GB2394991A

GB2394991A - Engine mounting arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2394991A
Application number: GB0225932A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ewan Fergus Thompson
Original assignee: Rolls Royce PLC
Current assignee: Rolls Royce PLC
Priority date: 2002-11-06
Filing date: 2002-11-06
Publication date: 2004-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-11-06
Also published as: GB2394991B; GB0225932D0; US6976655B2; US20040108413A1

Abstract

An engine mount 26 is provided for mounting an engine 10, preferably a gas turbine engine, to a vehicle. The mounting includes connecting means 28, 30, said connecting means attached such that they extend from the core engine arrangement 14 of the engine, through the outer housing or nacelle 24 to the vehicle, without the housing or nacelle forming part of the connection between the engine and the vehicle. Additionally, transmission means 41 are provided, to help transmit the thrust from the engine to the vehicle.

Description

239499 1

Mounting Arrangement This invention relates to mounting arrangements for s mounting an engine to a vehicle. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to mounting arrangements for mounting gas turbine engines to an aircraft. Arrar.gements for mounting gas turbine engines on 10 aircraft are required to be such that they will minimise stresses and deflections and, such that, in doing so will enable the engine to be as light as possible. I According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a mounting arrangement for mounting to a vehicle 15 an engine having a core assembly and an outer component, the mour.,ing arrangement comprising connecting means constructed to extend from the core assembly through the outer component to the vehicle, and the mounting arrangement further comprising transmission means extending lo from the connecting means to transmit thrust from the engine to the vehicle.

Preferably, the connecting means comprises a strut arrangement and attaching means, the strut arrangemen, being for connecting the attaching means to the core 35 assembly, and the attaching means being for attaching the strut arrangement to the vehicle.

Preferably, the engine is a gas turbine engine, for example, a three shaft gas turbine engine. The outer component may be a housing surrounding the core assembly, 30 such as a fan case or bypass duct.

The attaching means may comprise a shaft or may comprise pivoting means to provide said pivotal attachment.

The pivoting means may comprise a ball joint.

The attaching means may comprise a bunion. The 35 bunion may comprise a bunion pin.

The strut arrangement may comprise a frame comprising

( 2 a pair of elongate connecting struts joined to each other at one end of each connect--.- strut to form an apex region.

Said apex portion is desirably connected to the attachment means. Conveniently, the Opposite end of each elongate 5 connecting strut can be con-.ected to a first region of the engine. The transmission means may comprise support means to support the connecting m^-ns. The support means may comprise an elongate supper: member having first and second 10 opposite ends. The firs end of the elongate support member is preferably conr.e_ted to the connecting means.

Conveniently, the second en- of the elongate support member is connected to a second rem-on of the engine. The support means may be connected to the strut arrangemen_, 15 conveniently in the reckon of the attaching means.

Desirably, the support means is attached at said apex portion. Preferably, the connec-_ng means comprises an A frame.

The mounting arrangement m_. comprise a tripod arrangement SO of said elongate members.

The outer component -_v define an aperture through which the connecting means:an extend. In one embod meet, the attaching means may Comprise an outwardly extending part of the apex portion -;hich can extend through said 95 aperture. In another emUc-ment, the attaching means may comprise a head which car. be arranged in said aperture.

Sealing means is preferably provided to seal the _onr.ection means to the outer composer.:.

Preferably, the mount ng arrangement comprises a pair 30 of said connecting means, arrangeable in spaced relationship to each other about the engine. The connecting means may be arranged opposite each other on the engine. Preferably, the pair of connecting means are arranged at substantially --ametrically opposed regions of 35 the engine.

The mounting arrangement may further comprise a

securing member to further secure the engine to the vehicle. The securing member may be provided rearwardly of the engine and may comprise link member.

In one embodiment, the mounting arrangement may 5 comprise carrying means to __rry the outer component. The carrying means may comprise a pair of legs which may be joined to each other and to:he outer component at a vertex region thereof. The carryi-. means may comprise a further A frame. The carrying meats may be arrangeable on the 10 engine at a region betwee. the pair of said connection means, conveniently substantially midway therebetween. The carrying means may comprise two of said further A frames, which may be arranged oppcs te each other on the engine, conveniently diametrica;:.- opposite each other.

ls Preferably, the further A --Ames are arranged respectively on an upper region and on a:ower region of the engine.

