Abstract: Variable stator vane arrangements for compressors of gas turbine engines suffer from errors in the angular position of the variable stator vanes because of relative movement between the stator casing and control ring which is allowed by a clearance between the stator casing and control ring. A plurality of pieces of material which have a relatively high coefficient of expansion are arranged circumferentially and are positioned radially between the control ring and the stator casing. The pieces of material control the effective clearance between the control ring and the stator casing so that the error of the variable stator vane angular position is minimized. The pieces of material may be formed from a polyimide resin or high coefficient of expansion steel, and may be positioned in housings which are secured to the control ring.

Abstract: Judiciously dimensioned slots in feather seals between adjacent edges of platforms of segmented stator vane for a gas turbine power plant serves to allow the flow of cooling air through the slots notwithstanding the feather seal shifting.

Abstract: The inlet flow guide includes a generally cylindrical shroud plate, a generally cylindrical bridge piece, elongated attachment members, biasing members and sealing members. The shroud plate is in confronting cylindrical sections, is adapted to be attached to the pair of confronting stationary blades of the annular rows of turbine blades, and includes tapped bores therethrough. The cylindrical sections of the shroud plate are in arc cylindrical sections. The bridge piece is in semi cylindrical sections and has bores therethrough of a predetermined size to accommodate expected movements during the operation of the turbine, and which are capable of alignment with the bores of the shroud plate. The attachment members have enlarged heads and shoulders and are disposed within the bores of the bridge piece and shroud plate to attach the bridge piece to the shroud plate.

Abstract: A housing for an axial compressor is disclosed having an inner and outer wall surrounding the compressor rotor, the walls being joined by a number of flexible connecting rods, connecting lugs and a connecting block. An outer surface of the inner wall has circumferentially extending corrugation and the rods are attached thereto at peaks in the corrugation. The flexible connecting rods are located in alignment with a leading edge and a trailing edge of stator vanes which extend from an inner surface of the inner wall. The housing may be cast as an integral, one piece element and subsequently subdivided into arcuate segments to facilitate attachment to the compressor.

Abstract: A load transference structure between a core engine and power turbine comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radially extending spoke members, each of which is attached at its radially inner extent to first and second axially spaced apart support panels. Each of the spoke members is provided with a circumferentially extending portion positioned adjacent the panels which are adapted to cooperate with a circumferentially adjacent spoke member in such a manner that radial but not circumferential load transfer is permitted to take place between them. The load transfer structure permits load transfer to take place between the core engine casing and the power turbine.

Abstract: A radially-resilient seal can frequently pop out its annular groove defined in a carrier when the carrier and an overlapping housing are telescopically assembled. Such misorientation of the seal prevents proper seating of the seal against the housing and ultimately permits leakage of pressurized fluid past the seal. The present invention provides a compact sealed joint and fool-proof method of assembly which maintains proper orientation of a radially-resilient seal during telescopic assembly of a carrier and a housing. The sealed joint includes an annular member having a diametrically tapered internal surface. The annular member positively ensures that the seal will properly seat against a housing inner surface which is not only physically inaccessible to the assembler but is also hidden from the assembler's view by an outer casing during the telescopic assembly.

Abstract: A stationary blade assembly with a segmented inner shroud to permit radial expansion and contraction of the blades and circumferential expansion and contraction of the shroud segments and a seal plate which fits into a circumferential groove in the shroud segments and is held therein by pinned keys which slide in kerfs in the outer edge of the seal plate and a labyrinth seal strip disposed in a circumferential groove in the inner edge of the seal plate to provide a small clearance seal not affected by thermal gradients.

Abstract: A seal member particularly adapted to seal leakage gaps between turbine vanes in a variable geometry turbine vane assembly comprises a sheet metal strip having a first flange and a second flange angularly disposed with respect to the first flange. The first flange is an anchoring flange comprising separated segments adapted to be secured to a turbine wall on one side of the leakage gap. The other flange is a sealing flange adapted to engage the member on the opposite side of the gap. The spring tension of the metal strip urging the sealing flange against the member can be enlarged or replaced by various means for urging the sealing flange against other member such as a differential pressure across the seal member and the formation of the sealing strip with heat sensitive metals.

