Segmental Shroud Patents (Class 416/191)
  • Publication number: 20100061856
    Abstract: A steam turbine rotating blade for a low pressure section of a steam turbine engine is disclosed. The steam turbine rotating blade includes an airfoil portion. A root section is attached to one end of the airfoil portion. A dovetail section projects from the root section, wherein the dovetail section includes a skewed axial entry dovetail. A tip section is attached to the airfoil portion at an end opposite from the root section. A cover is integrally formed as part of the tip section. The cover comprises a first flat section, a second flat section, and a depression section located laterally between the first flat section and second flat section. The depression section is located below the first flat section at a first end where the first flat section and depression section are contiguous. The depression section rises above to the second flat section at a second end where the second flat section and depression section are contiguous. The second flat section is raised above the first flat section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Alan Richard DeMania, Muhammad Saqib Riaz
  • Patent number: 7654798
    Abstract: A winglet includes a vertical member and a mounting member. The mounting member is configured to facilitate the mounting of the winglet to the tip of a fan blade. The vertical member is configured to extend perpendicularly relative the tip of a fan blade. Adding winglets to fan blades may improve the aerodynamics of the fan blades, and thereby increase efficiencies of a fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Delta T Corporation
    Inventor: Richard M. Aynsley
  • Patent number: 7654797
    Abstract: A blade for a turbo machine has a blade section and a shroud element terminating the blade section in the blade section longitudinal direction. The blade section has a suction face and a pressure face. The shroud element extends essentially at right angles to the blade section longitudinal direction and has a first platform section projecting beyond the blade section and a second platform section projecting beyond the blade section. The platform sections are asymmetric with respect to one another. At least the first platform section of the shroud element is arranged at an additional inclination angle with respect to a normal alignment of the first platform section, with the additional inclination angle being in the opposite direction to the bending torque which acts on the first platform section during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Andreas Boegli, James Ritchie
  • Patent number: 7648333
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement 21 for use within a gas turbine engine comprises a first shroud or platform 26 incorporating coolant passages 25 and a second shroud or platform 28. Generally, each platform or shroud 26, 28 will incorporate a pressure portion and a suction portion, with the pressure portion incorporating the coolant passages 25 through which the coolant flow 27 becomes incident on a surface 40 of the suction portion of the second shroud 28. The surface 40 is inclined or tapered towards the passage 25, such that there is limited direct impingement upon a front edge 39 of the surface 40. The coolant flow 27 thereby remains adjacent to the surface 40 for a longer period and so enhances cooling efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Roderick M Townes, Ian W R Harrogate
  • Patent number: 7628587
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade shroud includes a platform and one or more fins extending toward a stator and side rails that extend radially toward the stator and along the edge of the platform. The increased wall thickness in the side regions of the blade shroud effects an increase in stiffness and a decrease in deformation during turbine operation. Due to a localised increase in wall thickness the mass of the blade shroud can be minimized such that mechanical loading is not significantly increased. The side rails can improve a lining up of adjacent blades and decrease a probability of hot gas leakage into the cavity between blade shroud and stator. The side rails have profile shapes that can be optimised in view of stiffness and mechanical loading and are suitable for casting. The blade shroud with side rails can have an improved life time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Jose Anguisola McFeat, Ingolf Schulz, Dirk Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 7568890
    Abstract: A single stage low pressure turbine vane includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Peter Findlay, Krishan Mohan, Saml Girgis
  • Patent number: 7568889
    Abstract: A single stage high pressure turbine blade includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Krishan Mohan, Sami Girgis
  • Patent number: 7568891
    Abstract: A single stage high pressure turbine vane includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Krishan Mohan, Sami Girgis
  • Patent number: 7563071