According to another aspect of this invent-on, there is provided a gas turbine en_ ne comprising a core assembly and an outer component, _-.d a mounting arrangement as 0 described above for mounting he engine to a vehicle.

An embodiment of the --mention will now be described by way of example only, wi-.- reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagramma:_c side view of a gas turbine er.aine; Fig. 2 is a part sec:onal top view or Me engine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of the region marked III n Fig. 2; and 30 Fig. 4 is a front schematic view of the ena ne shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a three shaft gas turbine engine 10. The en_-ne 10 comprises a fan 12 and core assembly 14. The fan 12 has a plurality of blades 3' which have been omitted -om the drawings for clarity.

Downstream of the fan 12 -. he core assembly 14 there is

( 4 provided _ compressor arrangement 16 compr sing intermedia and high pressure compressors which successive_ compress the air passing through the core assembly 1-.

5 The care assembly 14 also includes a combustion arrangemen 18 and a turbine arrangement 20. The combustion arrangement 18 is provided downstream of the compressor arrangement 16 to combust the compressed air wi-:. fuel. The hot combustion products exit the combustion 10 arrangemen 18 and expand through the turbine arrangement 20. The _rbine arrangement 20 comprises a high pressure turbine, _. intermediate pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine. Air passing out of the low pressure turbine is exhausted from the rear of the engine over an 15 exhaust con.- 21.

The core assembly 14 also comprises a casing 22 which surrounds -he compressor arrangement 16, the combustion arrangement 18 and the turbine arrangement 20. The casing 22 include- an intermediate casing 38 surrounding the 30 cer.-al rem-on of the core assembly 14. The intermediate cas-ng 38 _s a static part of the engine 10 Which, in the embodiment shown, surrounds the compressor arrangement 16 and provides structural support for other parts of the eng ne 10.

25 An ou r component in the form of a housing 24 for the far. 12 extends around the front region of the core 14 of the engine:0.

In order to mount the engine on an aeroplane, a mounting arrangement 26 is provided which comprises a pair 30 of connect_:g means 28, 30. Each connecting means 28, 30 comprises strut arrangements in the form of an A frame 32 comprising a pair of elongate struts 34, 36, one end of each of wr. ch is mounted on the intermediate casing 38.

The two elc-.gate struts 34, 36 are joined together at their 35 opposite er.-.s to form an apex region 40.

At th_ front of the engine 10, there is provided a

( 5 frc- bearing housing 42. Transmission means, in the form of an elor. cate support member 41, extends from the apex rec-on 40 to the front bearing housing 42 of the engine 10 to -orm a Tripod arrangement.

5 Attach ng means in the form of a shaft or trunlon pin 44 extends radially outwardly from the apex region 40 of eac-. connection means 28, 30 through an aperture 46 in the hous ng 24. The bunion pin 44 extends through a bore 45 in a ball 48. The ball 48 is rotatably held with a race 10 50, which -s attached to the vehicle, a portion of which 51 is shown. Thus, rotation of the pin 44 in the bore 45 and rot-ion of the ball within the race 50 are permitted. The rac_ 50 s connected directly to a pylon (shown scr_matica; v and designated 51) which attaches the engine 15 to the aircraft. Sealing means 49 is provided in the aperture 46 to seal the bunion pin 44 to the housing 24.

There is negligible force transmission through the sealing mea-.s 49 to the housing 24. The sealing means 49 is prc-.--ded to prevent leakage of air through the aperture 46.

So The to connecting means 28, 30 are arranged diametrica;:\ opposite each other on the casing 22 of the cor- 14 at he horizontal water line of the engine 10.

At the rear of the core assembly 14 of the engine 10, there is Provided a tail bearing housing 50. Securing 25 mea..s in the form of a rear mount link 52 is attached to the tail bearing housing 50 to secure the rear of the engine 10 JO the pylon for attaching the engine 10 to the aircraft. The horsing 4 is secured to the casing 22 of the core 30 14 of the engine 10 by fan outlet guide vanes 54 and also by carrying means in the form of a pair of A frames 56, 58.

