BACKGROUND

This application relates to a gas turbine engine that includes an axially rigid curved beam and a squeeze damper.

Gas turbine engines are known and typically include a fan delivering air into a bypass duct as bypass air and into a compressor as core air. The air is compressed and delivered into a combustor section where the air is mixed with fuel and ignited. Products of the combustion pass downstream over turbine rotors, which causes the turbine rotors to rotate.

Gas turbine engines require specific support stiffnesses and/or oil feed dampers to manage vibrations of rotating and static structures at specific operating speeds. In one configuration, a centering spring is used in combination with an oil damper that is positioned between a bearing outer race and a static engine structure. The oil damper comprises an oil squeeze film damper made from a plurality of segments that are mounted directly between the outer race and the engine static structure. The centering spring extends axially away from one end of the film damper to a distal end that is fixed to the static engine structure. While this configuration is effective at managing vibrations, a significant amount of axial space is consumed by the centering spring and damper. Additionally, the centering spring and damper are expensive and complicated to machine due to the large number of tightly controlled surfaces to manage stress and stiffness for a given amount of deflection. Curved beam dampers can also be used to dampen vibrations; however, this configuration is not conducive for providing an effective and reliable oil film damper.

SUMMARY

In a featured embodiment, a gas turbine engine component includes an inner support structure surrounding an engine center axis and fixed to an engine static structure, an outer support structure spaced radially outward of the inner support structure, and a curved beam comprised of a plurality of curved beam spring segments that are positioned adjacent to each other to form a ring. The inner and outer support structures are coupled together around the curved beam to enclose the curved beam therebetween and form an assembly. A bearing is spaced radially inward of the assembly.

In another embodiment according to the previous embodiment, a fluid damper is spaced radially inward of the inner support structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer support structure is fixed to an outer race of the bearing and the inner support structure is fixed to a flange of the engine static structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the bearing includes an inner race fixed for rotation with a shaft about the engine center axis, the outer race is fixed to the outer support structure, rolling elements are received between the inner and outer races, and a bearing housing surrounds the outer race to form a plurality of fluid damping chambers between the bearing housing and the outer race that are sealed by one or more piston rings or o-rings to provide the fluid damper.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer race is mounted to the outer support structure and the bearing housing is supported by the flange of the engine static structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the curved beam has an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface surrounding the engine center axis, and wherein the plurality of curved beam spring segments are circumferentially positioned adjacent to each other to form the ring, and wherein the inner and outer support structures surround the curved beam such that the outer peripheral surface of the curved beam faces an inner surface of the outer support structure and the inner peripheral surface of the curved beam faces an outer surface of the inner support structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, each curved beam spring segment includes an arcuate body having at least one outer damper pedestal extending radially outward of an outer peripheral surface of the arcuate body and at least one inner damper pedestal extending radially inward of an inner peripheral surface of the arcuate body, and wherein the outer damper pedestal is engageable with the outer support structure and the inner damper pedestal is engageable with the inner support structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, each arcuate body extends circumferentially from a first end to a second end that is opposite the first end, and wherein the at least one outer damper pedestal is positioned centrally between the first and second ends, and wherein the at least one inner damper pedestal comprises at least a first inner damper pedestal adjacent the first end and a second inner damper pedestal adjacent to the second end.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer support structure comprises a first ring-shaped structure with a first set of tabs and a first set of slots, and wherein the inner support structure comprises a second ring-shaped structure with a second set of tabs and a second set of slots, and wherein the inner and outer structures are coupled together by inserting the second set of tabs through the first set of slots and by inserting the first set of tabs through the second set of slots.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the plurality of curved beam spring segments comprises at least 10 segments.

In another featured embodiment, a gas turbine engine component includes an inner support structure surrounding an engine center axis and fixed to an engine static structure, an outer support structure spaced radially outward of the inner support structure, and a curved beam comprised of a plurality of curved beam spring segments that are positioned adjacent to each other to form a ring. The inner and outer support structures are coupled together around the curved beam to enclose the curved beam therebetween and form an assembly. A bearing is spaced radially inward of the assembly and a squeeze film damper is associated with the bearing.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the bearing includes an inner race fixed for rotation with a shaft about the engine center axis, an outer race fixed to the outer support structure, rolling elements received between the inner and outer races, and a bearing housing surrounding the outer race to form a plurality of fluid damping chambers between the bearing housing and the outer race that are sealed by one or more piston rings or o-rings to provide the squeeze film damper.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, each curved beam spring segment includes an arcuate body having at least one outer damper pedestal extending radially outward of an outer peripheral surface of the arcuate body and at least one inner damper pedestal extending radially inward of an inner peripheral surface of the arcuate body, and wherein the outer damper pedestal is engageable with the outer support structure and the inner damper pedestal is engageable with the inner support structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, each arcuate body extends circumferentially from a first end to a second end that is opposite the first end, and wherein the at least one outer damper pedestal is positioned centrally between the first and second ends, and wherein the at least one inner damper pedestal comprises at least a first inner damper pedestal adjacent the first end and a second inner damper pedestal adjacent to the second end.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer support structure comprises a first ring-shaped structure with a first set of tabs and a first set of slots, and wherein the inner support structure comprises a second ring-shaped structure with a second set of tabs and a second set of slots, and wherein the inner and outer structures are coupled together by inserting the second set of tabs through the first set of slots and by inserting the first set of tabs through the second set of slots.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the curved beam has an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface surrounding the engine center axis, and wherein the plurality of curved beam spring segments are circumferentially positioned adjacent to each other to form the ring, and wherein the inner and outer support structures surround the curved beam such that the outer peripheral surface of the curved beam faces the first ring-shaped structure and the inner peripheral surface of the curved beam faces the second ring-shaped structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer support structure is fixed to the outer race and the inner support structure is fixed to a flange of the engine static structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the bearing housing is supported by the engine static structure.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, the outer support structure includes a first mount interface that is attached to the outer race and the inner support structure includes a second mount interface that is attached to the flange.

In another embodiment according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein an outer surface of the bearing housing is radially aligned with and spaced apart from the assembly by a gap.

These and other features may be best understood from the following drawings and specification.