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a refractory component such as a turbine shroud ring segment (32) with a ceramic core (42) onto a combustion turbine engine structure (34). The ring segment has a ceramic matrix composite skin (40), and optionally, a thermal insulation layer (46). A pin (60) is inserted through a bore (48) in the core and through an attachment bar (54) with ends received in wells (50) in the core. The attachment bar may be attached to a backing member, or tophat (64), by a biasing device (76) that urges the refractory component snugly against the backing member to eliminate vibration. The backing member and refractory component have mating surfaces that may include angled sides (52S, 70). The backing member is attached to the engine structure. Turbine shroud ring segments can be attached by this apparatus to a surrounding structure to form a shroud ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian X. Campbell, Douglas A. Keller, Malberto F. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 7559740
    Abstract: Protection device for a stator of a turbine comprising a series of annular sectors (12) which can be coupled by connection means, each sector (12) comprising a first side surface (13) which has at least one cavity (14) equipped with a bottom (15), each bottom (15) of the at least one cavity (14) is convex and each sector (12) comprises at least one stiffening rib (16) positioned inside the at least one cavity (14) and having a variable section in a longitudinal direction to modulate the rigidity of each sector (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
    Inventors: Manuele Bigi, Piero Iacopetti, Alessandro Ciani
  • Patent number: 7559747
    Abstract: A turbine exhaust thin strut includes an airfoil section having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are Joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Krishan Mohan, Sami Girgis
  • Patent number: 7559746
    Abstract: A single stage low pressure turbine blade includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Panagiota Tsifourdaris, Krishan Mohan, Sami Girgis
  • Patent number: 7527476
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine compressor includes a rotor disc for mounting a plurality of radially extending rotor blades for rotation thereon, an annulus filler for securing to the disc to provide a radially inner airflow surface for air passing through the rotor assembly and a securing arrangement for securing the annulus filler to the rotor disc, the annulus filler being configured such that it is biased into a condition in which the securing arrangement mechanically retains the annulus filler on the disc, but is movable against its bias to allow the annulus filler to be removed from the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: David C. Butt, Kenneth F. Udall
  • Patent number: 7527477
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a rotor blade is provided. The method includes providing a rotor blade that includes a tip shroud having a portion of increased cross-sectional thickness relative to adjacent portions of the tip shroud. The increased cross-sectional thickness section extends across substantially an entire circumferential width of the tip shroud. The increased cross-sectional thickness section defines a pair of opposite interlock surfaces that each form a portion of a respective side of the pair of opposite tip shroud sides used for interlocking the tip shrouds of two adjacent rotor blades on the rotor. The method also includes removing a portion of the increased cross-sectional thickness section between the pair of opposite tip shroud sides to facilitate enhancing the efficiency of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Norton, Francis Bobie, John Heyward, Dwayne Burnett
  • Patent number: 7513740
    Abstract: A turbine ring made up of an assembly of a plurality of sectors forming the outer shroud of the rotor of said turbine. The sectors are united end to end with interposed sealing systems comprising tongues housed in slots, said tongues being rectilinear and engaged in respective rectilinear slots in the radial faces of said sectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Nicolas Hervy, Marc Marchi, Ludovic Nicollas
  • Patent number: 7497663
    Abstract: An airfoil for a rotor blade including an uncoated profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z to facilitate balancing performance and durability of the rotor blade and to facilitate improving an operating efficiency of a high-pressure turbine is provided. The profile is carried only to four decimal places, wherein Y represents a distance from a platform on which the airfoil is mounted, and X and Z are coordinates defining the profile at each distance Y from the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Eugene McRae, Jr., Brian David Keith, Andrew Edward Obermeyer, Leslie Eugene Leeke
  • Patent number: 7494323
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in a TABLE 1. Wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Danail Douchkin, Marc Blohm
  • Patent number: 7494322
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in a TABLE 1. Wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Spracher, Ed Miller, Christopher LaMaster, Paul DeIvenois
  • Patent number: 7458779
    Abstract: A gas turbine or compressor blade, includes a convex outer surface or suction side and a concave inner surface or pressure side, these sides being joined at their upstream ends by a leading edge and at their downstream ends by a trailing edge for the gases and terminating on a platform, one part of which includes a downstream fairing that includes at least one through-notch that extends substantially between a transverse line passing through the trailing edge and the downstream end of the fairing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Eric Stephen Bil, Nicolas Hervy, Thomas Schlesinger
  • Patent number: 7442008
