Radially Sliding Patents (Class 415/136)
  • Patent number: 12123307
    Abstract: A method includes providing a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) seal arc segment that has radially inner and outer sides, attaching an abradable layer on the radially outer side of the CMC seal arc segment, providing a carrier to support the CMC seal arc segment, the carrier including a ridge, and sliding the CMC seal arc segment relative to the carrier such that during the sliding the ridge cuts a groove into the abradable layer, the ridge remaining disposed in the groove to thereby provide a labyrinth seal that partitions the cooling cavity between the carrier and the CMC seal arc segment into sub-cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dean Johnson, Thomas E. Clark
  • Patent number: 11913340
    Abstract: A seal system for a gas turbine engine includes a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) seal arc segment and a carrier supporting the CMC seal arc segment. The CMC seal arc segment defines radially inner and outer sides and has an abradable layer disposed on the radially outer side. There is a cooling cavity radially between the carrier and the abradable layer. The carrier includes a ridge that projects into a groove in the abradable layer and provides a labyrinth seal that partitions the cooling cavity into sub-cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dean Johnson, Thomas E. Clark
  • Patent number: 11885225
    Abstract: A turbine shroud assembly includes a carrier segment, a blade track segment, and a retainer. The carrier segment is formed to include an attachment-receiving space. The blade track segment includes a shroud wall and attachment flanges that extends radially outward from the shroud wall into the attachment-receiving space of the carrier segment. The retainer couples the blade track segment to the carrier segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Ted J. Freeman, Aaron D. Sippel, David J. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11519284
    Abstract: A turbine engine having an engine core, a first seal structure, a plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes, a plurality of struts, and a second seal structure. The engine core can define a rotor and a stator having a casing. The first seal structure can include a finger seal projecting from the rotor. The plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes can include an uppers band mounted to the casing, and a lower band located radially above the finger seal. At least some of the struts of the plurality of struts can extend through the plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes. The second seal structure can form a seat with the lower band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Thomas Joseph Lipinski
  • Patent number: 11473510
    Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine includes commanding an acceleration of the gas turbine engine and moving a variable pitch high pressure compressor vane toward an open position thereby reducing an acceleration rate of a high pressure turbine rotor thereby reducing a change in a clearance gap between the high pressure turbine rotor and a blade outer airseal. An active clearance control system of a gas turbine engine includes an engine control system configured to command an acceleration of the gas turbine engine and move a variable pitch high pressure compressor vane toward an open position thereby slowing an acceleration rate of a high pressure turbine rotor thereby reducing a change in a clearance gap between the high pressure turbine rotor and a blade outer airseal located radially outboard of the high pressure turbine rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Kehoe, Richard P. Meisner, Manuj Dhingra, Patrick D. Couture, Matthew R. Feulner, Brenda J. Lisitano, Christopher L. Ho
  • Patent number: 11448078
    Abstract: A pin assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, among other possible things includes a spring housing, a spring situated in the spring housing, a pin having a first end configured to be received in the spring housing and to engage the spring, and a boot configured to receive a second end of the pin. The boot is configured to span a gap between first and second adjacent components and configured to transfer a spring force from the spring to the first and second adjacent components. A vane assembly and a method of assembling a vane assembly are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert White, III, Amy M. Sunnarborg
  • Patent number: 11371632
    Abstract: A compliant jumper tube fitting assembly may comprise an outer housing comprising a first annular cylindrical structure including a first opening defined by a base wall, and an inner housing comprising a second annular cylindrical structure including a second opening defined by an annular wall, wherein the inner housing is configured to generate a seal between an inner diameter wall of the outer housing and an outer diameter wall of the inner housing in response to inserting the inner housing into a mouth end of the outer housing, wherein the inner housing is configured to receive an end fitting and generate a seal between an inner diameter wall of the inner housing in response to inserting the end fitting into the inner housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Todd A. Davis, Brad E. Fiore
  • Patent number: 11255210
    Abstract: An assembly adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a carrier and a blade track segment that is supported by the carrier relative to a high temperature zone. The blade track segment provides a heat shield for use in high temperature applications protecting the carrier and other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Ted J. Freeman, Jeremy Roehm
  • Patent number: 11255222
