U.S. patent application number 16/006327 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-17 for planetary gear system arrangement with auxiliary oil system.
The applicant listed for this patent is UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Michael E. McCune, Lawrence E. Portlock, William G. Sheridan.
Application Number | 20210180492 16/006327 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005623341 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210180492 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Sheridan; William G. ; et
al. |
June 17, 2021 |
PLANETARY GEAR SYSTEM ARRANGEMENT WITH AUXILIARY OIL SYSTEM
Abstract
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas turbine engine
includes a fan, a first compressor stage and a second compressor
stage, a first turbine stage and a second turbine stage, and
wherein said first turbine stage drives said second compressor
stage as a high spool, and wherein said second turbine stage drives
said first compressor stage as part of a low spool, and a gear
train driving said fan with said low spool, and such that said fan
and said first compressor stage rotate in the same direction, and
wherein said high spool operates at higher pressures than said low
spool.
Inventors: |
Sheridan; William G.;
(Southington, CT) ; McCune; Michael E.;
(Colchester, CT) ; Portlock; Lawrence E.;
(Bethany, CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION |
Farmington |
CT |
US |
|
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20180347428 A1 |
December 6, 2018 |
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|
Family ID: |
1000005623341 |
Appl. No.: |
16/006327 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15621406 |
Jun 13, 2017 |
10648383 |
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16006327 |
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14474869 |
Sep 2, 2014 |
9677420 |
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15621406 |
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14266888 |
May 1, 2014 |
8931285 |
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14474869 |
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13428491 |
Mar 23, 2012 |
9995174 |
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14266888 |
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12902525 |
Oct 12, 2010 |
8813469 |
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13428491 |
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13428491 |
Mar 23, 2012 |
9995174 |
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12902525 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02C 7/06 20130101; F01N
2610/142 20130101; F01N 3/208 20130101; F01N 2900/1814 20130101;
F01N 2610/02 20130101; F02K 3/06 20130101; F01N 2610/01 20130101;
Y10T 137/0324 20150401; F02C 3/10 20130101; F01D 25/16 20130101;
Y02T 50/60 20130101; Y10T 29/4932 20150115; F01N 11/00 20130101;
F02C 7/10 20130101; F01D 25/18 20130101; F01N 2610/148 20130101;
F16N 7/34 20130101; F05D 2260/40311 20130101; Y02T 10/12 20130101;
Y10T 137/7297 20150401; F01N 2610/1406 20130101; F01N 3/2066
20130101; F02C 7/36 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01N 3/20 20060101
F01N003/20; F02C 7/10 20060101 F02C007/10; F02C 7/36 20060101
F02C007/36; F01D 25/16 20060101 F01D025/16; F01D 25/18 20060101
F01D025/18; F02C 7/06 20060101 F02C007/06; F01N 11/00 20060101
F01N011/00; F02K 3/06 20060101 F02K003/06; F02C 3/10 20060101
F02C003/10 |
Claims
1-30. (canceled)
31. A gas turbine engine comprising: a fan section, a first
compressor stage and a second compressor stage; a first turbine
stage and a second turbine stage, wherein said first turbine stage
drives said second compressor stage as a high spool, and wherein
said second turbine stage drives said first compressor stage as a
low spool; and a planetary gear train having at least one planetary
gear, a sun gear, a ring gear fixed from rotation relative to an
engine static structure, a carrier supporting said at least one
planetary gear, said carrier driving said fan section, wherein said
ring gear has a recess configured to balance force transmitted
through the ring gear; wherein said low spool drives said fan
section via said planetary gear train.
32. The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein said carrier and
said sun gear rotate in the same direction.
33. The gas turbine engine of claim 2, wherein said carrier drives
said fan, and said fan and said first compressor stage rotate in
the same direction.
34. The gas turbine engine of claim 3, wherein said recess is
radially outward of gear teeth on said ring gear.
35. The gas turbine engine of claim 4, wherein said ring gear
comprises a first gear portion with a first set of teeth and a
second gear portion with a second set of teeth, and wherein said
recess comprises a first half-recess in the first gear portion and
a second half-recess in said second gear portion.
