for immobilising the annulus against rotation on the shaft, this pin being configured so as to be engaged in a recess of the aforementioned rotor of the turbine engine when the device is mounted and then to be removed after this mounting.
6. The module according to claim 5, wherein the orifice has a substantially radial orientation and is formed at the external periphery of the annulus.
7. The module according to claim 1, wherein one of the rolling bearings is with roller bearing and the other of the rolling bearings is ball bearing.
8. The module according to claim 1, wherein the annulus comprises a first axially oriented indexing member, such as a groove, and configured to cooperate by said male-female engagement with a second axially oriented indexing member, such as a finger, carried by the stator of the turbine engine.
9. The module according to claim 1, wherein the fan is driven in rotation by a gearbox, said device being mounted downstream of the gearbox and being configured to supply oil to the gearbox and to the actuator via conduits passing axially through the gearbox, and in particular a planet carrier of the gearbox.
10. The module according to claim 9, wherein the shaft of the device is attached to the planet carrier of the gearbox, and the annulus of the device is attached to an intermediate casing by an annular support which at least partly surrounds the device.
11. The module according to claim 10, wherein a rolling bearing, in particular a roller bearing, is mounted between the planet carrier and said support.
12. The module according to claim 10, wherein the support comprises an annular wall comprising openings for the passage of conduits for supplying oil to the pipes of the annulus, and preferably also for the temporary passage of a cable connected to a pin for immobilising the annulus in rotation on the shaft.
13. The module according to claim 10, wherein the support comprises an annular wall comprising: second ports configured to cooperate by further male-female engagement with ends of oil supply conduits, these second ports opening radially outwards, and third ports connected to the second ports and configured to cooperate by said male-female engagement with ends of oil supply sockets, opposite ends of which are engaged in said first ports of the annulus.
14. The module according to claim 10, wherein the annulus comprises a first axially oriented indexing member, such as a groove, and configured to cooperate by said male-female engagement with a second axially oriented indexing member, such as a finger, carried by the stator of the turbine engine module and the support carries said second member.
15. A method for assembling a module according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: a) mounting the annulus on the shaft of the device, b) attaching the shaft of the device to the rotor of the turbine engine, c) mounting oil supply conduits and/or sockets on said stator of the turbine engine, and d) displacing in translation the rotor and the device towards the stator, until the first ports of the device cooperate with said conduits or sockets.
16. The method according to the preceding claim 15, wherein: the fan is driven in rotation by a gearbox, said device being mounted downstream of the gearbox and being configured to supply oil to the gearbox and to the actuator via conduits passing axially through the gearbox, and in particular a planet carrier of the gearbox, the shaft of the device is attached to the planet carrier of the gearbox, and the annulus of the device is attached to an intermediate casing by an annular support which at least partly surrounds the device, and the method comprises, after step d), a step e) of removing the pin, this pin being connected to a cable which is pulled from outside the turbine engine.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the fan is driven in rotation by a gearbox, said device being mounted downstream of the gearbox and being configured to supply oil to the gearbox and to the actuator via conduits passing axially through the gearbox, and in particular a planet carrier of the gearbox, wherein the shaft of the device is attached to the planet carrier of the gearbox, and the annulus of the device is attached to an intermediate casing by an annular support which at least partly surrounds the device, wherein the annulus comprises a first axially oriented indexing member, such as a groove, and configured to cooperate by said male-female engagement with a second axially oriented indexing member, such as a finger, carried by the stator of the turbine engine module and the support carries said second member of the module, and the method comprises, in step d), the cooperation by engagement of said first and second members.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
(1) Further characteristics and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment of the invention with reference to the appended drawings in which:
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
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(9)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(10)
(11) The rotors of the high-pressure compressor 16 and of the high-pressure turbine 20 are connected by a high-pressure shaft 26 and together form a high-pressure (HP) body, which is guided in rotation about the longitudinal axis A of the turbine engine by rolling bearings 28, 30. A first bearing 28 is mounted between an upstream end of the shaft 26 and of the HP body and an inter-compressor casing 32 located between the compressors LP 14 and HP 16. A second bearing 30 is mounted between a downstream end of the shaft 26 and of the HP body and an inter-turbine casing 34 located between the LP 22 and HP 20 turbines.