Abstract: A stage of circumferentially disposed turbine stator vane clusters and arcuate, circumferentially disposed segments of a rotor outer air seal disposed on one side of the stator stage is secured to an annular attachment ring which is integral with a surrounding turbine case. The outer seal segments are trapped axially between stator vane clusters and the radially inner ends of arcuate support segments, and are also radially supported thereby. The radially inner ends of the support segments are trapped axially between the stator vane clusters and the annular attachment ring, and are also supported radially thereby. This boltless attachment reduces the number of parts while providing strong radially support and accurate radial location for the seal segments.

Abstract: The valve intended for direct connection to the outer casing of a double casing steam turbine has a diffusor located in the valve housing, which diffusor protrudes through the outer casing into a connection stub pipe of the inner casing, where it is connected with a flexible seal to the inner casing. In a preferred embodiment, the diffusor sits with a cylindrical step in a corresponding bore of the valve housing, the valve housing consisting of ferritic cast material and the diffusor of austenitic steel, whose coefficient of thermal expansion is greater than that of the valve housing material. The diffusor, which sits loosely in the cold condition, expands more than the valve housing when the turbine becomes hot so that the diffusor is then firmly held in the valve housing.

Abstract: A hollow thermally-conditioned turbine stator nozzle 12 is set forth to distribute and guide combustion gases from a forward inlet 15 to the turbine rotor blades 18. The nozzle includes a plurality of vanes 20 arranged annularly in the turbine. Each vane 20 has a body 22 to guide the fluid, the body being supported by outer and inner ends 34,64. The outer and inner ends each have a forward lug 44,74 and a rear lug 46,76. A floating support is provided for the vanes and includes forward shoulders 110,136 to engage the forward lugs and prevent rearward movement of the vanes and rear shoulders 114,142 having notches 116,144 to receive and confine the tangential movement of the vanes. Each vane also includes a hollow core 152 to pass a portion of fluid and reduce thermal stresses on the vane. The vane is preferably made of silicon nitride ceramic.

Abstract: A radially-resilient seal can frequently pop out its annular groove defined in a carrier when the carrier and an overlapping housing are telescopically assembled. Such misorientation of the seal prevents proper seating of the seal against the housing and ultimately permits leakage of pressurized fluid past the seal.The present invention provides a compact sealed joint and fool-proof method of assembly which maintains proper orientation of a radially-resilient seal during telescopic assembly of a carrier and a housing. The sealed joint includes an annnular member having a diametrically tapered internal surface. The annular member positively ensures that the seal will properly seat against a housing inner surface which is not only physically inaccessible to the assembler but is also hidden from the assembler's view by an outer casing during the telescopic assembly.

Abstract: A system for fixing nozzles to a power turbine stator casing, in which each nozzle sector is locked to the respective shroud by means of a key which has its two diverging vertical flanges inserted into a radial dovetail guide in the front surface of the shroud, where it is held in position by an elastic element or spring acting between the key and the inner wall of the guide, its lower vertical nose or beak acting as a shoulder abutment for a radial fork of the nozzle sector, which is mounted over, and kept centered by, the two projecting sidepieces of said key, which also has a projection at its upper end. Each shroud is locked to the stator casing by an insertion-fit between the uncinated edges of a cavity in the outer peripheral surface of the shroud and the corresponding uncinated edges of a circumferential cavity in the stator casing, the insertion being secured by a leaf spring acting between the mutually facing, uncinated edge-free walls of the two said cavities.