    Abstract: A guide blade carrier for a turbine, the guide blade carrier separating an upstream volume from a downstream volume within the turbine, the guide blade carrier further including a carrier body with a fixation device for fixing of the guide blade carrier within a turbine casing of the turbine. The fixation device has a circumferential fixation basis, wherein the fixation basis is confined at its upstream end by a circumferential limitation element. A turbine casing for a turbine and a turbine, the turbine having a turbine casing and a guide blade carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jiri Koukal
  • Patent number: 11215079
    Abstract: A turbine includes an outer casing and an inner casing surrounded by said outer casing. The outer casing and inner casing are coaxially arranged with respect to a machine axis. The outer casing and inner casing are each divided in a split plane into an upper part and a lower part. The upper and lower parts are connected with each other in said split plane by means of a flanged connection. The disassembly process is improved by the flanged connection of the upper and lower part of the inner casing comprising a plurality of bolts, which extend each through through holes in respective flanges of said flanged connection of the inner casing, protrude from said through holes at both ends with a threaded section, and are tightened by means of nuts screwed on said threaded sections at both ends of said bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Tobias Christoph Huber, Gerard Froidevaux, Daniel Seng, Ivan Rozman
  • Patent number: 11208912
    Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: at least one shroud hanger; an annular array of shroud segments carried by the child hanger at least one and arrayed about an engine centerline axis, each of the shroud segments having a flowpath side defining a portion of a primary engine flowpath, and an opposed backside facing the at least one shroud hanger, wherein the shroud segment is mounted to the at least one shroud hanger such that it is movable in a radial direction between an inboard position and an outboard position, in response to a balance of gas pressures prevailing on the flowpath side and the backside; and biasing means which urge each of the shroud segments towards one of the positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Hadley Vitt, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow
  • Patent number: 11143050
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a seal arc segment including a sealing portion, and a first rail and a second rail opposed to the first rail. The sealing portion extends in a circumferential direction between opposed mate faces and extends in an axial direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Each of the first and second rails extend outwardly in a radial direction from the sealing portion to respective first and second edge faces, and the sealing portion has a sealing face dimensioned to bound a gas path and includes a backside face opposed to the sealing face. Each of the first and second rails includes at least one interface bore dimensioned to receive a retention pin such that the seal arc segment is carried by the retention pin in an installed position. The seal arc segment is radially opposed to the sealing face between the first and second edge faces establishing a first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carson A. Roy Thill, Jaime A. Arbona, Justin K. Bleil, Andrew D. Keene, Danielle Mahoney
  • Patent number: 11125163
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a housing structure for a turbomachine, a turbomachine, and a method for cooling a housing portion of a housing structure of a turbomachine, wherein the housing structure has an outer housing wall, which is formed by at least one housing part, and an inner wall, wherein the inner wall is arranged in the radial direction inside of the housing wall and spaced apart from the housing wall and is designed to bound the main flow channel, at least partially, wherein the housing structure comprises a cooling air channel for cooling a housing portion to be cooled, and has an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the cooling air channel extends, at least partially, between the housing wall and the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventor: Manfred Feldmann
  • Patent number: 11118480
    Abstract: A mid-turbine frame for a gas turbine engine includes an inner frame case defining a sealed torque box cavity. Multiple spokes protrude radially outward from the inner frame case, and at least one service line is connected to the inner frame case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Lienau, Dustin W. Davis, Jonathan Lemoine, Kevin Zacchera
  • Patent number: 11085332
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal retention assembly may comprise a forward retention ring and an aft retention ring coupled to the forward retention ring. The forward retention ring may comprise a first shiplap flange extending aft from the forward retention ring. The aft retention ring may comprise a second shiplap flange extending forward from the aft retention ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Dean W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11060610
    Abstract: A multistage shaft sealing apparatus includes a first sealing unit, a second sealing unit, and a third sealing unit provided, in a sequential order from a side of the apparatus closer to inside of the apparatus, in a fluid leakage passage formed between the rotating shaft or the rotating member and a housing located to surround the rotating shaft or the rotating member. The first sealing unit includes a first runner and a first sealing ring which form a non-contact-type sealing surface; the second sealing unit includes a second runner and a second sealing ring which form a contact-type sealing surface; the third sealing unit includes a third runner and a third sealing ring which form a contact-type sealing surface, and a purge water supply passage supplying purge water to the third sealing unit and a purge water discharge passage discharging the purge water supplied to the third sealing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takanobu Otani, Hiroshi Kuzumi, Hiroyuki Tokumasu, Toshihiko Matsuo, Yasuhiro Ikeda, Hitoshi Ito, Yasushi Takayama, Tomoki Hanada
