Abstract: A vane carrier assembly is provided for supporting vanes within a main engine casing of a gas turbine engine. The vane carrier assembly comprises a plurality of vane support panels positioned adjacent to one another so as to define a vane support assembly. The support panels are assembled such that the support panels expand circumferentially to minimize radial expansion of the vane support assembly during operation of the gas turbine engine. A control ring is coupled to the main engine casing, and the vane support assembly is coupled to the control ring. The control ring may be formed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the material from which the vane support assembly is formed.

Abstract: An active bypass flow control system for controlling bypass compressed air based upon leakage flow of compressed air flowing past an outer balance seal between a stator and rotor of a first stage of a gas turbine in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The active bypass flow control system is an adjustable system in which one or more metering devices may be used to control the flow of bypass compressed air as the flow of compressed air past the outer balance seal changes over time as the outer balance seal between the rim cavity and the cooling cavity wears In at least one embodiment, the metering device may include an annular ring having at least one metering orifice extending therethrough, whereby alignment of the metering orifice with the outlet may be adjustable to change a cross-sectional area of an opening of aligned portions of the outlet and the metering orifice.

Abstract: An active bypass flow control system for controlling bypass compressed air based upon leakage flow of compressed air flowing past an outer balance seal between a stator and rotor of a first stage of a gas turbine in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The active bypass flow control system is an adjustable system in which one or more metering devices may be used to control the flow of bypass compressed air as the flow of compressed air past the outer balance seal changes over time as the outer balance seal between the rim cavity and the cooling cavity wears. In at least one embodiment, the metering device may include a valve formed from one or more pins movable between open and closed positions in which the one pin at least partially bisects the bypass channel to regulate flow.

Abstract: A spar and shell turbine rotor blade with a spar and a tip cap formed as a single piece, the spar includes a bottom end with dovetail or fir tree slots that engage with slots on a top end of a root section, and a platform includes an opening on a top surface for insertion of the spar in which a shell made from an exotic high temperature resistant material is secured between the tip cap and the platform. The spar is tapered to form thinner walls at the tip end to further reduce the weight and therefore a pulling force due to blade rotation. The spar and tip cap piece is made from a NiAL material to further reduce the weight and the pulling force.

Abstract: An active bypass flow control system for controlling bypass compressed air based upon leakage flow of compressed air flowing past an outer balance seal between a stator and rotor of a first stage of a gas turbine in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The active bypass flow control system is an adjustable system in which one or more metering devices may be used to control the flow of bypass compressed air as the flow of compressed air past the outer balance seal changes over time as the outer balance seal between the rim cavity and the cooling cavity wears. In at least one embodiment, the metering device may include a valve formed from one or more pins movable between open and closed positions in which the one pin at least partially bisects the bypass channel to regulate flow.

Abstract: An active bypass flow control system for controlling bypass compressed air based upon leakage flow of compressed air flowing past an outer balance seal between a stator and rotor of a first stage of a gas turbine in a gas turbine engine is disclosed.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a diffuser section supplying cooling fluid, a rotatable shaft, shaft cover structure disposed about the rotatable shaft, support structure, and a cooling fluid channel between the shaft cover structure and the support structure. The support structure provides structural support for the shaft cover structure and receives cooling fluid from the diffuser section. One of the diffuser section and the support structure comprises a plurality of apertures through which at least a portion of the cooling fluid passes. The cooling fluid channel is in fluid communication with the apertures in the one of the diffuser section and the support structure for supplying cooling fluid to a blade disc structure located in a turbine section of the engine.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a pre-swirl structure coupled to a shaft cover structure and located radially between a supply of cooling fluid and a flow path. The pre-swirl structure defines a flow passage and includes a plurality of swirl members in the flow passage. A flow direction of cooling fluid passing through the flow passage is altered by the swirl members such that the cooling fluid has a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction. The bypass passages provide cooling fluid into a turbine rim cavity associated with a first row vane assembly to prevent hot gas ingestion into the turbine rim cavity from a hot gas flow path associated with a turbine section of the engine.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, and a tip cap that includes a row of lugs extending from a bottom side that form dovetail grooves that engage with similar shaped lugs and grooves on a tip end of the spar to secure the tip cap to the spar against radial displacement. The lug on the trailing edge end of the tip cap is aligned perpendicular to a chordwise line of the blade in the trailing edge region in order to minimize stress due to the lugs wanting to bend under high centrifugal loads. A two piece tip cap with lugs at different angles will reduce the bending stress even more.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a supply of cooling fluid, a rotatable shaft, structure defining at least one bypass passage in fluid communication with the supply of cooling fluid for supplying cooling fluid from the supply of cooling fluid, and metering structure located at an outlet of the at least one bypass passage. The metering structure includes at least one flow passageway extending therethrough at an angle to a central axis of the engine for permitting cooling fluid in the bypass passage to pass into a turbine rim cavity. The cooling fluid flowing out of the flow passageway has a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction in the same direction as a rotation direction of the shaft.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a pre-swirl structure. Inner and outer wall structures of the pre-swirl structure define a flow passage in which swirl members are located. The swirl members include a leading edge and a circumferentially offset trailing edge. Cooling fluid exits the flow passage with a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction, wherein a swirl ratio defined as the velocity component in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction of the cooling fluid to a velocity component of a rotating shaft in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction is greater than one as the cooling fluid exits the flow passage outlet, and the swirl ratio is about one as the cooling fluid enters at least one bore formed in a blade disc structure. An annular cavity extends between the flow passage and the at least one bore formed in the blade disc structure.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a supply of cooling fluid, a rotatable shaft, blade disc structure coupled to the shaft and having at least one bore for receiving cooling fluid, and a particle separator. The particle separator includes particle deflecting structure upstream from the blade disc structure, and a particle collection chamber. The particle deflecting structure deflects solid particles from the cooling fluid prior to the cooling fluid entering the at least one bore in the blade disc structure. The particle collection chamber is upstream from the particle deflecting structure and receives the solid particles deflected from the cooling fluid by the particle deflecting structure. The solid particles deflected by the particle deflecting structure flow upstream from the particle deflecting structure to the particle collection chamber.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade of the spar and shell construction, the spar including a tip end with a dovetail shaped groove extending from the top, and a tip cap includes a dovetail shaped slot that engages with the spar groove to retain the tip cap in place. A shell made from a high temperature resistant material is secured in place between the platform and the tip cap. The platform includes a core extending into a hollow space formed by the shell and discharges impingement cooling air against the backside wall of the shell. The spar and the platform include fir tree configurations so that an assembled blade can be inserted into a slot of a rotor disk.