Abstract: An improved guide vane shroud sealing device is disclosed wherein the shroud is formed from a plurality of segments, each segment having interengaging, "Z" shaped edges. The "Z" edges each have a mid-portion extending parallel to the rotational plane of a rotor blade wheel, and leading and trailing edge portions extending from this mid-portion to the leading and trailing edges of the shroud segments. A honeycomb packing structure seals the inner surface of the guide vane shroud in conjunction with labyrinth sealing fins on the rotor wheel. The honeycomb structure is oriented such that opposite sides of each cell which are joined to adjacent cells extend at an angle of approximately 60.degree. to the rotational plane of the rotor blade wheel.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement on material of a shroud for gas turbines. The material comprises 0.25-0.7 wt % C, 20-35 wt % Cr, 20-40 wt % Ni and balance Fe, and has an austenitic structure. The amount of the .sigma.-phase in this invention is less than 5% and Nv value (Electron Vacancy Number) is less than 2.8.

Abstract: A compressor disc assembly with an integral centripetal accelerator for the exhaustion of air for use in a cooling device of a gas turbine, the bleeding of air at the surface of the compressor drum being effected by orifices situated in the platforms of the blades and in the median plane of the compressor disc. The assembly is formed from two half discs. The centripetal accelerator includes several sectors detachably mounted in the space defined between the two half discs of the compressor, each sector being formed from two half shells having on their internal face ribs in the form of centripetal blades by which the half shells are assembled together. The invention is utilized for cooling a gas turbine by bleeding air from the compressor.

Abstract: The first stage turbine vanes in a gas turbine are supported both axially and for torque control in a ring located within the diffuser case such that it is free to expand to minimize thermal stresses. The support ring is modified to permit assembly of all the turbines within the ring.

Abstract: A stator structure 88 for supporting a pair of outer air seals 62, 72 and an array of stator vanes 82 from two axial locations A.sub.1, A.sub.2 on a coolable outer case is disclosed. Various construction details which enable the structure to respond to the movement of coolable rails are disclosed. In one embodiment, a pair of support rings 96, 100 and a pair of support rings 122, 124 extend between the outer case and the outer air seal and array of stator vanes 82.

Abstract: Segmented nozzles and tip shoes having improved seals for keeping hot gases from leaking through the gaps between adjacent segments. The seals have an interference fit with grooves in the opposite ends of adjacent segments and span the gaps between those segments. The seals are sufficiently flexible to fit non-parallel grooves, and they may have a concave cross-section which prevents binding and seal distortion in such circumstances.

Abstract: A gas turbine nozzle guide vane assembly is formed of individual arcuate nozzle segments. The arcuate nozzle segments are elastically joined to each other to form a complete ring, with edges abutted to prevent leakage. The resultant nozzle ring is included within the overall gas turbine stationary structure and secured by a mounting arrangement which permits relative radial movement at both the inner and outer mountings. A spline-type outer mounting provides circumferential retention. A complete rigid nozzle ring with freedom to "float" radially results. Specific structures are disclosed for the inner and outer mounting arrangements. A specific tie-rod structure is also disclosed for elastically joining the individual nozzle segments. Also disclosed is a method of assembling the nozzle ring subassembly-by-subassembly into a gas turbine employing temporary jacks.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a stage of turbine exhaust exit guide vanes is supported at their outer ends by attachment to the outer turbine exhaust case in a manner permitting upstream and downstream rocking of the vanes, while the inner vane ends engage the upstream end of a sheet metal fairing which defines the radially inner surface of the exhaust gas flow path. The fairing is cantilever supported at its downstream end and is spaced radially outwardly from the inner turbine exhaust case. The inner vane ends are free to move radially relative to the fairing which provides only axial support therefor. Hollow struts disposed immediately downstream of the guide vanes extend between the inner and outer exhaust cases and pass through openings in the fairing which is preferably corrugated in the axial direction to reduce vibration.

Abstract: An annular sleeve surrounds a turbine rotor and is fixed with respect to the turbine casing, the sleeve being elastically deformable in a radial direction. A wear ring is carried by the sleeve, the wear ring being composed of segments arranged end-to-end circumferentially. The adjacent ends of the segments are spaced apart when the turbine is cold or idling. The thermal expansions of the turbine rotor and of the sleeve and ring are so related that in one operating temperature range of the turbine the spaces between the adjacent ends of the ring segments close and the segment ends engage each other, and in a higher operating temperature range of the turbine the sleeve expands. Air leaving the compressor is directed against the sleeve and the stationary part carrying the sleeve. The wear ring and portion carrying the sleeve may be insulated. The sleeve may be mounted on a combustion chamber surrounding the turbine.