  • Patent number: 11008893
    Abstract: A sector for the assembly of a stage of a turbine comprises a central and a peripheral portion; a plurality of blades attached between the central and the peripheral portions; a first and a second side opposite to each other, the first side is configured to join with the second side of another sector, the first side is provided with a first connecting portion and the second side is provided with a second connecting portion configured to mate with a first connecting portion of a first side of another sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone SRL
    Inventors: Giacomo Bencini, Fabio Fornaciari, Leonardo Tognarelli, Pierluigi Tozzi
  • Patent number: 10954821
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a turbine having a turbine housing or casing. The turbine housing includes a carrier ring and a ring contour component which is fastened to the carrier ring. The ring contour component has a circumferential flange with which it bears against an annular end face of the carrier ring. At least one hold down is provided which enables the flange of the ring contour component to be releasably fixed against the end face of the carrier ring. The turbine is configured to be part of a micro gas turbine in a combined heat and power cogeneration system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Duerr Systems AG
    Inventors: Moritz Nett, Josip Kutnjak, Urs Ertel, Axel Widenhorn, Philipp Biewer, Fabian Uhlig
  • Patent number: 10927690
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a vane carrier that is uniformly deformed by heat and a gas turbine including the same. The vane carrier includes a pair of bodies having a plurality of vanes arranged on their inner peripheral surfaces, and forming an annular shape by coupling the bodies in a semi-annular form to each other, fastening parts protruding radially from outer peripheral surfaces of respective ends of the bodies coupled to each other so as to couple the bodies, and one or more deformation prevention members disposed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the bodies and protruding radially therefrom. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent damage to components due to heat deformation since the vane carrier is relatively uniformly deformed and to improve durability by adjusting the natural frequency of the vane carrier to avoid resonance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventors: Hyunkyu Lee, Seol Baek
  • Patent number: 10900378
    Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud support and a plurality of shroud segments that are attached to the shroud support. The shroud segment includes an internal cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jason Smoke, Kent L. Kime, Blake Petersen, Luke Zurmehly
  • Patent number: 10851673
    Abstract: A turbine stator, into which combustion gas supplied from a combustor of a gas turbine flows, has an improved structure capable of preventing circumferential movement of turbine vanes. The turbine stator, which may be included in a turbine of a gas turbine having the improved structure, includes a casing including first and second casings constituting respective casing halves, the first and second casings having a fastening groove formed on at least one contact surface between the first casing and the second casing; a plurality of vane airfoils configured to be installed on an inner peripheral surface of the casing and arranged in a multi-stage manner in a flow direction of the combustion gas; and a stop configured to be fixed with respect to a vane airfoil of the plurality of vane airfoils and to be inserted into the fastening groove to fix the vane airfoil to the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Dong Woo Ham
  • Patent number: 10844744
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods generating power using supercritical CO2 in a Brayton cycle that incorporates a double-wall turboexpander that includes an inner chamber housing the turbine and an outer chamber that includes a thermal attenuator that reduces the outer chamber wall temperature of the turboexpander. An inner chamber wall separates the inner chamber and the outer chamber within the double-wall turboexpander. In supercritical CO2 applications, the double-wall turboexpander operates at elevated temperatures and elevated pressures. By maintaining the thermal attenuator the outer chamber at an elevated pressure, the differential pressure across the inner chamber wall is reduced, requiring less high-temperature alloy material in the construction of the double-wall turboexpander when compared to a conventional turboexpander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Jason C. Wilkes
  • Patent number: 10794208
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for rotational equipment such as a gas turbine engine for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a stator, a rotor and a seal assembly. The rotor extends axially along a centerline. The rotor includes a linkage, a first rotor disk, and a second rotor disk. The linkage extends axially from the first rotor disk to the second rotor disk. The linkage is removably attached to the second rotor disk. The seal assembly is configured for sealing a gap radially between the stator and the linkage. The seal assembly includes a hydrostatic non-contact seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, William K. Ackermann
