US-12624837-B2 - Flexible flange design

US12624837B2US 12624837 B2US12624837 B2US 12624837B2US-12624837-B2

Abstract

An annular flexible flange is provided for connecting components of a gas turbine engine having different rates of thermal response to transient thermal events. The annular flexible flange is disposed about an axis and extends radially from an annular body. The annular flexible flange includes a plurality of fastener flanges spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange and a plurality of flexible arms connected to the annular body and connected to the plurality of fastener flanges. The plurality of flexible arms are configured to flex in a radial direction. The plurality of fastener flanges are separated from the annular body by a gap.

Inventors

Pedro Rivero
William Blickenstaff, III
Peter Milligan
Angela Reisch

Assignees

RTX CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240926

Claims (16)

1 . An annular flexible flange for connecting components of a gas turbine engine having different rates of thermal response to transient thermal events, the annular flexible flange disposed about an axis and extending radially from an annular body, the annular flexible flange comprising: a plurality of fastener flanges spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange, wherein each of the plurality of fastener flanges is separated from the annular body by a respective radial gap; and a plurality of flexible arms configured to flex in a radial direction, the plurality of flexible arms extending in a circumferential direction between adjacent fastener flanges of the plurality of fastener flanges, the plurality of flexible arms each having a first end connected to the annular body and a second end connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of fastener flanges, wherein each of the plurality of fastener flanges is disposed between and connected to adjacent ones of the plurality of flexible arms, each of the plurality of fastener flanges having a first circumferential end connected to the second end of a first of the respective adjacent flexible arms, and each of the plurality of fastener flanges having a second circumferential end connected to the second end of a second of the respective adjacent flexible arms, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible arms has an axial thickness and a radial height, wherein the axial thickness is greater than the radial height.
2 . The flexible flange of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fastener flanges extends radially inward from the plurality of flexible arms.
3 . The flexible flange of claim 1 , and further comprising a plurality of connection members connecting the first ends of the plurality of flexible arms to the annular body or to an annular rail extending radially inward from the annular body, wherein the plurality of fastener flanges are disposed radially inward of the annular body or annular rail.
4 . The flexible flange of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of connection members are spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange and are radially offset from the plurality of fastener flanges.
5 . The flexible flange of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of connection members is disposed between a respective pair of adjacent fastener flanges of the plurality of fastener flanges.
6 . The flexible flange of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of connection members has a circumferential length and an axial thickness, wherein the circumferential length is greater than the axial thickness.
7 . The flexible flange of claim 3 , wherein a circumferential length of each of the plurality of flexible arms is greater than a circumferential length of each of the plurality of connection members.
8 . The flexible flange of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flexible arms extend parallel to the annular body.
9 . An inner combustor shell of a gas turbine engine, the inner combustor shell configured to be connected to a component having a comparatively slower thermal response to a transient thermal event, the inner combustor shell disposed about an axis and comprising: an annular body defining at least a portion of a combustion chamber; and an annular flexible flange extending radially from the annular body, the annular flexible flange comprising: a plurality of fastener flanges spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange, wherein each of the plurality of fastener flanges is separated from the annular body by a respective radial gap; and a plurality of flexible arms configured to flex in a radial direction, each of the plurality of flexible arms extending in a circumferential direction between adjacent ones of the plurality of fastener flanges, each of the plurality of flexible arms having a first end connected to the annular body and a second end connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of fastener flanges; wherein each of the plurality of fastener flanges is disposed between and connected to adjacent ones of the plurality of flexible arms, with each of the plurality of fastener flanges having a first circumferential end connected to the second end of a first of the respective adjacent flexible arms, and each of the plurality of fastener flanges having a second circumferential end connected to the second end of a second of the respective adjacent flexible arms, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible arms has an axial thickness and a radial height, wherein the axial thickness is greater than the radial height.
10 . The inner combustor shell of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fastener flanges extend radially inward from the plurality of flexible arms.
11 . The inner combustor shell of claim 9 and further comprising a plurality of connection members connecting the first ends of the plurality of flexible arms to the annular body or to an annular rail extending radially inward from the annular body, wherein the plurality of fastener flanges are disposed radially inward of the annular body or annular rail.
12 . The inner combustor shell of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of connection members are spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange and are radially offset from the plurality of fastener flanges.
13 . The inner combustor shell of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of connection members is disposed between a respective pair of adjacent fastener flanges of the plurality of fastener flanges.
14 . The inner combustor shell of claim 12 , wherein each connection member of the plurality of connection members has a circumferential length and an axial thickness, wherein the circumferential length is greater than the axial thickness.
15 . The inner combustor shell of claim 11 , wherein a circumferential length of each flexible arm of the plurality of flexible arms is greater than a circumferential length of each connection member of the plurality of connection members.
16 . The inner combustor shell of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of flexible arms extend parallel to the annular body.