The A frames 56, 58 comprise a pair of elongate legs 60, 62, each having an end attached in spaced relation to each other to he core assembly 14 at the region of the 5 intercase As. The opposite ends of the legs 60, 62 meet at respective vertex regions 64 which are provided at top dead

( 6 censure and bottom dead centre of the housing 2.

Thus, there is described a means of attaching a gas turbine engine 10 to an aircraft in which the engine 10 is mounted via the core 14 of the engine 10 through the engine 5 housing 24 so that the engine housing 24 is not part of the connection arrangement.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to

10 draw atter.' on to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not 15 particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

( 7 Claims:

1. A mounting arrangement for mounting to a vehicle an engine having a core assembly and an outer co-..ponent, the mounting arrangement comprising connecting means constructed to extend from the core assembly through the outer component to the vehicle, wherein the mounting arrangement further comprises transmission means extending from the connecting means to transmit thrust from the 10 engine to the vehicle.

2. A mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprises a strut arrangement and attaching means, the strut arrangement being for connecting the attaching means to the core assembly, and the attaching 15 means being or attaching the strut arrangement to the vehicle.

3. A mounting arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the attaching means is selected from one or loot-. of a shaft and pivoting means to provide pivotal attachment.

JO

4. A mounting arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the pivoting means comprises a ball joint.

5. A mounting arrangement according to cla m 3 or 4, wherein the attaching means comprises a trur.ion.

6. A mounting arrangement according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the connecting means comprises a frame comprising a pair of elongate connecting struts joined to each other at one end of each connecting strut to form an apex portion, the apex portion being connected to the attachment means, and the opposite end of each elongate connecting strut can 30 be connected to a first region of the engine.

7. A mounting arrangement according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the transmission means comprises support means to support the connecting means, the support means comprising an elongate support member having first and 35 second opposite ends, the first end of the elongate support member being connected to the connecting means, and the

( 8 second end of the elongate support member being connected to a second region of the engine.

8. A mounting arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the supper- means is connected to the strut arrangement in 5 the regi^. of the attaching means.

9. A mour.ling arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the support means is connected to the connecting means at said apex region.

10. A mcir.ting arrangement according to any of claims 7 to 10 9, wherein, the connecting means comprises an A frame, and the moue' ng arrangement comprises a tripod arrangement of the elongate struts and the elongate support member.

11. A moJnling arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, wherein.he outer component defines an aperture through 15 which the _or.necting means can extend, and the apex portion of the first and second connecting struts comprises an outwardly extending part which can extend through said aperture.

12. A moon ing arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, So wherein sealing means is prong- ded to seal the connecting means to Ore outer component.

13. A m Jr. ing arrangement according to any preceding claim, wi:ere_n the mounting arrangement comprises a pair of said corinec.-ng means, arrangeable in spaced relationship 35 to each othe' about the engine.

14. A mount ng arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the conr.ec_ng means are arranged opposite each other on the engine.

15. A mounting arrangement according to any preceding 30 claim, wr.ere n the mounting arrangement further comprises a securing member to further secure the engine to the vehicle, the securing member being provided rearwardly of the engine.

16. A mounting arrangement according to any preceding 35 claim, wherein the mounting arrangement comprises carrying means to carry the outer cci. po.nent, the carrying means

comprising a pair of legs wr._-h are joined to each other and to the outer component at --e end of each leg.

17. A mounting arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the opposite ends of the legs are attached to the engine in 5 spaced re ation to each other.

18. A mounting arrangement -_cording to claim 16 when dependent upon any of claims ^< to 15, wherein the carrying means is arrangeable on the engine at a region between the pair of said connection -.eans, substantially midway IO therebetween.

19. A mounting arrangement according to any of claims 16 to 18, wherein two of said carrying means are arrangeable opposite each other on the engine.

20. A gas turbine engine compr sing a core assembly and an 15 outer component, and a moue' ng arrangement according to any preceding claim for mount -.g the engine to a vehicle.

21. A mounting arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel subject matter or combination including 2o novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within:'e scope of or relat:-g o the same invention as any of the preceding claims.