  • Patent number: 10774666
    Abstract: A toggle seal, for use with a rim seal, including: a seal body, a proximal end and a distal end, a first end seal extending in a first axial direction from the proximal end of the seal body, a second end seal extending in the first axial direction from the distal end of the seal body, a first protruding portion extending in a second axial direction from the proximal end, opposite of the first end seal, and a second protruding portion extending in the second axial direction from the distal end, opposite of the second end seal, wherein the first end seal is configured to operatively engage the wheel disk and the second end seal is configured to operatively engage the at least one blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 10767867
    Abstract: A bearing support may include a central shaft, a flange shaft, and a tube boss. The central shaft may include a central longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end of the bearing support. The flange shaft may extend radially outward of the central shaft at an acute angle, relative to the central longitudinal axis from the first end to the second end, and the flange shaft may include a rim defining an aperture. The tube boss extends from the central shaft radially outward through the aperture, according to various embodiments. An annular channel may be between the rim and the tube boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Todd A. Davis, Christopher M. Valva, Daniel Rosen, Armando Amador, Aneil S. Hegde, Ramin M. Rafatpanah
  • Patent number: 10738791
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a compressor clearance control system is provided. The compressor clearance control system includes a cooling air source, a compressor casing, and a cooling air flowpath defined through the compressor casing. The flowpath includes an inlet configured to receive cooling air from the cooling air source and an outlet configured to exhaust the cooling air to the cooling air source such that the flowpath defines a closed loop within the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Ory Moniz, Joseph George Rose
  • Patent number: 10690007
    Abstract: A turbine ring assembly includes both a plurality of ring sectors made of ceramic matrix composite material forming a turbine ring and also a ring support structure having two annular flanges, each ring sector having two tabs held respectively between the two annular flanges of the ring support structure. The two annular flanges of the ring support structure exert stress on the tabs of the ring sectors. One of the flanges of the ring support structure is elastically deformable in the axial direction of the turbine ring. The turbine ring assembly further includes a plurality of pegs engaged both in the annular flanges of the ring support structure and in the tabs of the ring sectors facing the annular flanges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN CERAMICS
    Inventors: Lucien Henri Jacques Quennehen, Sebastien Serge Francis Congratel
  • Patent number: 10677081
    Abstract: There is disclosed an axial flow machine (10) comprising an annular flow path (23); a stator ring (38) comprising a plurality of stators mounted at their radially outer ends and extending into the annular flow path (23); a non-rotating body (24) axially adjacent the stator ring (38); and an annular shroud (42) disposed between the radially inner end of the stator ring (38) and the body (24). The shroud (42) is supported on the stator ring (38) and moveable relative the body (24); and the shroud (42) cooperates with the body (24) to inhibit a flow through a clearance pathway (78) therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Alan R. Jones, Gareth J. Jones, Gary Eadon
  • Patent number: 10677080
    Abstract: A seal system for a moving blade system of a gas turbine includes a seal carrier including a ring section extending in the axial direction and the circumferential direction, on which a radially inner seal element is situated. A first flange section and a second flange section extend outwardly from the ring section in the circumferential direction and the radial direction and are situated at a distance from each other in the axial direction. An inner shroud section of at least one guide blade or of at least one guide blade segment includes a sealing section extending inwardly in the radial direction and in the circumferential direction, the sealing section being accommodated between the first flange section and the second flange section of the seal carrier and being connected thereto. A disk-like first seal is situated upstream from the first flange section with respect to the main flow direction of a working medium and partially abuts the first flange section radially inwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventor: Hermann Klingels
  • Patent number: 10633997
    Abstract: An inter stage seal housing for a turbine engine having upper and lower half inter stage seal housings in which a contact sealing surface of the seal housing is restored after an interval of engine operation. The contact sealing surface is restored by fitting a replaceable wear strip on the downstream sealing surface of the seal housing. In order to fit the replaceable wear strip, a circumferential groove is machined along an outer peripheral edge of the seal housing. The groove is machined to include axial location and radial retention such that the wear strips can be slid into the upper half and lower half inter stage seal housing circumferentially from the horizontal joint. The groove includes through holes and the wear strips include corresponding threaded holes such that the wear strips can be fastened in the groove by fasteners and fastener retention hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS AMERICAS, INC.