36. The gas turbine engine of claim 5, wherein said force is caused
by members of said planetary gear train shifting orientation
relative to one another.
37. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, further comprising a
lubricating system for said planetary gear train, the lubricating
system including a lubricant input, there being a stationary first
bearing receiving lubricant from said lubricant input, said first
bearing having an inner first race in which lubricant flows, and a
second bearing for rotation within said first bearing, said second
bearing having a first opening in registration with said inner
first race such that lubricant may flow from said inner first race
through said first opening into a first conduit.
38. The gas turbine engine of claim 7, wherein said first conduit
provides lubricant to said at least one planetary gear.
39. The gas turbine engine of claim 7, wherein said first bearing
further comprises a stationary second race into which lubricant
flows, and said second bearing having a second opening in
registration with said second race such that lubricant flows from
said second race through said second opening into a second
conduit.
40. The gas turbine engine of claim 9, wherein said second conduit
passes lubricant to a component of the gas turbine engine.
41. The gas turbine engine of claim 9, wherein said first conduit
passes lubricant to a first part of the gas turbine engine and said
second conduit passes lubricant to a second part of the gas turbine
engine different from the first part of the gas turbine engine.
42. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein said second conduit
passes lubricant to a spray bar, wherein said spray bar is disposed
on said carrier and provides lubricant to said at least one
planetary gear and to said ring gear.
43. The gas turbine engine of claim 12, wherein said first bearing
had a third inner race and said second bearing has a third opening
in registration with said third inner race and a third conduit for
passing lubricant through said first spray bar.
44. The gas turbine engine of claim 12, further comprising a second
spray bar extending from the first spray bar.
45. The gas turbine engine of claim 14, wherein said second spray
bar provides lubricant to said low spool.
46. The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein said ring gear
comprises a first gear portion with a first set of teeth and a
second gear portion with a second set of teeth, and wherein said
recess comprises a first half-recess radially outward of gear teeth
in the first gear portion and a second half-recess radially outward
of gear teeth in said second gear portion.
47. The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein said force is
caused by members of said planetary gear train shifting orientation
relative to one another.
48. A gas turbine engine comprising: a fan section, a first
compressor stage and a second compressor stage; a first turbine
stage and a second turbine stage, wherein said first turbine stage
drives said second compressor stage as a high spool, and wherein
said second turbine stage drives said first compressor stage as a
low spool; a planetary gear train having at least one planetary
gear, a sun gear, a ring gear fixed from rotation relative to an
engine static structure, a carrier supporting said at least one
planetary gear, said carrier driving said fan section; and a
lubricating system for said planetary gear train, said lubricating
system including a stationary oil transfer bearing configured to
receive lubrication for said lubricating system, and at least one
gutter around an outer edge of the ring gear to collect lubrication
used by the lubrication system, wherein said stationary oil
transfer bearing is prevented from rotation by attachment to the at
least one gutter; wherein said low spool drives said fan section
via said planetary gear train.
49. The gas turbine engine of claim 18, wherein the stationary oil
transfer bearing is a first bearing and further comprising a second
bearing projecting aft from the carrier about the low spool.
50. The gas turbine engine of claim 19, wherein said first bearing
has an inner first race in which lubricant flows, and said second
bearing is configured to rotation within said first bearing, said
second bearing having a first opening in registration with said
inner first race such that lubricant may flow from said inner first
race through said first opening into a first conduit.
51. The gas turbine engine of claim 20, wherein said stationary oil
transfer bearing is attached to said at least one gutter via a
link, said link attached to an oil input coupling via a tab, the
oil input coupling attached to the at least one gutter.
52. The gas turbine engine of claim 21, wherein said tab includes
ears extending from said tab, and said link is attached to said
ears via a pin.
53. The gas turbine engine of claim 21, wherein said stationary oil
transfer bearing includes a boss, the boss including a pair of
ears, and wherein said link is attached to said boss via a ball and
a pin extending through said ball and said pair of ears.