    Abstract: An internal fluid cooling system for a gas turbine aerofoil comprises a plurality of multi-pass cooling arrangements each of which consists of a serpentine passage in the interior of the aerofoil. The cooling fluid—in particular air—is supplied to an inlet end of each passage and exhausted through a multiplicity of discharge holes to provide tip, leading edge, trailing edge and surface film cooling. The inlet end of a first serpentine passage is positioned close to the leading edge and flows rearwards while the inlet end of the second serpentine passage is positioned close to the trailing edge and flows forwards. These serpentine passages are disposed side-by-side, one adjacent the pressure surface and the other adjacent the suction surface on opposite sides of a main load carrying member which comprises a major part of the internal structure of the aerofoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Michiel Kopmels, Ian Tibbott, Edwin Dane, Timothy M Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7396205
    Abstract: A rotor blade having a wing and beam construction for a tip shroud is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for providing a transition zone that extends from the suction side and pressure side of the airfoil to provide a flow path surface of the shroud. In one detailed embodiment, the transition zone over substantially all of its extent between the leading edge region and the trailing edge region is contoured to extend to the sides of the wings to provide a spanwise taper that extends to the side of the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan P. Dube, Eric D. Gray
  • Patent number: 7374395
    Abstract: A turbine shroud assembly is configured to adequately adjust a distribution of cooling air flow such that air leakage between radial shroud legs of adjacent shroud segments is minimized, while permitting cooling air to leak between platforms of adjacent shroud segments in order to cool sides of the platforms thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Durocher, Martin Clermont
  • Publication number: 20080089788
    Abstract: Including a disk, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart airfoils extending radially outwardly from the disk, a plurality of shroud segments being disposed circumferentially between the plurality of airfoils and configured to attach to a corresponding airfoil of the plurality of airfoils and a plurality of wear surfaces, where at least one wear surface of the plurality of wear surfaces is configured and disposed to prevent excessive wear between the adjacent shroud segments. Each shroud segment of the plurality of shroud segments may be attached to a corresponding airfoil by weld connections to permit clearance during translation friction welding of the airfoil to the disk hub are located to avoid high stress areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth Loehle, James A. Huffman, Charles K. Christopherson, Alan Glen Turner, Jeffrey F. Wessels, Gary Edward Trewiler, Peter J, Rock, Paul S. Manicke, Joseph Capozzi, Jeffrey Howard Nussbaum, Leslie M. Pommer
  • Publication number: 20080038116
    Abstract: A turbine blade tip shroud. The tip shroud may include a platform, a number of Z-notched positioned within the platform, a number of seal rails positioned on the platform, and a number of cavities positioned within the platform and adjacent to seal rails and the Z-notches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Massimiliano Mariotti, Cody Jermaine Ford
  • Publication number: 20080025841
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a rotor blade is provided. The method includes providing a rotor blade that includes a tip shroud having a portion of increased cross-sectional thickness relative to adjacent portions of the tip shroud. The increased cross-sectional thickness section extends across substantially an entire circumferential width of the tip shroud. The increased cross-sectional thickness section defines a pair of opposite interlock surfaces that each form a portion of a respective side of the pair of opposite tip shroud sides used for interlocking the tip shrouds of two adjacent rotor blades on the rotor. The method also includes removing a portion of the increased cross-sectional thickness section between the pair of opposite tip shroud sides to facilitate enhancing the efficiency of the rotor blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: Brian Norton, Dwayne Burnett, Francis Bobie, John Heyward
  • Publication number: 20080019836
    Abstract: A damping arrangement for guide vanes, in particular for guide vanes of a gas turbine or an aircraft engine, is disclosed. Referring to this damping arrangement, the radially external ends of the guide vanes of a guide vane grid or a guide vane ring are mounted to a housing. The radially internal ends of the guide vanes form an inner shroud. At least one seal bearing is mounted to the inner shroud of the guide vanes. At least one spring element is installed between the inner shroud of the guide vanes and the, or each, seal bearing. The, or each, spring element is configured as a leaf spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Butz, Werner Humhauser, Patrick Wackers, Walter Waschka, Moritz Wirth
  • Patent number: 7296967
    Abstract: A turbine wall includes opposite back and front sides. Film cooling holes are inclined longitudinally through the wall. Adjacent holes are spaced laterally apart and are inclined oppositely for channeling cooling air therethrough in counterflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jason David Shapiro