    Inventors: Santo F. Scimeca, Chad Garner
  • Patent number: 10526954
    Abstract: A turbocharger assembly can include a center housing; a turbine housing; and an insert disposed between the center housing and the turbine housing where a surface of the turbine housing and a first surface of the insert define a volute and where a surface of the center housing and a second surface of the insert define a chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
    Inventors: Poomkuzhimannil Zachariah John, Giorgio Figura, Sunil Dayalan, Santosh V, Maltesh Kolur, Suryakant Gupta
  • Patent number: 10436046
    Abstract: A method for assembling a stator stage of a gas turbine engine and an adjustment pin to perform the assembly method to lock a vane segment in a central section of the stator stage. The method includes inserting an adjustment pin into a through hole wherein the adjustment pin includes two end sections, inserting at least one wall segment of the vane segment into a slot of a central section, rotating the adjustment pin so that the central section is correctly positioned in the stator stage, deforming a deformable part of the adjustment pin so that the now deformed part establishes a force fit with at least one segment of a corresponding structure of the central section and thereby locking the adjustment pin and thus the central section in a fixed position in the stator stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jed Fentem, Paul Jenkinson
  • Patent number: 10385706
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary assembly for a turbomachine, comprising: a disk (16) having an external periphery exhibiting an alternation of slots (22) and of teeth (20), vanes (14) extending radially from the disk (16), the roots (24) of which are engaged axially and retained radially in the slots (22) of the disk, upstream and/or downstream of the disk, an annular sealing flange (52) of cavities (36) formed radially between, respectively, the roots of the vanes and the bottoms of the slots of the disk, said flange comprising an external part (56) arranged axially facing the upstream and/or downstream ends, respectively, of the teeth of the disk and of the roots of the vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Stéphane Pierre Guillaume Blanchard, Youki Olivier Ito-Lardeau
  • Patent number: 10344769
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system of an engine, comprising: a clearance control thermal ring, and a seal ring, where a radial gap with respect to an axial centerline of the engine is formed between a radial end of the clearance control thermal ring and a facing radial surface of the seal ring, where the clearance control thermal ring is made of a first material and the seal ring is made of a second material that is different from the first material, and where a first coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material is less than a second coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Louis R. Mouza, Philip R. Rioux
  • Patent number: 10329948
    Abstract: A pivot shaft assembly for a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG) is provided. The pivot shaft assembly may include a pivot shaft, a pivot fork extending from the pivot shaft, a VTG lever disposed on the pivot shaft, and a retention collar axially coupled to the pivot shaft such that the VTG lever is axially aligned with the retention collar and the pivot shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Howell, Eli Morgan, Donald Michael Kennedy
  • Patent number: 10316677
    Abstract: A cover band assembly of a blade row of stator or rotor blades is provided. The cover band assembly comprises a blade row that is arranged inside a main flow path of a continuous-flow machine and has multiple blades which respectively have a front edge and a rear edge; and a cover band of the blade row that is at least partially embedded in a component or a component group as regarded in a longitudinal section of the continuous-flow machine, wherein a cavity is formed that surrounds the cover band and is connected to the main flow path by way of two cavity openings, wherein the front cavity opening is provided upstream of the front edge and the rear cavity opening is provided downstream of the rear edge of the blades of the blade row. Here, the cover band has a leading edge and a trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KIG
    Inventor: Volker Guemmer
  • Patent number: 10280773
    Abstract: Various aspects include an alignment key for a turbomachine, along with a turbomachine including the alignment key and a related storage medium. In some cases, the alignment key includes: a body having primary axis and sized to engage a diaphragm slot in the turbomachine, the body having sidewalls extending along the primary axis; a chamfered tip section continuous with the body, the chamfered tip section sized to engage a casing slot in the turbomachine; and a slot extending through the body and the chamfered tip section, the slot having a first opening proximate an end of the body and a second opening proximate the chamfered tip section, wherein the sidewalls of the body taper from the end of the body toward the chamfered tip section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Sebastian Burdgick, Jesus Mendoza, Salvador Lopez Mata
