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EP-4737688-A1 - TURBINE ENGINE FOR AN AIRCRAFT HAVING AN INTEGRAL FRAME

EP4737688A1EP 4737688 A1EP4737688 A1EP 4737688A1EP-4737688-A1

Abstract

A turbine engine (100) for an aircraft includes an integral frame. The integral frame includes an inner hub (240), a frame case (220) having an outer band portion (222) and a containment portion (224) integrally formed with the outer band portion (222), and a plurality of struts (210) connecting the inner hub with the outer band portion. The outer band is opposite the inner hub to form an air flow path (187) therebetween, and the containment portion extends in an axial direction of the turbine engine away from the outer band. The containment portion is positioned radially outward of a plurality of rotating airfoils (262) and extends axially over the plurality of rotating airfoils. The outer band portion and the containment portion of the frame case can be an integral composite having a plurality of reinforcing fibers (272) embedded in a matrix (270) or an integral metallic part.

Inventors

  • WU, WEI
  • XIE, MING
  • GLYNN, CHRISTOPHER
  • KUROPATWA, Michal

Assignees

  • General Electric Company

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251031

Claims (15)

  1. A turbine engine (100) for an aircraft, the turbine engine (100) having an axial direction and a radial direction, the turbine engine (100) comprising: a rotating airfoil assembly (260) including a plurality of rotating airfoils (262) collectively rotatable about a rotational axis; and an integral frame (200, 202, 204, 206, 208) including: an inner hub (240); a frame case (220) having an outer band portion (222) and a containment portion (224) integrally formed with the outer band portion (222), the outer band portion (222) opposite the inner hub (240) to form an air flow path (187) therebetween, the containment portion (224) extending in the axial direction away from the outer band portion (222), and being positioned radially outward of the plurality of rotating airfoils (262) and extending axially over the plurality of rotating airfoils (262); and a plurality of struts (210) connecting the inner hub (240) with the outer band portion (222), each strut (210) of the plurality of struts (210) extending in the radial direction and positioned within the air flow path (187).
  2. The turbine engine (100) of claim 1, wherein the rotating airfoil assembly (260) is disposed upstream, relative to a direction of airflow through the air flow path (187), of the plurality of struts (210), or wherein the rotating airfoil assembly (260) is disposed downstream, relative to a direction of airflow through the air flow path (187), of the plurality of struts (210).
  3. The turbine engine (100) of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of vanes (250), the integral frame (200, 202, 204, 206, 208) further including a vane case portion (226), the vane case portion (226) being disposed radially outward of the plurality of vanes (250) and extending axially over the plurality of vanes (250), the vane case portion (226) being integrally formed with the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224), wherein each vane (250) of the plurality of vanes (250) being an outlet vane for the rotating airfoil assembly (260), or wherein each vane (250) of the plurality of vanes (250) is an inlet vane for the rotating airfoil assembly (260).
  4. The turbine engine (100) of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of vanes (250), wherein the integral frame (200, 204, 206, 208) further includes a vane case portion (226), the vane case portion (226) being disposed radially outward of the plurality of vanes (250) and extending axially over the plurality of vanes (250), the vane case portion (226) being integrally formed with the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224), and wherein the vane case portion (226) is disposed between the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224).
  5. The turbine engine (100) of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a guide case (230) defining a portion of the air flow path (187), the guide case (230) being positioned adjacent to the frame case (220) and fastened thereto, wherein the frame case (220) includes a frame case flange (282), and the guide case (230) includes a guide case flange (232), the frame case (220) being fastened to the guide case (230) with a fastener (290) engaging both the frame case flange (282) and the guide case flange (232).
  6. The turbine engine (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a guide case (230) defining a portion of the air flow path (187), the guide case (230) being positioned adjacent to the frame case (220) and fastened thereto, wherein the frame case (220) includes a frame case flange (282), and the guide case (230) includes a guide case flange (232), the guide case flange (232) abutting the frame case flange (282), and wherein the frame case (220) includes a frame case distal end (312) that is distal from the plurality of struts (210), the frame case flange (282) being formed on the frame case distal end (312).
  7. The turbine engine (100) of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a guide case (230) defining a portion of the air flow path (187), the guide case (230) being positioned adjacent to the frame case (220) and fastened thereto, wherein the guide case (230) includes a guide case flange (232), the guide case flange (232) including a flange distal end (234) and a flange projection (236) extending from the flange distal end (234), and wherein the guide case (230) includes a guide case lip (320) and the frame case (220) includes a frame case lip (310), the guide case lip (320) and the frame case lip (310) overlapping each other to form a joint (302) with the frame case lip (310) disposed between guide case lip (320) and the flange projection (236).
