Engine Familiarization 4-39

Figure 4-50. Major sections of the G.E./Snecma CFM56-7 high-bypass turbofan

NUMBER 1 AND 2 BEARING SUPPORT SUB- The number 2 bearing support is a titanium casting. Its
MODULE front inner flange holds the number 2 bearing outer race
The number 1 and number 2 bearing support module and also allows for the installation of the number 2 bear-
belongs to the fan module. [Figure 4-53] The sub-module ing oil nozzle. The support also accommodates a guide
has a number of functions: sleeve for installation of the N1 speed sensor probe. The
• Supports the fan booster rotor number 2 bearing is a roller type and takes up some of the
radial loads from the fan and booster rotor.
• Encloses the front section of the forward oil sump
• Supports one of the vibration sensors FAN FRAME SUB-MODULE
• Vents the forward sump The fan frame sub-module is the structure at the front
• Provides the fan speed indication of the engine. [Figure 4-54] It consists of four major
• Directs bearing lubrication assemblies: the containment case, the outlet guide vane
assembly, the fan frame assembly, and the radial drive
The number 1 bearing support is a titanium casting.
shaft housing. The main purposes of the fan frame sub-
The front flange of the support holds the number 1 ball
module are to:
bearing, and its rear outer flange is bolted to the fan frame
center hub. The support front flange provides an attach- • Provide ducting for both the primary and secondary
ment to the number 1 bearing stationary air/oil seal and airflows.
the number 1 bearing vibration sensor. The number 1 • Transmit the engine’s thrust to the aircraft.
bearing is a ball bearing that takes up the axial and radial • Support the low-pressure compressor rotor, through
loads generated by the low-pressure rotor system. the number 1 and 2 bearing support.
4-40 Aircraft Gas Turbine Powerplants

Fig. 4-51 — CFM56-7 Modular design

Figure 4-52. CFM56-7 fan and booster module Figure 4-53. CFM56-7 number 1 and 2 bearing support
module
Engine Familiarization 4-41

Figure 4-54. CFM56-7 fan frame module main purposes

• Support the front of the high-pressure compressor housing. The radial drive shaft is the mechanical rotating
rotor through the number 3 bearing support. link between the inlet gearbox and the transfer gearbox.
• Enclose the fan and the booster.
• Support various engine accessories. CORE ENGINE MODULE
• Minimize fan area noise levels. Figure 4-55 shows the core engine major module,
• Provide attachment for the forward engine mounts, which is made up of the high-pressure compressor rotor,
front handling trunnions, and lifting points. the combustion case and combustion chamber, and the
• Support the fan inlet cowl. high-pressure turbine.
• Provide a connection between gearboxes and core
engine rotor. HIGH-PRESSURE COMPRESSOR
The containment case is a single part made of alu- The high-pressure compressor consists of nine stages.
minum alloy. Its outer rear flange is bolted to the outer It is housed in the compressor case, and the rotor front
front flange of the frame shroud. The flanges and ribs end is supported by the number 3 bearing (combination
on the outer surface provide more strength to the case ball and roller).
during engine operation and also provide attachment for Stages 1 and 2 are cantilever mounted on the front face
equipment brackets. Its inner surface houses an abradable of the rotor shaft flange and welded together as one unit.
shroud, located radially in line with the fan rotor blades. The disks are titanium alloy, with 38 blades fitted to stage
The outlet guide vane assembly is at the rear of the 1 and 53 blades fitted to stage 2 by dovetail attachments.
containment case. Its purpose is to direct and smooth All blades are titanium alloy.
the secondary airflow to increase thrust efficiency. The The stage 3 disk mates with the rotor shaft flange and
assembly consists of the fan outlet guide vane inner supports the stage-four through stage-nine disks. It is
shroud and 76 aluminum-alloy vanes. made of titanium alloy and has individual axial dovetail
The fan frame assembly is the major structure at the slots for its 60 titanium alloy blades. Retainer hooks are
forward section of the engine. It consists of the fan frame machined on either side of the disk to provide a slot for
shroud, a 12-strut hub, and a radial drive shaft housing. the installation of split-ring blade retainers.
The fan frame shroud is made from aluminum alloy, and The nickel-based alloy spool, made up of stages 4
the strut hub is made from titanium alloy. through 9, is bolted onto the stage-three disk rear face.
The strut at the 9 o’clock position contains both the The outer surface of each disk has a circumferential
forward sump oil supply tube and the radial drive shaft dovetail groove for the installation of the blades. Each
4-42 Aircraft Gas Turbine Powerplants

