Miscellaneous (e.g., Blade Root Or Root Block, Etc.) Patents (Class 416/248)
  • Patent number: 6443701
    Abstract: A blade root for propeller and rotor blades made of fiber-reinforced composite material, for arrangement in propeller or rotor hubs of aircraft, ground effect vehicles, wind power generators or blowers with adjustable or variable pitch. The blade root comprises a parted blade ferrule and a basic body, so that the blade body is arranged between the basic body and the blade ferrule. The inner surface of the blade ferrule has a first, upper cylindrical segment, a second segment with a smaller diameter adjoining the first segment and being curved inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the blade root, and a third segment with a larger diameter adjoining the second segment and extending outwardly. The blade ferrule is joined with the blade body by gluing. The parted blade ferrule is held together with two high strength rings, press-fit onto the ferrule. A pitch change pin is press-fit through the metal and composite part of the blade root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mühlbauer Luftfahrttechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Gerd Mühlbauer
  • Patent number: 6439851
    Abstract: A bladed rotor disk assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart blade root slots extending through the disk at an angle to the disk axial direction. Each slot has a radially inwardly facing load reaction surface along each side thereof extending continuously over less than the full the length of the slot in contact with a corresponding radially outwardly facing load reaction surface of a blade root disposed within the slot. This eliminates highly concentrated reaction loads adjacent the ends of the slot and results in a more uniform load distribution over the remaining smaller reaction surface area, reducing maximum stresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Charles K. Wong
  • Patent number: 6435833
    Abstract: A multiple hook dovetail connection for connecting a rotor wheel and a bucket for a turbine rotor that permits the use of wider vanes at the ends of the buckets without changing the size of the wheel and the other existing components of the turbine. The dovetail connection comprises a male dovetail component and a female dovetail component. The male dovetail component includes a plurality of hooks. Each of the hooks includes a crush surface, a neck and an angle formed between the crush surface and the neck. These books are dimensioned in accordance with at least one of the included tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George Ernest Reluzco, Rong-Shi Paul Chiu, Bijan Omidvar
  • Patent number: 6435830
    Abstract: According to the invention, an article that is exposed to high temperatures, e.g., over 1000° C. during operation is disclosed. In one embodiment, a turbine blade for a gas turbine engine includes a directionally solidified metallic substrate, e.g., a superalloy, which defines an airfoil, a root and a platform located between the blade and root. The platform has an underside adjacent the root, and a corrosion resistant overlay coating such as an MCrAlY is located on the underside of the platform and the neck. The applied coating prevents corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of blade in these regions. Where the airfoil is also coated, the airfoil coating may have a composition different from that of the coating on the underplatform surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William Patrick Allen, Walter E. Olson, Dilip M. Shah, Alan David Cetel
  • Patent number: 6435834
    Abstract: A multiple hook dovetail connection for connecting a rotor wheel and a bucket of a turbine rotor that permits the use of wider vanes at the ends of the buckets without changing the size of the wheel and the other existing components of the turbine. The dovetail connection comprises a male dovetail component and a female dovetail component. The male dovetail component includes first and second hooks. Each of the hooks includes a crush surface, a neck and an angle formed between the crush surface and the neck. These hooks are dimensioned in accordance with at least one of the included tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George Ernest Reluzco, Rong-Shi Paul Chiu, Bijan Omidvar
  • Patent number: 6431835
    Abstract: A compliant shim for use between the root of a gas turbine fan blade and a dovetail groove in a gas turbine rotor disk to reduce fretting therebetween. The compliant shim has first and second slots for engaging tabs extending from the fan blade root. The slots and tabs cooperate to hold the shim during engine operation. An oxidation layer covers the compliant shim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kolodziej, Bruce D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 6431833
    Abstract: In a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion and a root portion, with a substantially planar platform at an interface between the airfoil portion and root portion, a platform cooling arrangement including at least one bore in the root portion and at least one impingement cooling tube seated in the bore, the tube extending beyond the bore with an outlet in close proximity to a targeted area on an underside of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Raphael Durand Jones