Abstract: An annular sleeve surrounds a turbine rotor and is fixed to a stationary part, the sleeve being elastically deformable in a radial direction. A wear ring is carried by the sleeve, the wear ring being composed of segments arranged end-to-end circumferentially. The adjacent ends of the segments are spaced apart at all operating conditions of the turbine. The thermal expansions of the turbine rotor and of the sleeve and ring are so related that under operating conditions of the turbine, when the engine of which it forms a part is running, the sleeve thermally expands radially. The rate of thermal expansion of the stationary part is directly related to the rate of thermal expansion of the turbine rotor. Air leaving the compressor is directed against the sleeve and the stationary part carrying the sleeve. The wear ring and portion carrying the sleeve may be insulated. The sleeve may be mounted on a combustion chamber surrounding the turbine.

Abstract: A stator assembly for a turbomachine having a sealing plate which co-operates with sealing members on an adjacent rotor assembly to form air seals. The sealing plate is provided with a thermal slugging mass, the thermal response of which controls the rate of expansion and contraction of the sealing plate to match that of the rotor. In this way tip clearances between the stationary and rotating parts of the air seals are maintained substantially uniform throughout all operating conditions of the turbomachine.

Abstract: In a double flow section of a steam turbine, the inner web of the diaphragm surrounding the rotor shaft in the region of divergence of the steam flow paths, is fabricated in the form of two cylindrical shells which are held together either in a fixed position or in a relatively fixed position which permits some slight axial motion between the shells. This form of diaphragm eliminates a number of machining and fabrication alignment problems and additionally permits differential axial expansion of the two pieces occurring as a result of internal thermal steam conditions.

Abstract: A seal means for confining cooling air to a cooling air flowpath extending between a case structure and a flowpath for hot working medium gases in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which enable the seal means to block the leakage of cooling air into the working medium flowpath are discussed. The seal means has a center section which expands axially in response to the temperature of the working medium gases to develop a sealing force.

Abstract: A thin ring fabricated from a relatively low thermal expansion material located between the engine case and the outer air seal segments and adjacent vane segments serves to seal the gap between the adjacent vane segments and outer air seal segments by virtue of deforming the ring caused by the expansion of the case.

Abstract: The invention concerns a mode of fastening a seal to the guide vanes of a t engine. According to the invention, a gasket is attached to the inside bottom of a channel shaped support which is engaged by an internal ferrule of a guide vanes, the ferrule having L-shaped recesses and tongues of conforming configuration on the seal support to engage in those recesses.

Abstract: An active clearance control (ACC) for a turbofan engine is disclosed herein where the cross section of the external spray bars are fabricated in square or substantially square configurations.

Abstract: A structure for supporting an array of stator vanes in an axial flow rotary machine is disclosed. Various construction details related to machine efficiency and machine durability are developed. In one structure, both the concentricity of the ring with respect to the axis of the engine and the diameter of the ring are unaffected by thermal and mechanical distortions of the outer case. A spline-type connection is formed between the ring and the outer case.