(12) The rotors of the LP compressor 14 and of the LP turbine 22 are connected by a low-pressure shaft 36 and together form a low-pressure (LP) body which is guided in rotation about the longitudinal axis A of the turbine engine by rolling bearings 38, 40. At least one bearing 38 is mounted between an upstream end of the shaft 36 of the LP body and an inlet casing 42 located upstream of the LP compressor 14. Other bearings 40 are mounted between a downstream end of the shaft 36 of the LP body and an exhaust casing 44 located downstream of the LP turbine 22.
(13) The fan 12 is driven by a fan shaft 46 which is driven by the LP shaft 36 by means of a gearbox 48. This gearbox 48 is generally of the planetary or epicyclic type.
(14) The following description relates to a gearbox of the epicyclic type, in which the planet carrier and the sun gear are rotatable, the ring gear of the gearbox being stationary in the reference frame of the engine.
(15) The gearbox 48 is positioned in the upstream portion of the turbine engine. A stationary structure comprising schematically, here, an upstream portion 50a and a downstream portion 50b which makes up the engine casing or stator 50 is arranged so as to form an enclosure E surrounding the gearbox 48. This enclosure E is closed upstream by a sealing 52 at the level of a bearing 54 through which the fan shaft 46 passes, and downstream by a sealing 55 at the level of a bearing 38 through which the LP shaft 36 passes.
(16) The enclosure E is arranged inside the inlet casing 42, which is located between an inlet rectifier blading 56 and the LP compressor 14.
(17)
(18) The gearbox 48 comprises a sun gear 48a centred on the axis A and coupled to the LP shaft 36 by means of splines, for example.
(19) The gearbox 48 comprises a ring gear 48b which is also centred on the axis A and attached to the inlet casing 42.
(20) Finally, the gearbox 48 comprises planet gears 48c arranged around the axis A and meshing with the sun gear 48a and the ring gear 48b. These planet gears 48c are carried by a planet carrier 48d which is movable in rotation about the axis A and is connected to the fan shaft 46 to drive it in rotation. The planet carrier 48d is guided by bearings 58, 60 carried by the inlet casing 42, these bearings 58, 60 being located respectively upstream and downstream of the gearbox 48.
(21) The fan 12 shown in
(22) Each of the blades 12a comprises a foot 12b forming a pivot which is housed in a housing of a hub 64 in the form of a polygonal annulus, and which is connected by a connection system 66 connecting to a piston of the actuator 62.
(23) The actuator 62 extends along the axis A and its piston is translationally movable along this axis, for example from a first position in which the blades 12a are feathered to a second position in which the blades 12a obstruct the passage of air through the fan 12.
(24) The airflow F1 which passes through the fan 12 is divided into two annular and coaxial flows downstream of the fan by an annular separator 68 which extends around the blading 56. A first air flow, referred to as the primary flow F2, flows in a primary duct passes through this blading 56 and flows into the compressors 14 and 16 to be compressed. This compressed air is then mixed with fuel and burnt in the combustion chamber 18. The combustion gases are then expanded in the turbines 20, 22 to drive their rotors and the LP 36 and HP 26 shafts, then flow into the nozzle 24.
(25) A second air flow, referred to as the secondary flow F3, flows in a secondary duct which is defined internally by an annular engine casing 70 which extends longitudinally around the compressors 14, 16, the combustion chamber 18 and the turbines 20, 22, and outwardly by an annular nacelle casing 72 which extends longitudinally around the fan 12 and a portion of the engine. This nacelle casing 72 is connected to the engine by outlet guide vanes 42a of the inlet casing 42. These guide vanes 42a are structural and are configured to straighten the flow of air leaving the fan 12.
