Patent ID: 7451592

Claim:
A turbine engine arrangement having a low pressure turbine stage comprising: a first turbine presented upon a first shaft, a second turbine presented upon a second shaft, and an inlet guide vane assembly upstream of the first, turbine; the first turbine being directly coupled to a compressor fan shaft by the first shaft whilst the second turbine is coupled to the first shaft by the second shaft and a gearbox, the first turbine being upstream of the second turbine such that the inlet guide vane assembly presents a gas flow to that first turbine and gas flow from the first turbine is directly presented to the second turbine, the first turbine and the second turbine contra rotating with respect to each other, the second turbine rotating faster than the first turbine by a pre-determined rotational rate ratio, the rotational speeds of the first and second turbines being regulated by the gearbox, and the second turbine having an exit area to provide low exit gas velocities for the second turbine.