  • Patent number: 6416286
    Abstract: A system and method for securing an integral closure bucket to a rotor wheel assembly. The integral closure bucket is inserted in a direction coincident with a radius of the rotor wheel assembly, where the remaining buckets have been previously inserted in a direction parallel to the axis of the turbine rotor wheel. The closure bucket has an integral shroud and is connected to a turbine rotor wheel assembly in which the remaining buckets have been previously inserted in an axial direction. The buckets adjacent the closure bucket are spread apart both tangentially and axially to provide sufficient clearance for the radial insertion of the integral closure bucket. To prevent axial movement of the closure bucket and adjacent buckets, twist locks are utilized in channels provided in the bottom of the female dovetails in the rotor wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dennis William Roberts, David Alan Caruso, Joseph Michael Pelech, Kiernan Francis Ryan, James Harvey Vogan
  • Publication number: 20020081205
    Abstract: A bladed rotor disk assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart blade root slots extending through the disk at an angle to the disk axial direction. Each slot has a radially inwardly facing load reaction surface along each side thereof extending continuously over less than the full the length of the slot in contact with a corresponding radially outwardly facing load reaction surface of a blade root disposed within the slot. This eliminates highly concentrated reaction loads adjacent the ends of the slot and results in a more uniform load distribution over the remaining smaller reaction surface area, reducing maximum stresses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventor: Charles K. Wong
  • Patent number: 6398499
    Abstract: A compliant shim for use between the root of a gas turbine fan blade and a dovetail groove in a gas turbine rotor disk to reduce fretting therebetween. The compliant shim has first and second slots for engaging tabs extending from the fan blade root. The slots and tabs cooperate to hold the shim during engine operation. An oxidation layer covers the compliant shim. The shim is augmented with an upstanding wall and a seal element to seal the gap that exists between platform edges of adjacent fan blades. This simple combination solves two complex problems, fatigue of fan assembly parts and loss of operating efficiency caused by fluid flow leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Simonetti, Bruce Wilson
  • Patent number: 6375429
    Abstract: A turbomachine rotor blade having a dovetail-type base member, a platform carried by the base member, and an airfoil extending longitudinally from the platform in a direction opposite to that of the base member. The platform includes a forward seal wire groove and an aft seal wire groove, each of which is on opposite sides of the blade longitudinal axis and on the side of the platform facing the base member. The blade platform has a pair of recesses that each include a concave portion and an adjacent inclined ramp portion for urging a seal wire into surface-to-surface contact with the concave portions of the respective recesses. Wear of the blade platform caused by seal wire movement relative to the blade platform is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herbert Halila, Douglas Paul Beneteau
  • Patent number: 6364613
    Abstract: A unique finger dovetail pin configuration is provided to attach the buckets of a control stage of a turbine to the rotor wheel. More particularly, as an embodiment of the invention, a bore is provided through the center of the pin to form a hollow pin. The primary benefit of providing a hollow pin configuration is that a passage is defined for the axial flow of steam through the dovetail attachment. For a control stage bucket, this axial flow is desirable to minimize the leakage of steam from the space between the first stage nozzle and bucket, and to provide a source of cooling flow to the forward side of the turbine wheel. Another benefit of the hollow pin is to facilitate removal of the pins when servicing of the high pressure rotor is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Edward Deallenbach, Michael Earl Montgomery
  • Patent number: 6343914
    Abstract: A component of a fluid-flow machine including a flow-deflecting device which is connected in a root region to a platform, the penetration of the flow-deflecting device with the platform being provided by a pressure-side profile line, a suction-side profile line, and a leading edge base point and a trailing edge base point, and the top view of the platform essentially exhibiting the shape of a parallelogram on which there is arranged a nose running in the circumferential direction, wherein a long side of the parallelogram is arranged as a tangent to the suction-side profile line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Jörgen Ferber, Rudolf Kellerer, Mark McCarthy, Beat von Arx