54. The gas turbine engine of claim 23, wherein said ball allows
said oil transfer bearing to flex or torque with the low spool.
55. The gas turbine engine of claim 20, wherein said first bearing
also has a stationary second race into which lubricant flows, and
said second bearing having a second opening in registration with
said second race such that lubricant flows from said second race
through said second opening into a second conduit.
56. The gas turbine engine of claim 25, wherein said first conduit
passes lubricant to a first part of the gas turbine engine, and
said second conduit passes lubricant to a second part of the gas
turbine engine different from the first part of the gas turbine
engine.
57. The gas turbine engine of claim 26, further comprising a spray
bar disposed on said carrier receiving lubricant from said second
conduit and providing lubricant to said at least one planetary gear
and to said ring gear.
58. The gas turbine engine of claim 27, further comprising a second
spray bar extending from the first spray bar.
59. The gas turbine engine of claim 28, wherein said second spray
provides lubricant to said low spool.
60. The gas turbine engine of claim 29, wherein lubricant flows
from said first spray bar to said second spray bar.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.
13/428,491, filed Mar. 23, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part
application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/902,525, filed Oct. 12, 2010, which
is now U.S. Pat. No. 8,813,469 granted Aug. 26, 2014. This
application is also a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/621,406,
filed Jun. 13, 2017, which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No.
14/474,469, filed Sep. 2, 2014, which is a divisional of U.S. Ser.
No. 14/266,888, filed May 1, 2014, which is now U.S. Pat. No.
8,931,285 granted Jan. 13, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S.
Ser. No. 13/428,491, filed Mar. 23, 2012, which is a
continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/902,525, filed
Oct. 12, 2010, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 8,813,469 granted Aug.
26, 2014.
FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to planetary gear trains and more
particularly to a lubricating system for a planetary gear
train.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Planetary gear trains are complex mechanisms that reduce, or
occasionally increase, the rotational speed between two rotating
shafts or rotors. The compactness of planetary gear trains makes
them appealing for use in aircraft engines where space is at a
premium.
[0004] The forces and torque transferred through a planetary gear
train place stresses on the gear train components that may make
them susceptible to breakage and wear. In practice, conditions may
be less than ideal and place additional stresses on the gear
components. For example the longitudinal axes of a planetary gear
train's sun gear, planet carrier, and ring gear are ideally coaxial
with the longitudinal axis of an external shaft that rotates the
sun gear. Such perfect coaxial alignment, however, is rare due to
numerous factors including imbalances in rotating hardware,
manufacturing imperfections, and transient flexure of shafts and
support frames due to aircraft maneuvers. The resulting parallel
and angular misalignments impose moments and forces on the gear
teeth, the bearings which support the planet gears in their
carrier, and the carrier itself. These imposed forces and moments
may cause gear component wear and increase a likelihood that a
component may break in service. Component breakage is undesirable
in any application, but particularly so in an aircraft engine.
Moreover, component wear necessitates inspections and part
replacements which may render the engine and aircraft uneconomical
to operate.
[0005] The risk of component breakage may be reduced by making the
gear train components larger and therefore stronger. Increased size
may also reduce wear by distributing the transmitted forces over
correspondingly larger surfaces. However increased size offsets the
compactness that makes planetary gear trains appealing for use in
aircraft engines, and the corresponding weight increase is
similarly undesirable. The use of high strength materials and wear
resistant coatings can also be beneficial, but escalates the cost
of the gear train and therefore does not diminish the desire to
reduce wear.
[0006] Stresses due to misalignments can also be reduced by the use
of flexible couplings to connect the gear train to external devices
such as rotating shafts or non-rotating supports. For example, a
flexible coupling connecting a sun gear to a drive shaft flexes so
that the sun gear remains near its ideal orientation with respect
to the mating planet gears even though the axis of the shaft is
oblique or displaced with respect to a perfectly aligned
orientation. Many prior art couplings, however, contain multiple
parts that require lubrication and are themselves susceptible to
wear. Prior art couplings may also lack adequate rigidity and
strength, with respect to torsion about a longitudinal axis, to be
useful in high torque applications.