  • Patent number: 10240485
    Abstract: The invention relates to a turbine housing (2) for an exhaust gas turbocharger. The turbine housing (2) comprises an outer housing (3) and an inner housing (4) as well as a bearing flange (5). The outer housing (3) is joined to the bearing flange (5). The inner housing (4) comprises a first shell component (7) and a second shell component (8), wherein said first shell component and said second shell component are made of different cast steel materials and are placed side by side in a transverse plane (QE), which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the turbine housing (2), and are joined to each other. The bearing flange (5) is a one-piece part, made of uniform material, of the first shell component (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Elmar Grussmann
  • Patent number: 10233770
    Abstract: A position adjustment device is provided with an eccentric pin and a push rod. The eccentric pin has a rotating shaft part, and an eccentric shaft part inserted into an end in a circumferential direction of a lower-half inside member. The push rod is inserted into the lower-half inside member from an end surface in the circumferential direction of the lower-half inside member, the push rod being able to come into contact with the eccentric shaft part within the lower-half inside member. The rotating shaft part has a columnar shape with a rotational axis line. The eccentric shaft part is formed with: a side peripheral surface that comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of an eccentric shaft hole in the lower-half inside member into which the eccentric shaft part is inserted, and a rod contact surface that comes into contact with the push rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inagaki, Akihiko Shirota
  • Patent number: 10196918
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal (BOAS) segment has a transversely concave inner diameter (ID) surface along a main body portion and extending from a first circumferential end to a second circumferential end. A first mounting ear extends outward from the main body portion and cooperates with a first end portion of the main body portion to define a first circumferentially outwardly open mounting recess. A second mounting ear extends outward from the main body portion and cooperates with a second end portion of the main body portion to define a second circumferentially outwardly open mounting recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 10190499
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a convex case section. The convex case section includes an upstream case portion having a first radius, a downstream case portion having a second radius, and an intermediate case portion between the upstream case portion and the downstream case portion. The intermediate case portion has a third radius larger than the first radius and the second radius. A tension rod extends from the upstream case portion to the downstream case portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joey Wong, Zhijun Zheng
  • Patent number: 10082152
    Abstract: A high-efficiency compressor section (10) for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The compressor section includes a vane carrier (12) adapted to hold ring segment assemblies (16) that provide optimized blade tip gaps (28,29) during a variety of operating conditions. The ring segment assemblies include backing elements (30) and tip-facing elements (32) urged into a preferred orientation by biasing elements (40) that maintain contact along engagement surfaces (44,46). The backing and tip-facing elements have thermal properties sufficiently different to allow relative growth that strategically forms an interface gap (42) therebetween, resulting in blade tip gaps that are dynamically adjusted operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGSELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Barton M. Pepperman
  • Patent number: 10077782
    Abstract: A high-efficiency compressor section (10) for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The compressor section includes a vane carrier (12) adapted to hold ring segment assemblies (16) that provide optimized blade tip gaps (28,29) during a variety of operating conditions. The ring segment assemblies include backing elements (30) and tip-facing, elements (32) urged into a preferred orientation by biasing elements (40) that maintain contact along engagement surfaces (44,46). The backing and tip-facing, elements have thermal properties sufficiently different to allow relative growth and geometric properties strategically selected to strategically form an interface gap therebetween (42) resulting in blade tip gaps that are dynamically adjusted operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Barton M. Pepperman