  • Patent number: 6332617
    Abstract: A leaktight seal includes plaquettes that are housed between platforms of “hammer legged” vanes and a periphery of a rotor disc. The plaquettes lie above a throat that receives legs between a collar. The plaquettes are completed with heels that also lie between the legs. Centrifugal forces distort the seal and produce excellent leaktightness between the disc and the platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Societe Nationale D'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs D'Aviation “Snecma”
    Inventors: Jacques Leveaux, Jacky Serge Naudet
  • Patent number: 6312224
    Abstract: A component (24) for a gas turbine engine rotor assembly comprises a wall member (26) for at least partially bridging a space between adjacent rotor blades (18) and a root member (42) for insertion into a groove in the rotor disc (18) of the rotor assembly. The root member (42) includes bearing surfaces (46) for bearing against complementary surfaces (48) in the groove on rotation of the disc. The annulus filler (26) comprises a plurality of layers of carbon fiber reinforced plastics material, the layers being oriented substantially perpendicular to the bearing surfaces (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: David S Knott, Kevin A White
  • Patent number: 6290464
    Abstract: This invention relates to a blade of a turbomachine, more particularly an axial-flow high-pressure turbine, having at least one integrated cooling air duct issuing at the downstream back of the blade root when viewed in the direction of the working gas conducted by the blade. This invention also relates to a rotor disk of a turbomachine having several blades designed in accordance with the present invention. The cooling air duct in accordance with this invention branches off from a cooling air chamber provided in the blade root, from which chamber a cooling air duct issuing at the surface of the blade conducting the working gas is supplied with cooling air, where the cooling air duct issuing at the back of the blade root deflects the cooling air flow through it and provides an essentially continuous passage. The cooling air-duct is preferably made to converge in the direction from the cooling air chamber toward its outlet port and is shaped in accordance with design rules for axial-flow reaction turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH
    Inventors: Dimitrie Negulescu, Michael Lötzerich
  • Patent number: 6287079
    Abstract: A shear pin assembly to be used in a blind radial hole on a rotor assembly stack. The blind radial hole is located at the interface between the disks that form the rotor stack and has a slot cut into one of the disks. The shear pin is disposed in the blind radial hole and includes, a cylindrical body, a cavity, and a cam pivotally disposed in said cavity. When the shear pin is installed, the cam is pivoted into the slot, locking the pin in the blind radial hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Charles Gosling, Kevin Moles, R. C. Chune
  • Patent number: 6287076
    Abstract: A rotor blade, in particular for a helicopter anti-torque tail rotor, includes a rotable blade shank mounted in a rotor hub, which allows the blade to rotate about its step axis (P—P). The rotor shank is fixed to the rotor hub via a member capable of elastic twist deformation about the step axis. The blade shank is hollow and open at its inner end, thereby defining an internal recess, and the member capable of elastic deformation is an elastic stop housed inside the internal recess. The elastic stop functions like a spherical mounting with limited action and is centered on the step axis, and a rigid tie rod connects the elastic stop to the rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Inventor: René Mouille
  • Patent number: 6283713
    Abstract: An axial flow turbomachine has at least one circumferential row of aerofoil members in which at least one of the two end walls (33) between successive blades (30) is given a non-axisymmetric profile to modify the boundary layer flow at the wall. In one form of the profile, a convex region (33) adjacent each member pressure surface (35) and a complementary concave region (34) adjacent each member suction surface (34) extend over at least a major part of the blade chord lengths to reduce the transverse pressure gradient and thereby reduce vortical energy losses. In another form of the profile, at least one end wall (33) has complementary convex and concave regions (50,51) extending through the zone of the trailing edges of the members (30) on the suction end pressure surface sides (34,35) respectively of each member, thereby to reduce over turning of the flow. Both forms of profiling can be employed in combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Neil W Harvey, Martin G Rose
  • Patent number: 6283707