  • Patent number: 7284954
    Abstract: A shroud for surrounding a portion of a turbine flow path having improved cooling and durability is disclosed. The shroud includes a plurality of generally axial cooling holes spaced a substantially equal distance apart and a plurality of generally circumferential cooling holes oriented generally perpendicular to the generally axial cooling holes. The generally circumferentially cooling holes are spaced a non-uniform distance apart so as to provide cooling to selected portions of shroud sidewalls to lower shroud operating temperatures and improve shroud durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventors: David G. Parker, Robert P. Moore, Charles Ellis
  • Patent number: 7270518
    Abstract: Steam turbine bucket covers have forward and aft clearance surfaces on a pressure side edge of the cover, a contact surface between the clearance surfaces and an undercut fillet between the forward clearance surface and the contact surface. The adjoining bucket cover has forward and aft clearance surfaces, a contact surface between the clearance surfaces and an outside radius between the forward clearance surface and the contact surfaces along the suction side edge of the cover. The undercut fillet includes two different radii to minimize or eliminate fretting damage caused by high stresses in the interference fit between the contact surfaces of adjacent covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Barb, Robert Edward Deallenbach, William Hunter Boardman, IV
  • Patent number: 7238002
    Abstract: A damper and seal system for a stage of a turbine that includes inner shrouds disposed circumferentially of a hot gas path through the turbine stage and shroud body(s) for supporting the inner shroud(s). A damper block engages a backside surface of the inner shroud and a damping mechanism is carried by the shroud body and connected to the damper block for applying a load to the damper block and inner shroud through the engagement of the block with the backside surface of the inner shroud, thereby damping vibratory movement of the inner shroud. The seal system includes at least one primary, integral seal and at least one secondary, non-integral seal to limit axial and radial hot gas leakage through the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Ralph Cairo, Kevin Leon Bruce, Thomas Raymond Farrell
  • Patent number: 7182577
    Abstract: A set of turbine rotor blades is arranged on a rotor disk. Each rotor disk has blade profile, root parts which is fitted axially in an axial disk groove formed circumferenctially in the rotor disk, and an integral cover formed at the outer edge of the blade profile part. A front end surface, faced in a direction the rotor disk rotates, of the integral cover is inclined to a direction in which the root part of the turbine rotor blade is fitted in the disk groove of the rotor disk. The sum of circumferential lengths of the integral covers is greater than a circle at which the integral covers are joined to the blade profile parts. Adjacent integral covers are brought into contact with each other by the blade profile parts that are twisted when root parts of the turbine rotor blades are fitted axially in the disk grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Yamashita, Eiji Saitou, Kiyoshi Namura, Hideo Yoda
  • Patent number: 7140841
    Abstract: A connecting arrangement for rotor blades of a turbomachine includes projections (2), which extend in circumferential direction (3), are rigidly connected in pairs to a rotor blade and are respectively supported on the adjacent projection (2) by means of a pressure body (7). Each pressure body (7) has, on a securing face (8), a securing contour (10) which protrudes into an acceptance feature (11) of the associated projection (2) and is supported in it. Each pressure body (7) has, on a support face (9), a plane support surface (13) which has area support on a plane mating support surface (14) of the adjacent projection (2). In order to also improve the support in the case of different rotational angles of the projections (2), the securing contour (10) of the pressure body (7) is configured as a spherical segment. The associated acceptance feature (11) is likewise configured as a spherical segment whose radius (R) is of the same magnitude as the radius (R) of the spherical segment of the securing contour (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Eduard Goetzfried, Heinz-Dieter Tremmel
  • Patent number: 7134838
    Abstract: A rotor blade having a wing and beam construction for a tip shroud is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for providing the shroud with a depression in the shroud and a transition zone that extends from the suction side and pressure side of the airfoil to provide a flow path surface of the shroud. In one detailed embodiment, the tip shroud has a depression generally outwardly of the airfoil and generally following the curve of the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil from the leading edge region to the trailing edge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan P. Dube, Eric D. Gray
  • Patent number: 7104758