SUMMARY
[0007] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas turbine
engine includes a fan, a first compressor stage and a second
compressor stage, a first turbine stage and a second turbine stage,
and wherein said first turbine stage drives said second compressor
stage as a high spool, and wherein said second turbine stage drives
said first compressor stage as part of a low spool, and a gear
train driving said fan with said low spool, and such that said fan
and said first compressor stage rotate in the same direction, and
wherein said high spool operates at higher pressures than said low
spool.
[0008] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, said gear train has a planetary gear, a sun gear, a
stationary ring gear, a carrier in which said planetary gear is
mounted, and said carrier mounted for rotation about said sun gear
and driving said fan.
[0009] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, a lubricating system is provided for said gear
train.
[0010] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the lubricating system includes a lubricant input,
there being a stationary first bearing receiving lubricant from
said lubricant input, said first bearing having an inner first race
in which lubricant flows, and a second bearing for rotation within
said first bearing, said second bearing having a first opening in
registration with said inner first race such that lubricant may
flow from said inner first race through said first opening into a
first conduit.
[0011] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the gas turbine engine further comprises a rotating
carrier for supporting a planetary gear wherein said second bearing
extends from said rotating carrier about an axis.
[0012] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, wherein said first conduit lubricates said planetary
gears.
[0013] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the gas turbine engine further comprises a first spray
bar disposed on said carrier.
[0014] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, said ring gear has a recess.
[0015] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the said recess is radially outward of gear teeth on
said ring gear.
[0016] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the said recess is formed by recess portions formed in
each of two gear portions which together form said ring gear.
[0017] In another embodiment according to any of the previous
embodiments, the fan rotates slower than the first compressor
stage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The various features and advantages of the disclosed
examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the
detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view, partially in section, of a gas
turbine engine.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 in FIG.
1.
[0021] FIG. 2A is a sectional view through the gear drive.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3.
[0023] FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.
3.
[0024] FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG.
3.
[0025] FIG. 3C is a sectional view taken along the line C-C FIG.
3.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of oil flow path
A.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an upper portion of the
planetary gear system of FIG. 1.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a lower portion of the
planetary gear system of FIG. 1.
[0029] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a flow of oil into
gutters.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of gas turbine engine
10. Gas turbine engine 10 includes low pressure spool 12, high
pressure spool 14 and fan drive gear system ("FDGS") 16. Low
pressure spool 12 includes low pressure compressor 18 and low
pressure turbine 20, which are connected by low pressure shaft 22.
High pressure spool 14 includes high pressure compressor 24 and
high pressure turbine 26, which are connected by high pressure
shaft 28. Fan drive gear system 16 includes epicyclic gear train 30
that drives a fan assembly 32 by way of a carrier shaft 34.
Epicyclic gear train 30 includes sun gear 36, ring gear 38 and
planetary gears 40 as will be shown hereinbelow. A carrier 50 is
shown schematically in FIG. 4 between shaft 34 and ring gear 38.
Details of this connection are better shown in FIG. 2.
[0031] Low pressure spool 12 and high pressure spool 14 are covered
by engine nacelle 42, and fan assembly 32 and nacelle 42 are
covered by fan nacelle 44. Low pressure spool 12, high pressure
spool 14 and fan assembly 32 comprise a two-and-a-half spool gas
turbine engine in which epicyclic gear train 30 couples fan
assembly 32 to low pressure spool 12 with input shaft 46.