(26) The actuator 62 is hydraulic and operates with a fluid, oil, which comes from a lubrication system located generally in the nacelle or between the compressors 14, 16 and the casing 70 (i.e. in the engine) and therefore in a stationary reference frame of the turbine engine. In contrast, the actuator 62 is located in a rotating reference frame.
(27) As can be seen in
(28) In the example shown, the device 74 is located downstream of the gearbox 48 and preferably comprises several oil supply ways 76 to supply the actuator 62 and also to lubricate the gearbox 48. The dotted line in
(29)
(30) The device 174 comprises: a stator annulus 180 comprising an internal cylindrical surface 180a and internal oil pipes 180b each opening onto said internal cylindrical surface 180a, and a shaft 182 engaged in the stator annulus 180 and movable in rotation about the axis A inside this annulus 180, the shaft 182 comprising an external cylindrical surface 182a extending inside the surface 180a, and internal oil pipes 182b which each open onto the surface 182a.
(31) The pipes 180b are arranged one behind the other along the axis A. There are four of them in the example shown.
(32) Although the pipes 180b are shown here in a same axial plane, they could be located in different axial planes. This depends in particular on the conduits 192 to which they are connected and the arms 42b through which these conduits pass. In yet another variant, the pipes 180b could comprise radially external ends located in a same axial plane and ends distributed angularly around the axis A and opening onto the surface 180a.
(33) Each of the pipes 180b comprises a radially internal end which forms the aforementioned opening and a radially external end which forms a first port 190 for connection to an oil supply socket 192.
(34) The port 190 forms a female portion and one end of the socket 192 forms a male portion engaged in a sealing manner in the port 190.
(35) The port 190 and the socket 192 have an axial orientation, so the socket 192 and the port 190 are engaged by axial translation.
(36) One of the sockets 192 connected to the annulus 180 is shown in
(37) The sockets 192 have their axial ends opposite the ports 190 axially engaged in second ports of an annular support 250, as will be described in more detail below.
(38) In the example shown, the sockets 192 are of the dog bone type, i.e. they are generally shaped like dog bones. They each have an elongated shape with enlarged longitudinal ends, which here carry O-ring seals that cooperate with the ports 190.
(39) The annulus 180 is generally cylindrical in shape and comprises an upstream cylindrical rim 200a and a downstream cylindrical rim 200b. These rims 200a, 200b have identical or similar diameters.
(40) A shrink ring 204 is attached inside the annulus 180 so as to cover its surface 180a. This shrink ring 204 extends over a major portion of the length of the annulus 180 and comprises a radially external annular rim 204a at its upstream end which bears axially against a cylindrical bearing surface of the annulus 180. As its name suggests, the shrink ring 204 is shrink-fitted into the annulus 180. The shrink-fit associated with the support of its rim 204a ensures that the shrink ring 204 is immobilised with respect to the annulus 180.
(41) The shrink ring 204 comprises an annular row of radial orifices 206 in line with each of the pipes 180b. In addition, an annular gorge 208 is formed at the internal periphery of the annulus 180 and in line with each of the pipes 180b, this gorge 208 being closed on the inside by the shrink ring 204. It is therefore understood that each pipe 180b supply a gorge 208 and that each gorge 208 distributes oil to the orifices 206 of the shrink ring 204.
(42) The shrink ring 204 comprises an external cylindrical shrink-fit surface which is in contact with the internal surface 180a of the annulus 180, and an internal cylindrical centring surface intended to be separated by a predetermined radial distance from the external surface 182a of the shaft 182 to define a plain bearing P.
(43) The shaft 182 has no shrink ring. This allows to reduce the number of tolerance stacking interfaces. As a result, the clearances between rotor and stator are greatly reduced by reducing the number of interfaces.
(44) The pipes 182b in the shaft 182 all have a radial orientation and are arranged one behind the other along the axis A. There are four of them in the example shown.
(45) An annular gorge 210 is formed at the external periphery of the shaft 182 and in line with each of the pipes 182b.
