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EP-4741635-A1 - AIRCRAFT ENGINE INCLUDING DIFFUSER SECURED TO A BEARING HOUSING

EP4741635A1EP 4741635 A1EP4741635 A1EP 4741635A1EP-4741635-A1

Abstract

A compressor assembly (60) has: an impeller (61) rotatable about a central axis (A), the impeller (61) mounted on a shaft (14B); a bearing housing (30) extending around the central axis (A) and radially supporting the shaft (14B); and a diffuser (62) downstream of the impeller (61), the diffuser (62) having: an annular member (63) extending circumferentially around the central axis (A), vanes (64) circumferentially distributed around the central axis (A) and protruding from one of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30), the vanes (64) extending from bases (64A) at the one of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30) to tips (64B) at the other of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30), and lug and slot connections defined between the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30) to secure the annular member (63) to the bearing housing (30).

Inventors

  • LEFEBVRE, GUY
  • SANZARI, LORENZO

Assignees

  • Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251111

Claims (15)

  1. A compressor assembly (60) comprising: an impeller (61) rotatable about a central axis (A), the impeller (61) mounted on a shaft (14B); a bearing housing (30) extending around the central axis (A) and radially supporting the shaft (14B); and a diffuser (62) downstream of the impeller (61), the diffuser (62) having: an annular member (63) extending circumferentially around the central axis (A); vanes (64) circumferentially distributed around the central axis (A) and protruding from one of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30), the vanes (64) extending from bases (64A) at the one of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30) to tips (64B) at the other of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30); and lug and slot connections defined between the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30) to secure the annular member (63) to the bearing housing (30).
  2. The compressor assembly (60) of claim 1, wherein the vanes (64) are defined by the annular member (63), the lug and slot connections including slots (37) defined through the bearing housing (30) receiving lugs (66) protruding from the vanes (64).
  3. The compressor assembly (60) of claim 2, wherein the lug and slot connections comprise braze or weld joints within gaps extending around the lugs (66), the lugs (66) secured within the slots (37) via the braze joints (J0).
  4. The compressor assembly (60) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the number of the lugs (66) corresponds to the number of the vanes (64).
  5. The compressor assembly (60) of any preceding claim, wherein a connection between the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30) is devoid of any bolts.
  6. The compressor assembly (60) of any preceding claim, wherein the lugs (66) are elongated along a direction of chords of the vanes (64).
  7. The compressor assembly (60) of any preceding claim, comprising a compressed air collector (67) extending around the central axis (A), the compressed air collector (67) fluidly connected to flow passages (65) defined between the vanes (64).
  8. An aircraft engine (10), comprising: an internal combustion engine; and a compressor assembly (60) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein lugs (66), or the lugs (66), protrude from the tips (64B) of the vanes (64) outside of a flow path of the diffuser (62), the lugs (66) received within correspondingly-shaped slots (37) defined by the other of the annular member (63) and the bearing housing (30), the lugs (66) secured within the slots (37).
  9. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 8, wherein the vanes (64) divide the flow path into a plurality of inter-vane flow passages (65) and the engine (10) further comprising a compressed air collector (67) extending around the central axis (A), the internal combustion engine fluidly connected to the inter-vane flow passages (65) via the compressed air collector (67).
  10. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 9, wherein the compressed air collector (67) includes: a collector base (68) abutting a front face (63A) of the annular member (63) opposite the bearing housing (30); and a volute (69) extending around the central axis (A) and from the collector base (68) to a flange (69A), the flange (69A) secured to a housing flange of the bearing housing (30).
  11. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 10, wherein a flow circulating area defined by the volute (69) increases along a flow direction.
  12. The aircraft engine (10) of any of claims 8 to 11, further comprising: a turbine (15) including a turbine rotor (15C) rotatable about the central axis (A), a scroll case (20) having an inlet (22) fluidly connected to the internal combustion engine and an outlet (23) fluidly connected to the turbine (15), and a conduit (21) extending around the central axis (A) from the inlet (22) to the outlet (23); and a turbine support case (40) secured to the bearing housing (30), the turbine support case (40) having spokes (44) distributed around the central axis (A) and extending along a direction having an axial component relative to the central axis (A), the spokes (44) extending through the scroll case (20) and radially supported by the bearing housing (30), a spoke of the spokes (44) having a distal end (44B) secured to the bearing housing (30).
