Method and apparatus for supporting a rotatable shaft within a gas turbine engine

摘要

An apparatus for supporting a rotatable shaft (10) within a gas turbine engine during a high rotor imbalance condition includes a first bearing (30) and a fixed support frame (20). One of the support frame (20) or shaft (40) includes a flange that has a first portion (62), a second portion (64) and a failure region (66) with a predetermined load capacity, which connects the first and second portion together. The bearing (30) is radially disposed between the rotatable shaft (10) and the fixed support frame (20), and is supported by the second portion (64) of the flange. The bearing provides a load path between the fixed support frame (20) and the rotatable shaft (10) until a high rotor imbalance condition when the failure region (66) fails in response to the application of loads that exceed the load capacity of the failure region (66). The failure of the failure region (66) then provides for the separation of the first portion (62) of the flange from the second portion (64) and the elimination of the load path through the bearing (30).