    Abstract: An aerofoil blade damper comprising an elongate member which is inserted within a core passage of the blade and extends within the blade with the damper retained therein at one end which is closest to the blade root with the remainder of the damper free to move relative to and within the passage; such movement generating friction which dissipates any vibration. The damper comprises a plate insert including at least two discrete substantially oppositely directed contact regions which are arranged, in use, to frictionally engage the passage. The discrete contact regions may be provided by protrusions in the form of contact pads or arms extending from the plate or be provided by the corrugations of the plate. A contact load on the contact regions is provided by the resilience of the damper, an interference fit of the damper and/or centrifugal loading of the damper and contact regions during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Kevin Chin
  • Patent number: 6273683
    Abstract: A rotating blade group 90 for a turbo-machine having an improved device for sealing the gap 110 between the edges 112,114 of adjacent blade platforms 96,104. The gap 110 between adjacent blades 92,100 is sealed by a seal pin 20 its central portion 110 and by a seal plate 58,60 at each of the front 54 and rear 56 portions. The seal plates 58,60 are inserted into corresponding grooves 62,64 formed in the adjacent edges 112,114 of adjoining blades 92,100 and held in place by end plates 40,42. The end of the seal plates 58,60 may be chamfered 78,80 to improve the seal against the end plate 40,42. The seal pin 20 provides the required damping between the blades 92,100 and the seal plates 58,60 provide improved sealing effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Zagar, Anthony L. Schiavo
  • Patent number: 6224341
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of low-density granular fill with a specific gravity less than 1.5, placed in hollow cavities built into turbomachinery blades, vanes, and shafts. The granular fill provides effective damping at lower frequencies than conventional passive damping treatment due to its low bulk compressional sound speed. Selected materials used for the granular fill treatment are chosen for specific turbomachinery needs, including temperature of operation. Rotation speed is also a factor because it induces on the granular material an apparent hydrostatic pressure associated with the centripetal acceleration, and sound speed in granular materials is a function of pressure raised to the power 1/n. Preferred designs for placement of low-density granular material in appendages and shafts are found using an iterative design tool based on the Direct Global Stiffness Matrix method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Edge Innovations & Technology, LLC
    Inventor: J. Robert Fricke
  • Patent number: 6190128
    Abstract: A cooled moving blade for a gas turbine which has a blade profile capable of more effectively reducing thermal stress in a blade base portion and, thus, preventing cracks from occurring. A moving blade (1) is fixedly secured to a platform (2). On the other hand, a cooling air passage (3) is formed in a serpentine pattern inside of the blade for cooling with cooling air. The moving blade (1) has a base portion of a profile formed by an elliptically curved surface (11) and a rectilinear surface portion (12), wherein the rectilinear surface portion (12) is provided at a hub portion of the blade where thermal stress is large. The cross-sectional area of the blade is increased by providing the rectilinear surface portion (12) The heat capacity is increased, compared with the conventional blade, due to the increased cross-sectional area of the blade. This, in turn, results in a decrease of the temperature difference due to the thermal stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Fukuno, Yasuoki Tomita, Shigeyuki Maeda, Yukihiro Hashimoto, Kiyoshi Suenaga
  • Patent number: 6183202
    Abstract: A rotor blade having a dovetail is mounted in a complementary slot in a rotor disk, with radially engaging outer and inner pressure faces, respectively. Relief grooves are provided for reducing stiffness at contact edges between the pressure faces to reduce peak stress thereat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Todd J. Ganshaw
  • Patent number: 6176681
    Abstract: A rotor blade attached on a hub of a fan includes a blade-part, produced essentially of a composite material of fiber reinforced plastic, and an integrated foot having at least one body for attachment of the rotor blade on the hub of the fan, and at least one reinforcement which is essentially rigid in its longitudinal direction. The reinforcement is fastened to the body and extends at least along one of the sides of the blade. The body is arranged to withstand a state of strain, acting in several axially different directions. The body also extends perpendicular to the sides of the blade, and through the foot to both sides of the blade-part, so as to form a counterweight against a tendency of the blade to turn during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Fl{umlaut over (a)}kt AB
    Inventors: Karl-Otto Strömberg, Ingemar Johansson, Sören Gr{umlaut over (a)}nfors
  • Patent number: 6155788
