US 11,859,546 B2
Eccentric gutter for an epicyclical gear train
Xiaohua Zhang, Glenville, NY (US); Bugra H. Ertas, Niskayuna, NY (US); Walter J. Smith, Ballston Spa, NY (US); and Flavia Turi, Turin (IT)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Schenectady, NY (US); and GE AVIO S.R.L., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US); and GE Avio S.r.I., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/657,685.
Prior Publication US 2023/0313738 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. F16H 57/04 (2010.01); F02C 7/06 (2006.01); F02C 7/36 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/06 (2013.01) [F02C 7/36 (2013.01); F05D 2260/40311 (2013.01); F05D 2260/98 (2013.01); F16H 57/0423 (2013.01); F16H 57/0456 (2013.01); F16H 57/0479 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gearbox for a gas turbine engine, the gearbox comprising:
a rotor rotatable about a rotational axis in a rotational direction, the rotor having a radial direction and expelling oil radially outward when the rotor rotates; and
a gutter positioned radially outward of the rotor in the radial direction of the rotor to collect oil expelled by the rotor when the rotor rotates, a radial distance from the rotational axis of the rotor to the gutter being variable in the rotational direction,
wherein the gutter includes a gutter center, the gutter center being offset from the rotational axis of the rotor in the radial direction of the rotor,
wherein the rotor has a radius (Rr),
wherein the gutter has a radius (Rg), and
wherein the gutter center is offset in the radial direction of the rotor by an eccentricity distance (e) to have an eccentricity ratio (ε) from two thousandths to seventy-six hundredths, the eccentricity ratio (ε) being the ratio of an eccentricity distance (e) to the difference between the gutter radius and the rotor radius (Rg−Rr).