Power plants – Combustion products used as motive fluid – Process
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-20
2003-08-19
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Power plants
Combustion products used as motive fluid
Process
C415S216100, C416S174000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606863
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention concerns a simplified approach to removal of the core from a gas turbine engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
is a schematic of a twin spool gas turbine engine found in the prior art. Incoming air
1
is compressed by a booster
2
, and then delivered to a high-pressure compressor
3
, which further compresses the air and delivers the compressed air to a combustor
6
. Fuel is added to the combustor
6
and ignited, producing a high-velocity gas stream
9
.
The gas stream
9
is delivered to a high-pressure turbine
12
, which extracts energy to drive the high-pressure compressor
3
, through high-speed shaft
15
. The gas stream
9
is then delivered to a low-pressure turbine
18
, which extracts energy to drive the booster, through low-speed shaft
21
, and to drive a fan
24
. The fan produces thrust. indicated by arrow
27
. Some additional thrust
28
is produced by the gas stream exiting the low-pressure turbine
18
.
Bearings
30
support the high-speed shaft
15
on the low-speed shaft
21
. Bearings
33
support the latter low-speed shaft
21
on stationary structures, not shown.
Maintenance and repairs are required on the engine, some of which require removal of the core of the engine. The core, indicated by dashed box
29
, includes the high-pressure compressor
3
, the high-pressure turbine
12
, the shaft
15
, and a casing
31
which contains these three elements. Typically, in the prior art, major disassembly of the engine is required for removal of the core
29
.
The inventor has developed a strategy for removal of the core
29
which avoids the need for major disassembly of the engine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form of the invention, a nut which locks a shaft in place in a gas turbine engine is equipped with a second thread. The second thread is used to engage another thread provided nearby, when the nut is removed. Thus, when the nut is removed from the shaft, it can be threaded onto the second thread, and need not be removed from the engine. The latter type of removal ordinarily requires removal of extensive amounts of additional components.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3602535 (1971-08-01), Behning
patent: 3631688 (1972-01-01), Quick
patent: 3997962 (1976-12-01), Kleitz et al.
patent: 4456425 (1984-06-01), McCraty et al.
patent: 4982628 (1991-01-01), DiForte
patent: 5131782 (1992-07-01), Bruno et al.
patent: 5143499 (1992-09-01), Bobo et al.
patent: 5395271 (1995-03-01), Tyler
patent: 6354085 (2002-03-01), Howell et al.
Belena John F.
Freay Charles G.
General Electric Company
Herkamp Nathan D.
Welte Gregory A.
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