    Abstract: A fan rotor assembly (30) for a gas turbine engine (10) comprises a fan rotor (32) and a plurality of radially extending fan blades (34). Each fan blade (34) has a root (64) which is retained in a corresponding groove (54) in the periphery of the hub (54) of the fan rotor (32). Each fan blade root (64) comprises four axially spaced root portions (66, 68, 70 and 72) which locate in a corresponding number of axially spaced groove portions (56, 58, 60 and 62). The flanks (94, 98) of two of the root portions (66, 70) are arranged at an angle to the axis of the fan rotor (32) and the flanks (96, 100) of the other two root portions (68, 72) are arranged at an angle in the opposite sense. The flanks (74, 76, 78 and 80) of the groove portions (56, 58, 60 and 62) are arranged at the same angle as the flanks (94, 96, 98 and 100) of the corresponding root portions (66, 68, 70 and 72). The arrangement provides improved retention of the fan blades (34) and reduces the weight of the fan blades (34) and fan rotor (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Peter R Beckford, David R Midgelow, David S Knott
  • Patent number: 6152698
    Abstract: A final kit of a selected plurality of first and second groups of articles, for example turbine engine blading members, for subsequent assembly within a tolerance range along a distance in an article holder, is provided prior to assembly in the holder. This is accomplished by measuring dimensions of the first and second groups, and adjusting, if necessary, the numbers of articles in each group while maintaining the total number in the plurality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott F. Gregg, John J. Saltis, Michael C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6132175
    Abstract: A compliant sleeve for attaching a ceramic member to a metal member is comprised of a superalloy substrate having a metal contacting side and a ceramic contacting side. The ceramic contacting side is plated with a layer of nickel followed by a layer of platinum. The substrate is then oxidized to form nickel oxide scale on the ceramic contacting side and a cobalt oxide scale on the metal contacting side. A lubricious coating of boron nitride is then applied over the metal contacting side, and a shear-stress limiting gold coating is applied over the ceramic contacting side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: AlliedSignal, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongda Cai, Dave Narasimhan, Thomas E. Strangman, Michael L. Easley, Bjoern Schenk
  • Patent number: 6109877
    Abstract: The invention provides a turbine blade retention device installed in an axially extending gap between the blade root bottom and the slot floor. The retention device has two parts: a blade root retention clip and a spacer bar. The clip has an elongated web of a selected web thickness and width less than the width of the slot floor. The clip includes a forward and a rearward transverse flange extending radially outwardly and extending laterally from forward and rearward ends of the web. The flanges serve to engage the forward and rearward faces of the rotor hub disk respectively, and to engage forward and rearward faces of an associated blade root. The height of at least one flange is less than the gap depth to permit conventional sliding installation the blade root. The spacer bar is installed in the gap between the clip and slot floor to hold the clip radially outward in engagement with the forward and rearward faces of the blade root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Mike Louis Paul Fontaine
  • Patent number: 6102664
    Abstract: A new blading system for controlling the structural vibrations in axial-flow compressors, turbines, or fans, as in aircraft engines and like turbomachines including a stator disc and a rotor disc is presented. The rotor disc defines several radial hubs that retain the rotor blading systems. Each blading system includes a blade formed of an airfoil, and a root attachment which is dimensioned to fit within, and to engage a corresponding hub. Viscoelastic dampers are selectively applied to the outer surfaces of the root attachment on which compressive or shear forces are likely to develop, intermediate the root attachment and the hub, for compression therebetween upon rotation of the rotor disc, in order to dampen structural vibrations. One advantage presented by the viscoelastic dampers lies in its simplicity, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and its ability to be retrofitted into existing turbomachines with minor surface treatment of the root attachments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Nhan Nguyen
  • Patent number: 6089827
    Abstract: A gas turbine rotor, in which a plurality of discs having teeth of a bevel gear are juxtaposed to engage the teeth and are integrally fastened by a bolt extending through the discs, so that the discs may be cooled by feeding cooling air to the air passages of the individual discs sequentially at the running time, is provided whereby the cooling air is prevented from leaking by means having no wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Ichiryu, Koichi Akagi, Yasuoki Tomita
  • Patent number: 6086329
