Conceptual Mean-line Design of a Low Pressure Turbine for a Geared Turbofan with Rear Structure Interaction

Other conference contribution, 2019

One of the most important features of a geared turbofan (GTF) is a reduced number of low pressure turbine (LPT) stages resulting from a faster spinning spool. Compared to a direct drive turbofan (DDTF), in which the LPT normally constitutes a considerable part of the engine total weight, from 10% to more than 25%, dependent on the engine bypass ratio (BPR), fewer stages can cut the weight into half or even less for the LPT. With this benefit, the weight of the LPT alone is no longer a dominating factor for the selection of its configuration. To obtain an optimal LPT configuration for a GTF requires a new balance between weight and performance involving both the LPT and the downstream component, the turbine rear structure (TRS). A conceptual design of the LPT for a mid- to long-range GTF is presented here to clarify this new balance. By comparing a range of designs based on different number of stages and turbine hade angles, the selection of the LPT design for the GTF is described. More importantly, interactions between the LPT design and the TRS design are considered. Results indicate that a joint design is necessary as the TRS plays an important role in designing the LPT of a GTF. It is shown that if the LPT design is done in isolation from the TRS design, a 3-stage LPT performs better than a 4-stage design from a fuel burn perspective. However, when the TRS design is considered, the advantage of the 3-stage LPT design is offset by the associated TRS weight and loss increase, compared to the 4-stage LPT design.