  8. The turbine engine (100) of claim 7, wherein the guide case lip (320) includes a tip (324), the tip (324) being a stepped tip (324), and wherein the frame case lip (310) includes a step (314), the stepped tip (324) of the guide case lip (320) engaging with the step (314) of the frame case (220).
  9. The turbine engine (100) of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224) are an integral composite having a plurality of reinforcing fibers (272) embedded in a matrix (270).
  10. The turbine engine (100) of claim 9, wherein the inner hub (240) and the plurality of struts (210) are portions of the integral composite with the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224), and/or wherein the turbine engine (100) further comprises a plurality of vanes (250), wherein the integral frame further includes a vane case portion (226), the vane case portion (226) being disposed radially outward of the plurality of vanes (250) and extending axially over the plurality of vanes (250), the vane case portion (226) being a portion of the integral composite with the outer band portion (222) and the containment portion (224).
  11. The turbine engine (100) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the guide case (230) includes a guide case lip (320) and the frame case (220) includes a frame case lip (310), the guide case lip (320) and the frame case lip (310) overlapping each other to form a joint (300, 302, 304).
  12. The turbine engine (100) of claim 11, wherein the frame case (220) is fastened to the guide case (230) in the joint with a fastener (290) engaging both the frame case lip (310) and the guide case lip (320).
  13. The turbine engine (100) of claim 11 or 12, wherein the frame case lip (310) is formed in the containment portion (224), and the joint extends axially (300, 302, 304) over the rotating airfoil assembly (260).
  14. The turbine engine (100) of claim 13, wherein the joint (304) includes an acoustic panel (330), and/or wherein the frame case lip (310) is disposed radially outward of the guide case lip (320).
  15. The turbine engine of claim 13 or 14, wherein each rotating airfoil (262) of the plurality of rotating airfoils (262) is tapered in the axial direction, and wherein the frame case lip (310) is disposed radially outward of the guide case lip (320), the guide case lip (320) having an underside (322) that is tapered to correspond to the taper of each rotating airfoil (262) of the plurality of rotating airfoils (262).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/715,150, filed on November 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to frames for turbine engines, particularly, turbine engines for aircraft. BACKGROUND Turbine engines used in aircraft generally include a fan, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. A combustor of the combustion section generates combustion gases for driving one or more turbines of the turbine section, and the turbine can be used to drive the fan. A portion of air flowing into the fan flows through the compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section as core air, and another portion of the air flowing into the fan bypasses these sections and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. The compressor section can include one or more compressors, also be driven by the turbine, to compress the core air before the core air flows into the combustor. Composite materials may be used to manufacture various components of the turbine engine, particularly, when the turbine engine is a turbine engine for an aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of various exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally indicate identical elements or elements that are structurally similar or functionally similar. FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a turbine engine of for an aircraft.FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the turbine engine, showing detail 2A in FIG. 1.FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the turbine engine taken from a perspective similar to that of detail 2A in FIG. 1.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a shiplap joint for an integral frame that can be used in the engine shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a shiplap joint for an integral frame that can be used in the engine shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a shiplap joint for an integral frame that can be used in the engine shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Features, advantages, and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth or apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, the following detailed description is exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed. Various embodiments are discussed in detail below. While specific embodiments are discussed, this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the present disclosure. As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. As used herein, the terms "axial" and "axially" refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially parallel to a centerline of the turbine engine. Moreover, the terms "radial" and "radially" refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the turbine engine. In addition, as used herein, the terms "circumferential" and "circumferentially" refer to directions and orientations that extend arcuately about the centerline of the turbine engine. The terms "coupled," "fixed," "attached," "connected," and the like, refer to both direct coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged. Such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. The term "fastened" as used herein, refers to securely attaching or joining two or more components together using mechanical means, such as screws, bolts, adhesives, brazing, soldering, or other methods, to ensure stability and integrity in their assembled state. The term "monolithic" as used herein, in connection with a component or a structure,