Description

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with government support under Contract Nos. N00019-21-G-0005; N00019-23-F-0019 awarded by the United States Navy. The government has certain rights in the invention. BACKGROUND The present disclosure is directed generally to joints between annular components of a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a bolted flange joint between components that exhibit different thermal response during transient events. Low mass or thin components, such as an inner combustor shell or inner burner liner (IBL), are commonly bolted to a large mass component, such as a tangential on-board injector (TOBI). In such arrangements, differences in mass drive different thermal responses from each component during transient events, such as acceleration or deceleration, causing relatively low mass components to heat up at a much faster rate than larger mass components. During a transient event, a hot lower mass component thermally expands, which can cause high stress due to thermal growth mismatch at a flange joint between the two components. Prior art bolted flange designs for inner combustor shells include a direct radial connection between the bolted joint and the inner combustor shell. The direct radial connection is not sufficiently radially compliant to account for the transient thermal growth difference between the inner combustor shell and the large mass component. As a result, there is significant load that is reacted out by the bolt, which can cause bolt failure. The radial flange at the bolted joint also slides against the large mass component with thermal growth and contraction, which can result in significant wear at an interface. SUMMARY An annular flexible flange is provided for connecting components of a gas turbine engine having different rates of thermal response to transient thermal events. The annular flexible flange is disposed about an axis and extends radially from an annular body and incudes a plurality of fastener flanges spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange and a plurality of flexible arms configured to flex in a radial direction. The plurality of fastener flanges are separated from the annular body by a radial gap. The plurality of flexible arms are connected to the annular body and connected to the plurality of fastener flanges. An inner combustor shell of a gas turbine engine is configured to be connected to a component having a comparatively slower thermal response to a transient thermal event and includes an annular body defining a combustion chamber and an annular flexible flange extending radially from an annular body. The inner combustor shell is disposed about an axis. The annular flexible flange includes a plurality of fastener flanges spaced circumferentially about the flexible flange and a plurality of flexible arms configured to flex in a radial direction. The plurality of fastener flanges are separated from the annular body by a radial gap. The plurality of flexible arms are connected to the annular body and connected to the plurality of fastener flanges. The present summary is provided only by way of example, and not limitation. Other aspects of the present disclosure will be appreciated in view of the entirety of the present disclosure, including the entire text, claims and accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connection between an inner combustor shell and TOBI. FIG. 2 is a front view of a flexible flange of the inner combustor shell of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the flexible flange of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the flexible flange of FIGS. 2 and 3, taken along the 4-4 line of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a flexible flange. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of yet another embodiment of a flexible flange. FIG. 7 is a front view of a portion of yet another embodiment of a flexible flange. FIG. 8 is a front view of a portion of yet another embodiment of a flexible flange. While the above-identified figures set forth embodiments of the present invention, other embodiments are also contemplated, as noted in the discussion. In all cases, this disclosure presents the invention by way of representation and not limitation. It should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art, which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of the invention. The figures may not be drawn to scale, and applications and embodiments of the present invention may include features, steps and/or components not specifically shown in the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The disclosed flexible flanges are configured to reduce wear and joint stress between joined components of a gas turbine engine having different thermal growth response rates during transient events, such as acceleration and deceleration, in whi