    Abstract: A seal plate at the platform portion of a gas turbine moving blade. The seal plate is inserted in a gap between the adjacent platforms at each end portion of a seal pin to prevent air from leaking to the outside. A groove is provided at each of four corners of the end portion of platform of the moving blade, and the seal plate is inserted to cover the gap so as to extend the end portions of the adjacent platforms, by which the gap between the platforms is blocked. A seal pin and end seal pins are inserted between the platforms to seal this portion. However, there is a gap at the end portions, so that cooling air leaks from the lower part of platform. Since the seal plate is inserted in the groove to block the gap, the sealing property is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuoki Tomita, Hiroki Fukuno, Eisaku Ito
  • Patent number: 6082970
    Abstract: An arrangement for attenuating vibrations of blades attached to a peripheral surface of a rotor of an axial turbine. A through hole is formed in each rotor blade in a generally thickness direction of the blade so that the through holes in combination define a single annular passage near a rotor surface when all of the rotor blades are attached to the rotor. A wire is provided to extend through the aligned through holes. Thus, the wire frictionally contacts the through holes when the blades are caused to vibrate due to a gas pressure and a centrifugal force generated upon operation of the axial turbine. Friction contact between the wire and the through holes attenuates vibrations of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Tsukamoto, Ken Mitsubori
  • Patent number: 6065938
    Abstract: A rotor for a turbomachine has slots formed therein at an angle to an axis of rotation of the rotor. Blades have at least one blade root with at least two regions of different rigidity that are adapted and preferably matched to different regions of rigidity of the slot. The blade roots can be fitted into the slots. A blade for a rotor is also provided. The invention is especially suitable for use in gas-turbine compressors, as a result of which local stresses at slots can be greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Carsten Bartsch
  • Patent number: 6042336
    Abstract: A damper for the blades of a turbine rotor for attenuating the vibrations excited in a radial direction by configuring the damper to have at least two legs bearing against the blade and the disc supporting the blade for grounding the radial vibrations transmitted radially through the damper and offsetting the center of gravity of the damper from the point of contact with the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Bulgrin, John O. Struthers
  • Patent number: 6033185
    Abstract: A rotor blade includes an airfoil, an integral platform, and a dovetail integrally joined to the platform. The dovetail includes a neck extending between a pair of dovetail lobes configured to engage a complementary slot in a rotor disk. The dovetail includes an undercut extending between an outer face of the dovetail lobes and the neck for introducing a stress concentration thereat. The stress concentration relieves stress at the outer face at the expense of the neck for increasing the high cycle fatigue life of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Lammas, William T. Dingwell, Anthony E. Hungler
  • Patent number: 6030178
    Abstract: In a turbine having a rotor wheel with axially extending female dovetails spaced circumferentially one from the other about the circumference of the wheel, buckets having male dovetails at their radially inner ends are axially inserted relative to the rotor wheel to secure the buckets to the wheel. Where the buckets have shrouds at their radial outer ends prohibiting axial entry and assembly of the final or closure bucket onto the wheel, an axial entry dovetail segment having radially opposite male dovetails is employed to secure the final or closure bucket to the wheel. The final bucket includes a female dovetail at its radial inner end while the axial entry dovetail segment has radial inner and outer male dovetails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: David Alan Caruso
  • Patent number: 6022192
    Abstract: An automatic cleaning system for a ceiling fan having a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from a central motor driven hub comprising a plurality of cleaning units, each in a cleaning engagement with a top surface and a bottom surface of a different one of the plurality of fan blades; and a plurality of recoil units, each connected to the different one of the plurality of fan blades adjacent the central motor driven hub and an associated one of the plurality of cleaning units to enable each of the plurality of cleaning units to travel from a point adjacent the central motor driven hub to an outward end of the different one of the plurality of fan blades due to the centrifugal force when the ceiling fan is running and to retract each of the plurality of cleaning units to the point from the outward end of the different one of the plurality of fan blades when the ceiling fan is not running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Inventors: Herman H. DeLaHoz, Martin Hupfl