    Abstract: A rotor of a steam or gas turbine is equipped with rotor blades, which are held in the rotor (6) in a plurality of radial rows and comprise a blade foot 1 installed in the rotor (6), a blade leaf (2) and a cover plate (3). An open pocket (5) is prepared in the sloping surfaces of the cover plates (3) of a row of rotor blades, which the sloping surfaces are located opposite each other. The pockets (5) of two adjacent cover plates (3) form together an essentially closed cavity, which expands in the radial direction of the rotor (6). A pin, whose largest cross section is smaller than the largest cross section of the cavity but larger than the smallest cross section of the cavity, is placed freely movably into each cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: MAN TURBO AG
    Inventors: Hans-Egon Brock, Günter Neumann, Hans Jeske
  • Patent number: 7097428
    Abstract: A bucket for use on a steam turbine rotor wheel, the bucket comprising a shank portion and an airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having a radially outer tip with a tip cover adapted to be engaged, in use, by a similar tip cover on an adjacent bucket, wherein a radial step is formed in the tip cover and the airfoil portion along a leading edge of the airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Barb, Douglas Carl Hofer, Amir Mujezinovic, Leonid Yulyevich Ginessin
  • Patent number: 7094023
    Abstract: A turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine is provided. The turbine blade includes an airfoil portion having a tip end, a shroud attached to the tip end, which shroud has an outer surface, and a knife edge attached to an outer surface of the shroud. The knife edge has a pair of cutter blades protruding outwardly from the knife edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan P. Dube, Richard Page
  • Patent number: 7066713
    Abstract: A rotor blade having a wing and beam construction for a tip shroud is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for providing a transition zone that extends from the suction side and pressure side of the airfoil to provide a flow path surface of the shroud. In one detailed embodiment, the transition zone is contoured under the beam differently than a portion under the rear portions of the wings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan P. Dube, Eric D. Gray
  • Patent number: 7063509
    Abstract: A turbine bucket airfoil has a conical fillet about the intersection of the airfoil tip and tip shroud having a nominal profile in accordance with coordinate values of X and Y, offset 1, offset 2 and Rho set forth in Table I. The shape parameters of offset 1, offset 2 and Rho define the configuration of the fillet at the specified X and Y locations about the fillet to provide a fillet configuration accommodating high localized stresses. The fillet shape may be parabolic, elliptical or hyperbolic as a function of the value of the shape parameter ratio of D1 D1 + D2 at each X, Y location where D1 is a distance between an intermediate point along a chord between edge points determined by offsets O1 and O2 and a shoulder point on the fillet surface and D2 is a distance between the shoulder point and an apex location at the intersection of the airfoil tip and tip shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel David Snook, Peter Gaines Cleveland
  • Patent number: 7037075
    Abstract: Turbine blades used in jet engines generally require cooling in order to achieve desired engine performance. Cooling of blade tip areas is difficult due to the limited space available such that thickening tip areas in order to allow passages and holes to be incorporated adds to weight and therefore stressing along with causing additional manufacturing costs. The present cooling arrangement includes coolant release passages 5 which present coolant flow to coolant entrainment elements or fins 2 such that the coolant flow is entrained close to the blade tip surface 12. Thus, turbulent air flow caused by adjacent shrouds and edges are inhibited from diluting the coolant flow and therefore reducing thermal efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Roderick M Townes, Ian Tibbott
  • Patent number: 7037078
    Abstract: In a moving turbine wheel, blade inserts are used with at least two blades interconnected by common outer and inner platforms and sharing a common root. The blade inserts have hollow roots in which respective recesses are formed, and the insert roots belonging to the same wheel and/or two different wheels are voluntarily given different configurations in order to adjust the resonant frequencies of the inserts to values that are significantly different, thereby ensuring that the inserts in the same wheel and/or between two different wheels are out of tune.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Soupizon, Patrick Rossi, Henri Popinet, Sandrine Tourbier, Claude Bion, Charles Balleron, José Lopez, Patrick Girard, Xavier Lescure, Patrice Rosset
  • Patent number: 7001152
    Abstract: A one-piece blade for a turbine section of a gas turbine engine, the blade comprising a root, an airfoil and a shroud. The shroud extends generally perpendicularly from a tip of the airfoil and is defined by a pair of opposed bearing faces and a pair of opposed non-bearing faces. The bearing faces each have a contact portion adapted to contact a shroud of an adjacent blade. The shroud has a substantially constant nominal thickness and the bearing faces have a substantially constant face thickness across the contact portion, the face thickness being greater than the nominal thickness. The transition between the face thickness and the nominal thickness is substantially discontinuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Pratt & Wiley Canada Corp.