  13. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 12, wherein the scroll case (20) includes vanes (24) extending in a direction having an axial component relative to the central axis (A) and across the conduit (21).
  14. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 12 or 13, wherein each of the spokes (44) extends within a respective one of the vanes (24).
  15. The aircraft engine (10) of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the spokes (44) are free of any connection to the vanes (24).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates generally to aircraft engines and, more particularly, to vane diffusers used in such engines. BACKGROUND In some engine architectures, vane diffusers are used downstream of a centrifugal compressor to orient the flow exiting the compressor before feeding said flow to another component, such as a combustor or an internal combustion engine. Existing vane diffusers and methods of assembling the same are satisfactory to some extend, but improvements are sought. SUMMARY According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a compressor assembly comprising: an impeller rotatable about a central axis, the impeller mounted on a shaft; a bearing housing extending around the central axis and radially supporting the shaft; and a diffuser downstream of the impeller, the diffuser having: an annular member extending circumferentially around the central axis, vanes circumferentially distributed around the central axis and protruding from one of the annular member and the bearing housing, the vanes extending from bases at the one of the annular member and the bearing housing to tips at the other of the annular member and the bearing housing, and lug and slot connections defined between the annular member and the bearing housing to secure the annular member to the bearing housing. The compressor assembly described above may include any of the following features, in any combinations. Optionally, and in accordance with the above, the vanes are defined by the annular member, the lug and slot connections including slots defined through the bearing housing receiving lugs protruding from the vanes. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the lug and slot connections comprise braze or weld joints within gaps extending around the lugs, the lugs secured within the slots via the braze joints. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, a number of the lugs corresponds to a number of the vanes. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, a connection between the annular member and the bearing housing is devoid of bolt. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the lugs are elongated along a direction of chords of the vanes. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the compressor assembly further comprises a compressed air collector extends around the central axis, the compressed air collector fluidly connected to flow passages defined between the vanes. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft engine, comprising: an internal combustion engine; a compressor including an impeller rotatable about a central axis, the impeller mounted on a shaft; a bearing housing extending around the central axis and radially supporting the shaft; and a diffuser downstream of the impeller, the diffuser fluidly connecting the compressor to the internal combustion engine, the diffuser having: an annular member extending circumferentially around the central axis and axially facing the bearing housing to define a flow path therebetween, vanes circumferentially distributed around the central axis and protruding axially from one of the annular member and the bearing housing across the flow path, the vanes extending from bases at the one of the annular member and the bearing housing to tips at the other of the annular member and the bearing housing, the vanes dividing the flow path into a plurality of inter-vane flow passages, and lugs protruding from the tips of the vanes outside of the flow path, the lugs received within correspondingly-shaped slots defined by the other of the annular member and the bearing housing, the lugs secured within the slots. The aircraft engine described above may include any of the following features, in any combinations. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the vanes are defined by the annular member, the slots defined through the bearing housing. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the aircraft engine further comprises braze or weld joints are within gaps extending around the lugs, the lugs secured within the slots via the braze joints. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, a number of the lugs corresponds to a number of the vanes. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, a connection between the annular member and the bearing housing is devoid of bolt. Optionally, and in accordance with the any of the above, the lugs are elongated along a direction of chords of the vanes. Optionally, and in accordance with the any of the above, the aircraft engine further comprises a compressed air collector extends around the central axis, the internal combustion engine fluidly connected to the inter-vane flow passages via the compressed air collector. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the compressed air collector includes: a collector base abutting a front face of the annular member opposite the bearing housing, and a vo