(46) Each of the pipes 182b is connected to a conduit 212 which can be integrated into the shaft 182. One of these conduits 212, visible in section in the figures, comprises an annular segment 212a which extends around the axis A and along a major portion of the length of the shaft 182. The downstream end of this segment 212a is connected to the downstream-most pipe 182b of the shaft, and its upstream end is connected to a radial segment 212b which is formed in an upstream annular rib 214 of the shaft.
(47) This rib 214 is used for the attachment of the shaft 182 of the device 174. In the example shown, the shaft 182 of the device 174 is attached to the planet carrier 48d of the gearbox 48. The planet carrier 48d comprises a downstream cylindrical rim 48e, on the external periphery of which the bearing 60 is mounted, and on the internal periphery of which the rib 214 engages. This rib 214 rests axially upstream on a cylindrical bearing surface of the rim 48e and is held in axial abutment against this bearing surface by screws 216 screwed from downstream onto the internal periphery of the rim 48e.
(48)
(49) The bearing 60 is a rolling bearing and comprises rollers which are arranged between two rings, an internal ring and an external ring respectively, the internal ring being clamped axially against another cylindrical bearing surface on the external periphery of the rim 48e by a nut 218 screwed onto this periphery from downstream.
(50) The annulus 180 comprises an orifice 199 for mounting a temporary pin 199 for immobilising in rotation the annulus 180 on the shaft 182. This pin 199 is configured to be engaged in a recess 199 of the aforementioned rim 48e of the turbine engine when the device 174 is mounted and then to be withdrawn after this mounting. In the example shown, the orifice 199 has a substantially radial orientation and is formed at the external periphery of the annulus 180. The recess 199 is formed by a notch formed on the free downstream edge of the rim 48e.
(51) The pin 199 comprises a cylindrical body oriented radially in the mounting position and connected to a head comprising a through orifice for attaching one end of a cable 201 (see
(52) A first rolling bearing 220 is mounted between the rim 200b of the annulus 180 and the downstream end of the shaft 182.
(53) The bearing 220 is a rolling bearing and comprises rollers arranged between two rings, an internal ring 222 and an external ring 224. The external ring 224 is mounted inside the rim 200b and rests axially on a cylindrical bearing surface on the upstream internal periphery of the rim 200b. Downstream, the ring 224 is retained axially by an annular split strand 226 engaged in an annular groove in the internal periphery of the rim 200b.
(54) The internal ring 222 is mounted on the downstream end of the shaft 182 and is axially supported on a cylindrical bearing surface of the shaft, located upstream.
(55) Downstream, the ring 222 is retained axially by a shrink ring 228 attached to the external periphery of the downstream end of the shaft 182.
(56) A second rolling bearing 230 is mounted between the rim 200a of the annulus 180 and of the shaft 182.
(57) The bearing 230 is a rolling bearing and comprises balls arranged between two rings, an internal 232 and an external 234 respectively.
(58) The external ring 234 is mounted inside the rim 200a and rests axially on a cylindrical bearing surface on the downstream internal periphery of the rim 200a. Upstream, the ring 232 is held axially by an annular split strand 236 engaged in an annular groove in the internal periphery of the rim 200a.
(59) The internal ring 232 is mounted on a portion of the shaft 182 located between the rib 214 and the pipes 182b. This ring 232 rests axially on a cylindrical bearing surface of the shaft 182, located downstream. Upstream, the ring 232 is retained axially by an annular part 182c of the shaft which comprises the rib 214 and which is engaged on another part 182d of the shaft comprising the pipes 182b. The part 182c comprising the rib 214 is clamped axially against the internal ring 232 of the bearing 230 by a nut 260 screwed to the upstream end of the shaft 182 and in particular of the part 182d.
(60) In the example shown, in addition to the parts 182c and 182d, the shaft 182 comprises another annular part 182e which extends along the entire length of the part 182d, inside the latter, and which defines the conduit 212 with this part 182d. The part 182e carries a seal at each of its axial ends, which is intended to cooperate with the internal periphery of the part 182d.