[0032] Fan assembly 32 generates bypass air for producing thrust
that is directed between engine nacelle 42 and fan nacelle 44, and
core air that is directed into engine nacelle 42 for sequential
compression with low pressure compressor 18 and high pressure
compressor 24. Compressed core air is routed to combustor 48
wherein it is mixed with fuel to sustain a combustion process. High
energy gases generated in combustor 48 are used to turn high
pressure turbine 26 and low pressure turbine 20. High pressure
turbine 26 and low pressure turbine 20 rotate high pressure shaft
28 and low pressure shaft 22 to drive high pressure compressor 24
and low pressure compressor 18, respectively. Low pressure shaft 22
also drives input shaft 46, which connects to epicyclic gear train
30 to drive fan assembly 32.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A, a view of the planetary
gear system having exemplary oil supply system is shown. The system
is comprised of a input shaft 46, sun gear 36 attaching thereto a
plurality of planetary gears 40 that rotate about the sun gear 36,
stationary ring gear 38, and a carrier 50 that rotates about the
star gear to drive the fan assembly 32. As the ring gear 38 is
stationary, the rotation of the sun gear 36 causes each planetary
gear 40 to counter-rotate relative to the direction of rotation of
the sun gear 36 and simultaneously to orbit the sun gear 36 in the
direction of the sun gear's rotation. In other words, whereas each
planetary gear 40 individually counter-rotates relative to the sun
gear 36, the group of planetary gears 40 co-rotates with the sun
gear 36. Moreover, as the carrier 50 is driven by the rotation of
the group of planetary gears 40, the carrier 50 also co-rotates
with respect to the sun gear 36. Finally, as the fan 32 is driven
by the carrier 50 (via shaft 34), the fan 32 also co-rotates with
respect to the sun gear 36 and the low spool shaft 46. Thus, in
this embodiment, the fan 32 rotates in the same direction as the
low pressure compressor 18.
[0034] A first spray bar 41 is mounted to the carrier 50 in between
each planetary gear 40 that lubricates the planet gears 40 and ring
gear 38. A second spray bar 53 is attached to the first spray bar
41 and extends forward to provide lubrication to the carrier shaft
34 that is supported by tapered bearings 55 that are tensioned by
spring 60.
[0035] The carrier 50 has a shaft 34 for driving the fan assembly
32, a circular body 65 for holding the planetary gears 40 and a
cylinder 70 projecting aft about the input shaft 46. The cylinder
70 also closely interacts with a stationary oil transfer bearing
75.
[0036] A grounding structure 80 holds the FDGS 16, the ring gear
38, forward gutter 90 and aft gutter 95. The flexible coupling 85
is disposed around the rotary input shaft 46. The forward gutter 90
and an aft gutter 95 attach to and around the outer edge of the
ring gear 38 to collect oil used by the system for reuse as will be
discussed herein. Oil is input through the stationary oil transfer
bearing 75 to the cylinder 70 (e.g. also a bearing) as will be
discussed herein.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 3, a side, sectional view of the oil
transfer bearing 75 is shown. The oil transfer bearing 75 is
prevented from rotational movement by attachment of a link 100 via
tab 110 to an oil input coupling 105 that attaches to the
stationary aft gutter 95 (see also FIG. 2).
[0038] The oil transfer bearing 75 has a plurality of inputs to
provide oil to those portions of the FDGS 16 that require
lubrication during operation. For instance, oil from tube 115 is
intended to lubricate the tapered bearings 55, oil from tube 120 is
intended to lubricate the planet gear bearings 125 (see FIG. 5),
and oil from tube 130 is intended to lubricate the planet and ring
gears, 38, 40. Though three inputs are shown herein, other numbers
of oil inputs are contemplated herein.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the link 100 attaches via
a pin 135 to the ears 140 extending from the tab 110. The link 100
extends towards a boss 145 on the oil transfer bearing 75 and is
attached thereto by a ball 150 and a pin 155 extending through the
ball and a pair of ears 159 on the boss 145 on the oil transfer
bearing 75. The ball 150 allows the oil transfer bearing 75 to flex
with the rotary input shaft 46 as torqueing moments are experienced
by the fan assembly 32 and other portions of the engine 10. The
link 100 prevents the oil transfer bearing 75 from rotating while
allowing it to flex.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 3C, a cross-sectional view of the oil
transfer bearing 75 is shown. The oil transfer bearing has a first
race 160 that has a rectangular shape and extends around the
interior surface 165 of the oil transfer bearing 75, a second race
170 that has a rectangular shape and extends around the interior
surface 165 of the oil transfer bearing 75 and a third race 175
that has a rectangular shape and extends around the interior
surface 165 of the oil transfer bearing 75. In the embodiment
shown, tube 120 inputs oil via conduit 180 into the first race
160.