Figure 4-55. CFM56-7 core engine major module

blade tip has a reduced thickness, known as a profile tip There are ports at stages 4 and 5 to accommodate
or squealer tip. The blades are all made of nickel alloy. pipes that supply bleed air for both engine and aircraft
The blade count is as follows: use. Bleed air from the stage 4 is extracted for high-
pressure turbine cooling and clearance control and for
Stage Blades low-pressure turbine cooling. Bleed air from stage 5 is
1 38 for customer service air.
2 53 The rear case shown in Figure 4-57 is for stages 6
3 60 through 9 of the high-pressure compressor, with the two
4 68 halves being machined as a matched set from a zinc-nick-
5 75 el-cobalt alloy forging. The fixed stator vanes for stages
6 82 6, 7, and 8 are in the rear case. The fixed stator vane for
7 82 stage 9 is part of the combustion case.
8 80
9 76

The high-pressure compressor case forms the load car-

rying structure between the fan frame and the combustion
case. The case is made up of a front and a rear section,
each with a top and a bottom half.

The front case [Figure 4-56] contains the first five

stages of the high-pressure compressor, with the two
halves being machined as a matched set from a steel
forging. Housed within the front case are the inlet guide
vanes, the variable stator vanes for stages 1, 2, and 3,
and the fixed stator vanes for stages 4 and 5. The inner
surface of the case is machined to provide a smooth air
flow path through all five stages. Figure 4-56. CFM56-7 high-pressure compressor front sta-
tor design
Engine Familiarization 4-43

Figure 4-57. CFM56-7 high-pressure compressor rear stator assembly

COMBUSTION SECTION made up of a combustion case and a combustion cham-

The combustion section is located between the high- ber. [Figure 4-58] There are two versions of combustion
pressure compressor and the low-pressure turbine, and is chamber, a single annular combustor (SAC) and a dual

Figure 4-58. CFM56-7 combustor design (single annular, top; dual annular, bottom)
4-44 Aircraft Gas Turbine Powerplants

annular combustor (DAC). The SAC has 20 individual HIGH-PRESSURE TURBINE

locations around its circumference for 20 single-line The high-pressure turbine (HPT) is a single-stage,
duplex fuel nozzles; the DAC has 10 circumferential air cooled assembly that converts the kinetic energy in
locations for 10 pairs of fuel nozzles. In the SAC and the gasses leaving the combustion chamber into torque
DAC, air from the compressor, called primary airflow for to drive the high-pressure compressor. [Figure 4-59] It
combustion, mixes with fuel supplied by 20 fuel nozzles. is housed in the aft portion of the combustion case. The
(SAC and DAC combustors were discussed in chapter 3.) assembly consists of the high-pressure turbine nozzle and
The combustion case also provides the ports for high- rotor, the high-pressure turbine shroud, and the stage-one
pressure compressor stage-nine bleed air. low-pressure turbine nozzle.
The combustion case is a weldment structure that pro- The high-pressure turbine nozzle consists of 21 nozzle
vides the structural interface between the high-pressure segments, each with two vanes that are brazed to inner
compressor, the combustor, and the low-pressure turbine. and outer platforms. Each vane is a cast shell divided into
It also transmits the engine axial loads. It incorporates forward and aft cooling compartments by an inner rib.
the compressor outlet guide vanes and a diffuser, which The vanes and platforms are cooled by compressor
slows the air flow prior to delivering it to the combustion discharge air that enters the vane compartments through
area. The mounting pads around the outer surface accom- inserts in the inner and outer ends of the vanes. The air
modate 20 fuel nozzles and 2 igniter plugs. exits through leading edge holes and trailing edge slots.
The combustion chamber is a short annular structure The vanes are made of a nickel base alloy and covered
housed in the combustion case. It is installed between with a thermal protective coating.
the high-pressure compressor stage-nine stator and the The high-pressure turbine rotor front shaft forms the
high-pressure turbine nozzle. The chamber is made from structural connection between the high-pressure com-
a nickel-chrome alloy and coated with a thermal barrier pressor and the high-pressure turbine. It is made from
material a nickel-chrome alloy. The front flange on the shaft is

Figure 4-59. CFM56-7 high-pressure turbine