(61)
(62) The plain bearing P is supplied with oil directly via the pipes 180b of the annulus 180. It is understood that the radial thickness of the space between the shrink ring 204 and the surface 182b is calculated so that controlled leakage takes place at the interfaces between the pipes 180b, 182b, so as to supply the plain bearing P. The oil then spreads over the entire axial extent of the plain bearing P and as far as the rolling bearings 220, 230 in order to lubricate them.
(63) By way of the device 174 is meant the association of a pipe 180b of the annulus 180 with a pipe 182b of the shaft 182. In the example shown, the device 174 comprises four ways. Preferably, one of the ways is used to supply oil to the gearbox, another of the ways is used to supply oil to the actuator 62, and another of the ways is used to return oil to the actuator 62. Finally, the last ways can be used for the hydraulic protection of the actuator.
(64) The device 174 is configured, for example, to supply the actuator 62 with an oil pressure of between 2 and 200 bar, and preferably between 5 and 130 bar.
(65) The annular support 250 extends at least partly around the annulus 180 and carries the sockets 192 for fluidic connection to the pipes 180b of the annulus 180. The support 250 comprises a number of annular walls and attachment members for attaching to the casing 42, which in the example shown are formed by annular flanges 252, 254.
(66) The support 250 is preferably configured to deform elastically so as to allow the bearing 60 to displace in a radial direction. This support 250 is independent of the annulus 180 in that they are not rigidly attached to each other.
(67) In the example shown, the support 250 comprises frustoconical walls 256, 258, at least one of which may be perforated, i.e. may comprise through apertures, so as to reduce its rigidity in the radial direction. This rigidity can also be reduced by reducing the thickness of this wall.
(68) A first frustoconical wall 256 of the support 250 extends substantially radially and is connected at its external periphery to the attachment flange 252 for attaching to the casing 42. At its internal periphery, this wall 256 comprises integral pipes 290 comprising ports 292, 294 at each of its ends.
(69) The number of pipes 290 is equal to the number of pipes 180b in the annulus 180 and is four in the example shown. Only one of these pipes 290 is visible in
(70) The support 250 comprises a second frustoconical wall 258 which extends radially outwards from upstream to downstream. This second wall 258 comprises at its external periphery the attachment flange 254 for attaching to the casing 42. The flange 254 of the casing 42, which is attached to the flanges 252, 254, extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis A, which passes between the bearings 220, 230.
(71) The internal periphery of the wall 258 is located upstream of the annulus 180 and carries the external ring of the aforementioned bearing 60 in the example shown.
(72) As mentioned above, the support 250 and in particular its wall 258 comprises openings 270 for the passage of the oil supply conduits 296.
(73) Each of the pipes 296 extends radially, firstly through the openings 270, and secondly through tubular arms 42b of the inlet casing 42 which are located in the flowing duct of the primary flow F2. These pipes 296 then pass through the guide vanes 42a, which are located in the flowing duct of the secondary flow F3, to reach the lubrication system located in the nacelle (see
(74)
(75)
(76) The annulus 180 is thus held with respect to the support by this finger or the like. The groove receiving this finger is preferably oriented axially and radially to allow an axial and radial displacement of the finger.
(77)
(78) The parts 182c, 182d and 182e of the device 174 are assembled and attached to each other (see
(79) The downstream ends of the sockets 192 are engaged in the ports 292 and the conduits 296 are engaged in the ports 294 (
(80) The pin 199 attached to the cable 201 is engaged in the orifice 199 and the recess 199, which temporarily allows to immobilise the annulus 180 against rotation on the shaft 182. The cable 201 is passed through one of the openings 270 and then through aligned arms 42a, 42b of the casing 42 (
(81) The device 174 in the form of a cartridge which is secured to the gearbox 48 is brought closer to the rest of the turbine engine by axial translation so that the upstream ends of the sockets 192 engage in the ports 190 of the annulus 180. This assembly is carried out blind and is guided by the cooperation of the indexing members 298, 300. As this translation takes place, the operator pulls on the cable 201 so that it remains relatively taut at all times (
(82)