Abstract: A ceramic shroud assembly includes a tip shroud having an outer platform supporting at least one seal tooth, a shroud cap less brittle than the outer platform and including a shroud cap base on the outer platform, and clockwise and counter-clockwise facing clockwise and counter-clockwise contact surfaces located at clockwise and counter-clockwise distal ends respectively of the base. A rotor assembly may include a circumferential row of turbine blades made of a ceramic material and extending radially outwardly from a disk of a turbine rotor. The turbine blades include airfoils having the airfoil tip shrouds and the shroud caps at blade tips. The clockwise and counter-clockwise contact surfaces of circumferentially adjacent ones of the shroud caps contact each other. The shroud and the platform may be made of a ceramic or ceramic matrix composite material and the shroud cap may be made of a metallic material.

Abstract: A ceramic shroud assembly includes a tip shroud having an outer platform supporting at least one seal tooth, a shroud cap less brittle than the outer platform and including a shroud cap base on the outer platform, and clockwise and counter-clockwise facing clockwise and counter-clockwise contact surfaces located at clockwise and counter-clockwise distal ends respectively of the base. A rotor assembly may include a circumferential row of turbine blades made of a ceramic material and extending radially outwardly from a disk of a turbine rotor. The turbine blades include airfoils having the airfoil tip shrouds and the shroud caps at blade tips. The clockwise and counter-clockwise contact surfaces of circumferentially adjacent ones of the shroud caps contact each other. The shroud and the platform may be made of a ceramic or ceramic matrix composite material and the shroud cap may be made of a metallic material.

Abstract: A rotor blade assembly includes a shank, an airfoil that is formed integrally with the shank, and a removable platform coupled between said shank and said airfoil via a friction fit. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine rotor blade assembly that includes a removable platform, and a gas turbine engine rotor assembly including the removable platform are also described herein.

Abstract: A removable rotor blade platform includes a first platform leg, a second platform leg, and a platform portion coupled to the first and second platform legs. The first platform leg is configured to be retained by a first retainer coupled to a first rotor blade, and the second platform leg is configured to be retained by a second retainer coupled to a second adjacent rotor blade. A method of assembling a blade assembly that includes a removable platform, a rotor assembly including the removable platform, and a gas turbine engine assembly including the removable platform, are also described herein.

Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine has opposed pressure and suction sidewalls extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil includes an array of radially-spaced apart longitudinally-extending lands which define a plurality of trailing edge slots therebetween. Each of the trailing edge slots has an inlet in fluid communication with an interior of the airfoil and an exit in fluid communication with the trailing edge. At least one of the lands is tapered such that a width of the land measured in a radial direction decreases from the suction sidewall to the pressure sidewall.

Abstract: A rotor blade assembly includes a shank, an airfoil that is formed integrally with the shank, and a removable platform coupled between said shank and said airfoil via a friction fit. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine rotor blade assembly that includes a removable platform, and a gas turbine engine rotor assembly including the removable platform are also described herein.

Abstract: A removable rotor blade platform includes a first platform leg, a second platform leg, and a platform portion coupled to the first and second platform legs. The first platform leg is configured to be retained by a first retainer coupled to a first rotor blade, and the second platform leg is configured to be retained by a second retainer coupled to a second adjacent rotor blade. A method of assembling a blade assembly that includes a removable platform, a rotor assembly including the removable platform, and a gas turbine engine assembly including the removable platform, are also described herein.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a turbine rotor blade includes casting a turbine rotor blade including a dovetail, a platform having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a cast-in plenum defined between the outer surface and the inner surface, and an airfoil, and forming a plurality of openings between the platform inner surface and the platform outer surface to facilitate cooling an exterior surface of the platform.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a turbine rotor blade includes casting a turbine rotor blade including a dovetail, a platform having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a cast-in plenum defined between the outer surface and the inner surface, and an airfoil, and forming a plurality of openings between the platform inner surface and the platform outer surface to facilitate cooling an exterior surface of the platform.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a rotor blade includes casting the turbine rotor blade to include a shank, and a platform having an upper surface and a lower surface, and coupling a first component to the rotor blade such that a first substantially hollow plenum is defined between the first component, the shank, and the platform lower surface.

Abstract: A cooled turbine element including an airfoil and a flowpath boundary member extending laterally from either an inboard end or an outboard end of the airfoil. The member has a flowpath face and an outside face which is cooler than said flowpath face creating a tendency for the member to deflect in a direction away from the flowpath face and causing a thermally induced tensile radial stress in a region of the trailing edge of the airfoil. The element has an interior cooling passage and at least one cooling hole extending from the interior cooling passage to an opening located in an area upstream from the stressed region of the trailing edge to cool the area so the airfoil thermally deflects to a shape corresponding to that of the boundary member thereby lowering the thermally induced tensile radial stress in the airfoil at the trailing edge thereof.