[0041] Cylinder 70 which extends from the carrier circular body 65,
has a first oil conduit 180 extending axially therein and
communicating with the first race 160 via opening 185, a second oil
conduit 190 extending axially therein and communicating with the
second race 170 via opening 195 and a third oil conduit 200
extending axially therein and communicating with the third race 175
via opening 205. As the cylinder 70 rotates within the oil transfer
bearing 75, the openings 185, 195, 205 are constantly in alignment
with races 160, 170, 175 respectively so that oil may flow across a
rotating gap between the oil transfer bearing 75 and the cylinder
65 through the openings 185, 195, 205 to the conduits 180, 190, 200
to provide lubrication to the areas necessary in engine 10. As will
be discussed herein, oil from conduit 180 flows through pathway A,
oil from conduit 190 flows through pathway B and oil from conduit
200 flows through pathway C as will be shown herein.
[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, oil from the tube 115 flows
into second race 170, through opening 195 into conduit 190. From
conduit 190, the oil flows through path B into a pipe 210 in the
first spray bar 41 to the second spray bar 53 where it is dispersed
through nozzles 215. Pipe 210 is mounted into fixtures 220 in the
circular body 65 by o-rings 225 the oil FIG. 4, the journal oil
bearing input passes through tube, and tube into transfers tubes
through tube into the interior of each planetary gear. Each
planetary gear has a pair of transverse tubes communicating with
the interior of the planetary journal bearing to distribute oil
between the planetary gear and the ring gear and a set of gears to
provide lubricating area oil to the journal bearings 235
themselves.
[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 3C and 5, the flow of oil through
path A is shown. The oil leaves conduit 180 through tube 230 and
flows around journal bearings 235 that support the planet gear 40
and into the interior of shaft 240. Oil then escapes from the shaft
240 through openings 245 to lubricate between the planetary gears
40 and the ring gear 38.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 6, the conduit 200 provides oil through
pathway C into manifold 250 in the first spray bar 41 which sprays
oil through nozzles 255 on the sun gear.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 7, oil drips (see arrows) from the
planetary gears 40 and the sun gear 36 about the carrier 50 and is
trapped by the forward gutter 90 and the aft gutter 95. Oil
captured by the forward gutter 90 is collected through scupper 265
for transport into an auxiliary oil tank 270. Similarly, oil
captured by the aft gutter 95 travels through opening 275 and
opening 280 in the ring gear support 285 into the forward gutter 90
to be similarly collected by the scupper 265 to go to the auxiliary
oil tank 270. Some oil passes through openings 290, 295 within the
ring gear 38 and drips upon the flexible coupling 85 and migrates
through holes 300 therein and drains to the main scavenge area (not
shown) for the engine 10.
[0046] As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 7, there is a recess adjacent
the outer periphery of the ring gear 38. The recess identified by
602, can be seen to be formed by half-recess portions in each of
two separate gear portions 600 which form the ring gear 38. As is
clear, the recess 602 is radially outwardly of the gear teeth 603
on the ring gear 38. This recess helps balance force transmitted
through the ring gear as the various interacting gear members shift
orientation relative to each other.
[0047] Referring now to the Figures, In view of these shortcomings
a simple, reliable, unlubricated coupling system for connecting
components of an epicyclic gear train 30 to external devices while
accommodating misalignment therebetween is sought.
[0048] Although a combination of features is shown in the
illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to
realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In
other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this
disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown
in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically
shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example
embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example
embodiments.
[0049] The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting
in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples
may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not
necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. The scope
of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined
by studying the following claims.
* * * * *