  • Patent number: 6019580
    Abstract: A turbine or compressor disk assembly comprises a plurality of blades attached to a central hub by means of the blade root of each blade engaging a corresponding slot in the hub. According to the principles of the present invention, a turbine or compressor disk assembly includes one or more locally bulging regions extending axially away from the surface of the disk in the vicinity of the bottom contact plane of the disk attachment firtree. The locally bulging regions reduce the peak Macke stress in the disk bottom fillet and blade attachment root. In an illustrative embodiment, two locally bulging regions are incorporated into the disk and the corresponding blades, one of which extends forward from the leading edge of the disk and the other of which extends rearward from the trailing edge of the disk. The rearward locally bulging region has an exaggerated extension which allows the stress reduction ring to form an aft flow discourager as well as functioning to reduce peak stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Barr, Frederick G. Borns, Mark C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6017186
    Abstract: A rotary turbomachine, and particularly a turbojet engine, has a compressor stage that is especially adapted for operation in the transonic region. The compressor stage includes a rotor (1) having a hub (2) and a plurality of compressor blades (3) extending radially therefrom, and a stator having a plurality of compressor blades extending radially between a stator hub and a housing. The hub (2) of the rotor (1), and/or the hub of the stator, and/or the housing of the stator, have a circumferential surface contour that is not continuously rotationally symmetrical. Namely, a concave contour (K) is provided in the circumferential surface of the hub near the base of each blade (3) on the pressure side (PS) thereof, while the circumferential surface on the suction side (SS) of the base of each blade has a contour that is linear, slightly convex, convex/concave, or slightly concave to a lesser degree than the concave contour (K) on the pressure side of each blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: MTU-Motoren-und Turbinen-Union Muenchen GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Hoeger, Uwe Schmidt-Eisenlohr
  • Patent number: 6017189
    Abstract: A cooling system is disclosed for cooling the platforms of turbine blades fixed to the periphery of a turbine rotor, each turbine blade having an airfoil portion, a platform with opposite longitudinal edges, a root portion affixed to the turbine rotor, and a shank portion connecting the root portion to the platform. Adjacent turbine blades are located such that a longitudinal edge of one platform is adjacent to a longitudinal edge of an adjacent platform. A cavity is formed bounded by a portion of the periphery of the turbine rotor, the shank portions of the adjacent turbine blades, and the platforms of the adjacent turbine blades. A cooling air passage supplies cooling air to the cavity. One or more cooling channels are formed in a side of the platform facing the turbine rotor, each cooling channel having a cooling air collector at an end located adjacent to the air supply passage and communicating with the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Societe National D'Etede et de Construction de Moteurs D'Aviation (S.N.E.C.M.A.)
    Inventors: Maurice Judet, Marc Roger Marchi
  • Patent number: 6010308
    Abstract: A ceiling fan blade for securing to a ceiling fan motor includes a flat root portion and a fan member each having a flange extended from one end and perpendicular to and solidly secured to the root portion and the fan member. The root portion and the fan member are inclined relative to each other for allowing the fan member to be directed toward a relative wind to the ceiling fan blade. The flanges of the fan member and of the root portion of the ceiling fan blade each includes a triangular shape and each includes a longitudinal axis coincident with each other for greatly increasing the strength of the ceiling fan blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Inventor: Fang-Chan Youn
  • Patent number: 6004101
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fan blade includes an airfoil and dovetail having an integral aluminum core and a fatigue resistant reinforcing sheath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jan C. Schilling, Joseph J. Jackson, Bruce C. Busbey
  • Patent number: 5971710
    Abstract: A turbine blade (18) for a gas turbine engine includes a machining datum (60) that extends radially from a pocket (54) in the outer shroud (36) of the blade. The datum is spaced from a sidewall (64) of the pocket so that the datum is peripherally continuous irrespective of whether the blade is in a prefinished state or in a completely finished state. Because the datum's peripheral continuity survives the original manufacturing process, the datum is available for use in post-manufacturing inspection and repair operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce A. Stauffer, Gilbert B. Wilcox