Abstract: A turbine rotor shroud is mounted by means for rigidly supporting it on an internal bearing for turbine and shaft components of a gas turbine engine and a low rate flexible seal member extends between the outer case of the gas turbine engine and an outer gas flow path wall for maintaining continuity of gas and air stream pass through the gas turbine engine during different modes of engine operation thereby to maintain a closely controlled clearance between blade tips of a row of turbine blades on a rotor connected to the gas turbine engine drive shaft and the rotor shroud to maintain close clearance under mechanical (static or dynamic) loads wherein the deflected rotor or engine casing systems move but the motion is accommodated by the flexible seal member and prevented by a rigid nozzle to turbine bearing support structure.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine power turbine support structural nozzle includes a nozzle ring with an annular outer shroud and an inboard blade platform having a plurality of cast nozzle vanes therebetween located at circumferentially spaced points for directing motive fluids through the turbine; the support includes bearing oil and air coolant annuli.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine which includes an essentially axial-flow compressor drive turbine having at least one turbine stator and at least one turbine rotor and a reverse-flow annular combustion chamber arranged coaxially with a longitudinal centerline of the gas turbine engine. The turbine stator and turbine rotor are arranged in the gas turbine engine and sized for heat retentivity such that thermal expansion rates of the turbine stator and turbine rotor are substantially equal.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with an improvement in a movable vane assembly of the type used in a gas turbine engine or compressor for interaction with a gas stream comprising a plurality of radially aligned vanes, generally of an air foil configuration, circumferentially arranged within an annular passage formed by a housing, said vanes being supported for rotation about their radial axis to vary the effective cross-sectional area of said annular passage, a plurality of rotatable gear means connected for rotation with said aligned vanes and a ring gear having teeth means adapted for simultaneous engagement with the teeth means of said rotatable gear means such that rotation of said ring gear causes rotation of said vanes. In one sense the improvement comprises a support for the ring gear supportingly connected to the first housing inwardly radially and coaxial with the ring gear, the support comprising an annular ring having longitudinally extending slot means therein.

Abstract: A combined sealing and guiding arrangement for positioning an inner circular machine part within an outer circular machine part, the parts being for example a stator-blade-carrier for a turbo-machine positioned within an outer casing. The casing and also the stator-blade-carrier consist of two halves which are joined along a horizontal dividing plane, and a sealing ring also consisting of two halves which are joined along that same dividing plane is seated in a groove provided in the periphery of the stator-blade-carrier and clamped against the inner periphery of the casing by means of circumferentially distributed clamping bolts. The lower halves of the outer casing and sealing ring are also provided with aligned grooves in which circumferentially spaced key segments are seated to prevent any relative axial displacement between these two parts.

Abstract: A member interposed between the inner and outer casings of a rotary machine which is arranged to hold the casings in concentric alignment with the machine shaft as the two casings undergo transient thermal and pressure growth.

Abstract: A coolable shroud surrounding the tips of the turbine blades of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The shroud comprises a plurality of arcuate segments which are supported by the turbine case concentrically about the axis of the engine in end to end relationship. Each segment is adapted to receive and distribute cooling air about the walls of the shroud which are exposed to the hot working medium gases flowing through the turbine during operation of the engine. A combination of impingement cooling and transpiration cooling techniques maximize the cooling effectiveness of the air supplied.

Abstract: The disclosure of this invention pertains to a gas turbine engine having an annular combustion chamber having an outlet duct to turbine entry vanes, an extension of the combustion chamber connecting a radially outer wall of the duct to fixed structure at a position adjacent the downstream and of the vanes, wherein the wall is covergent in the downstream direction, the extension is connected to the wall at a location upstream of the downstream extremity thereof, and cooling air passages ae arranged to lead cooling air to the junction so that on heating of chamber in operation said extremity expands radially outwardly and in the downstream direction thereby to make sealing engagement with an adjacent extremity of a shroud ring of the vanes.

Abstract: A slidable seal is disposed in one end of each stationary arcuate shroud segment in a gas turbine. The seal is forced by a spring across a gap between adjacent shroud segments, to abut against an end of an adjacent shroud segment. The slidable seal helps control fluid leakage in both the axial and the radial direction.

Abstract: In a double flow section of a steam turbine, the inner web of the diaphragm surrounding the rotor shaft in the region of divergence of the steam flow paths, is fabricated in the form of two cylindrical shells which are held together either in a fixed position or in a relatively fixed position which permits some slight axial motion between the shells. This form of diaphragm eliminates a number of machining and fabrication alignment problems and additionally permits differential axial expansion of the two pieces occurring as a result of internal thermal steam conditions.