Abstract: An air cooled turbine blade or vane of a spar and shell construction with the shell made from a high temperature resistant material that must be formed from an EDM process. The shell and the spar both have a number of hooks extending in a spanwise direction and forming a contact surface that is slanted such that a contact force increases as the engaging hooks move away from one another. The slanted contact surfaces on the hooks provides for an better seal and allows for twisting between the shell and the spar while maintaining a tight fit.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, and a tip cap that includes a row of teeth and slots extending from a bottom side that engage with similar shaped teeth and slots on a tip end of the spar to secure the tip cap to the spar against radial displacement. The tooth on the trailing edge end of the tip cap is aligned perpendicular to the pressure side wall of the blade in the trailing edge region in order to minimize stress due to the teeth wanting to bend under high centrifugal loads. To reduce stress, some of the teeth include a cutback to shorten the teeth in places where high stress levels would occur.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, the spar including an internal cooling supply channel extending from an inlet end on a root section and ending near the tip end, and a plurality of external cooling channels formed on both side of the spar, where a middle external cooling channel is connected to the internal cooling supply channels through a row of holes located at a middle section of the channels. The spar and the shell are held together by hooks that define serpentine flow passages for the cooling air and include an upper serpentine flow circuit and a lower serpentine flow circuit. the serpentine flow circuits all discharge into a leading edge passage or a trailing edge passage.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a diffuser section supplying cooling fluid, a rotatable shaft, shaft cover structure disposed about the rotatable shaft, support structure, and a cooling fluid channel between the shaft cover structure and the support structure. The support structure provides structural support for the shaft cover structure and receives cooling fluid from the diffuser section. One of the diffuser section and the support structure comprises a plurality of apertures through which at least a portion of the cooling fluid passes. The cooling fluid channel is in fluid communication with the apertures in the one of the diffuser section and the support structure for supplying cooling fluid to a blade disc structure located in a turbine section of the engine.

Abstract: A vane carrier assembly is provided for supporting vanes within a main engine casing of a gas turbine engine. The vane carrier assembly comprises a plurality of vane support panels positioned adjacent to one another so as to define a vane support assembly. The support panels are assembled such that the support panels expand circumferentially to minimize radial expansion of the vane support assembly during operation of the gas turbine engine. A control ring is coupled to the main engine casing, and the vane support assembly is coupled to the control ring. The control ring may be formed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the material from which the vane support assembly is formed.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a pre-swirl structure. Inner and outer wall structures of the pre-swirl structure define a flow passage in which swirl members are located. The swirl members include a leading edge and a circumferentially offset trailing edge. Cooling fluid exits the flow passage with a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction, wherein a swirl ratio defined as the velocity component in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction of the cooling fluid to a velocity component of a rotating shaft in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction is greater than one as the cooling fluid exits the flow passage outlet, and the swirl ratio is about one as the cooling fluid enters at least one bore formed in a blade disc structure. An annular cavity extends between the flow passage and the at least one bore formed in the blade disc structure.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a supply of cooling fluid, a rotatable shaft, structure defining at least one bypass passage in fluid communication with the supply of cooling fluid for supplying cooling fluid from the supply of cooling fluid, and metering structure located at an outlet of the at least one bypass passage. The metering structure includes at least one flow passageway extending therethrough at an angle to a central axis of the engine for permitting cooling fluid in the bypass passage to pass into a turbine rim cavity. The cooling fluid flowing out of the flow passageway has a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction in the same direction as a rotation direction of the shaft.