  • Patent number: 10030541
    Abstract: A turbine engine including a turbine shroud for positioning radially outside of blades of the turbine rotor. The turbine shroud includes a carrier, a retention assembly, and a blade track. The blade track is clamped by the retention assembly, and the retention assembly is supported by the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Todd Engel, Robert J. Shinavski
  • Patent number: 9784116
    Abstract: A turbine shroud assembly includes a plurality of arcuate shroud block assemblies annularly arranged to form a shroud segment. The plurality of shroud block assemblies includes a first shroud block assembly having a shroud block and a second shroud block assembly having a shroud block. The first shroud block assembly includes a seal interface member and a shroud seal. The seal interface member has a side portion that is adjacent to a radial side surface of the first shroud block. The second shroud block assembly includes a seal interface member and a shroud seal. The seal interface member has a side portion that is adjacent to a radial side surface of the second shroud block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Victor John Morgan, Frederic Woodrow Roberts, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9650905
    Abstract: A vane cluster for a gas turbine engine includes multiple singlet vanes and a forward wear liner connecting a forward edge of each singlet vane, thereby allowing the vane cluster to be manipulated as a single component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Earl, Eric A. Kuehne
  • Patent number: 9605551
    Abstract: A casing structure for a fluid flow machine, in particular for a gas turbine or an aircraft engine, including an outer casing wall and an inner casing wall, which annularly surround a flow channel of the fluid flow machine and are spaced apart in a radial direction with respect to the flow channel. At least one cavity is formed between the inner and outer casing walls. The cavity is axially divided into at least two regions which are separated from each other by an axial seal in such a way that different pressure conditions are created according to the axial position of these regions, which different pressure conditions correspond to the pressure conditions in the flow channel. A corresponding fluid flow machine such as, for example, an aircraft engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventors: Manfred Feldmann, Janine Sangl, Sebastian Kaltenbach, Joachim Lorenz
  • Patent number: 9528393
    Abstract: The method for removing an inner casing from a machine such as a turbine or compressor includes providing supports between the outer casing and the inner casing of the machine, removing a top part of the outer casing, then removing a top part of the inner casing, then connecting a ring sector to a bottom part of the inner casing to replace the removed top part of the inner casing, then rotating the reciprocally connected ring sector and bottom part of the inner casing around the longitudinal axis to make the bottom part of the inner casing accessible, then removing the bottom part of the inner casing, guiding the reciprocally connected ring sector and bottom part of the inner casing during rotation, to prevent movement along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Christoph Huber, Gerard Froidevaux, Daniel Seng, Karsten Schwarz
  • Patent number: 9512738
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section in fluid communication with the compressor section, a high pressure turbine in fluid communication with the combustor, a low pressure turbine in fluid communication with the high pressure turbine, and a mid turbine frame located axially between the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine. The mid turbine frame includes an outer frame case, an inner frame case, and a plurality of hollow spokes that distribute loads from the inner frame case to the outer frame case. The spokes are hollow to allow cooling airflow to be supplied through the spokes to the inner frame case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Paul K. Sanchez, Kalpendu J. Parekh, William A. Daniels, John S. Tu
  • Patent number: 9482114
    Abstract: A lining for a compressor case in use with a gas turbine engine compressor is provided. The compressor includes a compressor casing, which is generally comprised of a first and second half. Inside the casing is a plurality of vanes attached to a plurality of vane bands. The vane bands are affixed to the interior of the compressor casing. A lining, comprising a carbon fiber reinforced-type material is applied to the interior of the compressor casing over the vane bands. The lining allows a minimal clearance to be between the lining and wheel blade tips spinning within the compressor casing. The carbon fiber in the lining allows the lining to withstand a high number of temperature cycles due to the use of the compressor and the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Inventor: Craig Rookstool