Abstract: A bucket pair in a turbomachine includes a first bucket having an airfoil and a shank; a second adjacent bucket having a second airfoil and a second shank adjacent the first shank; a first axial slot in the first shank; and an elongated, straight damper pin adapted to seat in the first axial slot, the damper pin formed with slanted forward and aft end faces.

Abstract: A bucket pair in a turbomachine includes a first bucket having an airfoil and a shank; a second adjacent bucket having a second airfoil and a second shank adjacent the first shank; a first axial slot in the first shank; and an elongated, straight damper pin adapted to seat in the first axial slot, the damper pin formed with slanted forward and aft end faces.

Abstract: The cooling system for the airfoil includes forward and aft cooling circuits supplied with a cooling medium. Both circuits include serpentine passages. A central rib divides the forward and aft cooling circuits and includes an opening adjacent the airfoil tip providing a jet of the cooling medium from the forward cooling circuit for impingement against the aft portion of the tip cap. The tip cap also includes a thermal barrier coating along an outside surface thereof as well as on the seat for the tip cap, thereby lowering the tip cap metal temperature and thermally induced stress.

Abstract: A method facilitates assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine. The method comprises providing a first rotor blade that includes an airfoil, a platform, a shank and a dovetail, coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft using the dovetail, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that a shank cavity is defined between the first and second blades. The method also comprises inserting a seal pin into the horizontal platform seal pin slot such that a gap defined between the first and second rotor blade platforms are substantially sealed wherein the seal pin includes a first end, a second end and a substantially cylindrical body extending therebetween and sized to frictionally engage the slot, wherein at least one of the first and second ends has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the body.

Abstract: A method for assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a first rotor blade that includes an airfoil, a platform, a shank, and a dovetail, wherein the airfoil extends radially outward from the platform, the shank extends radially inward from the platform, and the dovetail extends from the shank, forming a recess within a portion of the shank, coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft using the dovetail, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that a shank cavity is defined between the first and second rotor blade shanks, such that, during operation, cooling air may enter and pressurize the shank cavity through the recessed portion.

Abstract: A method facilitates assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine. The method includes providing a first rotor blade including an airfoil, a platform, a shank, an internal cavity, and a dovetail, wherein the airfoil extends radially outward from the platform, which includes a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface, the shank extends radially inward from the platform, and the dovetail extends from the shank, such that the internal cavity is defined by the airfoil, the platform, the shank, and the dovetail. The method also includes coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft such that during engine operation, cooling air is channeled from the cavity through an impingement cooling circuit for impingement cooling the first rotor blade platform radially inner surface, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that a platform gap is defined between the first and second rotor blade platforms.