  • Patent number: 5957660
    Abstract: In connection with a turbine rotating disk with disk grooves, constituted by disk fingers, for receiving turbine blades, as well as with measures for guiding a cooling air flow from a chamber located in front of the disk to one behind the disk, a cooling air transfer channel is provided in at least some of the disk fingers, which respectively starts at the front disk face, and makes a transition into a cooling air exhaust channel, also essentially extending in the radial direction in the disk finger, whose outlet opening on the rear disk face side lies closer to the disk axis than the disk ring section, which has the disk grooves and is widened in the disk axial directions. By means of this it is possible to convey a larger cooling air flow which, in an advantageous manner, indirectly aids the cooling of the disk in the area of the disk grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH
    Inventors: Neil M Evans, Thomas Schillinger
  • Patent number: 5954477
    Abstract: An annular seal plate for an interstage air riding seal arrangement for the internal cooling system of a gas turbine engine is mounted on a rotatable disc by means of an annular mortise and tenon mounting. The contact faces of the mortise and tenon are angled relative to a radial plane of the disc so that centrifugally generated forces are reacted by the faces in a sense to counter axial tilt so that a seal face of the plate lies exactly in a radial plane, at a design rotational speed, thereby to eliminate convergence or divergence between the seal faces of the air riding seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Julian G Balsdon
  • Patent number: 5924699
    Abstract: A seal for a turbine blade in a gas turbine engine has a sealing portion with two subportions, where the subportions are longitudinally offset from one another, so that the seal may provide sealing for adjacent turbine blades having longitudinally offset inner platform surfaces. The offset between the sealing subportions should correspond generally to the offset between the platform surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: David Airey, Natalie A. Pelland, David P. Houston
  • Patent number: 5873702
    Abstract: A sealing apparatus and method for delivering a sealing material to gaps between gas turbine blade roots and the corresponding grooves of a rotor disc are disclosed. The sealing apparatus comprises a tank for housing a pressurized sealing material, a delivery tube for delivering the sealing material from the tank to the rotor disc, a control valve for controlling the flow of the sealing material, a sealing fixture for distributing the sealing material to the gaps between the blade roots and the corresponding grooves, an O-ring seal for effecting a tight seal between the sealing fixture and the rotor disc, and jack screws for maintaining the sealing fixture securely in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Corley, Donald P. Etchison, George Dailey
  • Patent number: 5869194
    Abstract: A blank for manufacturing a precisely shaped part, such as a turbine blade, generally comprises a tip, a root region longitudinally spaced from the tip, and a midspan region extending therebetween. The blank is further characterized by a sacrificial region extending substantially longitudinally from the root region, a stacking axis and a root centerline from which critical dimensions of the blade are referenced, and a plurality of locators. The first locator, a bore, being disposed at the tip on the stacking axis. The second locator, a notch, being disposed within the sacrificial region aligned with the stacking axis. The third locator, a notch, being disposed within the sacrificial region is characterized by a corner, which is parallel to the root centerline. The locators are shaped to mate with corresponding features on a fixture, such that the fixture uses the locators to securely hold the blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James P. Dwyer
  • Patent number: 5860789
    Abstract: A gas turbine has a gas turbine rotor including a plurality of rotary disks each having an opening of a circular shape formed through its central portion, the rotary disk including a pair of hub portions formed respectively on opposite sides thereof, and a pair of in-low portions formed respectively at the opposite sides thereof. The gas turbine rotor also includes a plurality of spacers each having an opening of a circular shape formed through its central portion, the spacer having a pair of in-low portions formed respectively at opposite sides thereof. The rotary disks and the spacers are alternately stacked together in such a manner that the opposite sides of each of the spacers contact opposed side surfaces of the adjacent hub portions, respectively, and that the in-low portions of each of the spacers are engaged respectively with the in-low portions of the adjacent rotary disks. The stack of rotary disks and spacers are fastened together in an axial direction by stacking bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Sekihara, Takashi Machida