    Inventors: René Paquet, Nicolas Grivas, Richard Brandt
  • Patent number: 6969233
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle segment includes a single hollow airfoil extending radially between radially outer and inner band segments. The airfoil has an airfoil wall with pressure and suction sides extending axially between leading and trailing edges of the airfoil. The airfoil wall surrounds a bifurcated cavity and a bifurcating rib extends through the bifurcated cavity and between the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil wall dividing the bifurcated cavity into forward and aft cavities. A stiffening rib extends radially outwardly from and along a radially outer surface of the outer band segment and axially and circumferentially from a pressure side forward corner of the outer band segment to the bifurcating rib. The outer and inner band segments, the bifurcating rib, and the stiffening rib are integral and made from a unitary one-piece casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Charles Powis, Ronald Eugene McRae, Jr., Jonathan Philip Clarke, Jonathan Jordan Peterman, Robert Alan Frederick, Edward Eugene Gibler, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 6962484
    Abstract: This arrangement relates to a moving blade (1), cast in one piece, for a turbomachine, in particular a turbine or compressor, comprising an aerodynamically shaped profile body (2) which has a shroud band (5). The shroud band (5) projects beyond the profile body (2) in the circumferential direction (6) and has a fin (12). The fin (12) possesses a base portion (14), a transitional portion (15) and a sealing portion (16). An axially measured wall thickness decreases in a transitional portion (15) from the base portion (14) to the sealing portion (16). To avoid a porous structure in the base portion (14), two depressions (17), which reduce the wall thickness of the base portion (14), are integrally molded on the outside of the base portion (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventors: Herbert Brandl, Alexander Hoffs
  • Patent number: 6939104
    Abstract: A turbine blade including a head at its peripherally outer end, and on the outside face thereof at least one wiper is formed having a first end portion and a second end portion, with a wiper tip extending between the two end portions. The first portion situated on the suction side of the blade is taller than the second end portion to form a sawtooth effect between the wipers of two adjacent blades mounted on a turbine rotor. The tip of each wiper presents a convex surface between the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Giot Chantal, Jean-Luc Soupizon
  • Patent number: 6913445
    Abstract: A tip shroud for use with a bucket of a turbine. The tip shroud may include a seal rail with a middle portion and a cutter tooth mounted about the middle portion of the seal rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas B. Beddard, Carlos A. Collado
  • Patent number: 6896484
    Abstract: A sealing system for reducing a gap between a tip of a turbine blade and a shroud of a turbine engine. As a turbine engine reaches steady state operating conditions, components of the sealing system reach their maximum expansion and reduce the size of the gap located between the blade tips and the engine shroud, thereby reducing the leakage of air past the turbine blades and increasing the efficiency of the turbine engine. The sealing system includes a ring segment having a sealing surface positioned proximate to a tip of a turbine blade. The ring segment may be coupled to a blade ring using a spindle having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion for the blade ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventor: Ihor S. Diakunchak
  • Patent number: 6877956
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating a rotor assembly for a turbine is provided. The method includes forming a cover on each bucket radial tip wherein the cover includes a leading edge side in a direction of rotation, and a trailing edge side in the direction of rotation wherein the leading edge and trailing edges are parallel with respect to each other, and wherein the leading edge and trailing edges are skewed with respect to the axis of rotation. The method includes forming an extension in the cover leading edge side, forming a groove in the cover trailing edge side, and attaching each bucket to the radially outer rim, such that the extension in the cover leading edge side of one cover is in mating engagement with the groove in the cover trailing edge side of an adjoining cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Clement Gazzillo, Ronald Wayne Korzun
  • Patent number: 6854960
    Abstract: In the embodiments described in the specification, an impeller is manufactured by providing a mold for one angular segment containing one vane of an impeller and corresponding hub and rim portions, injection-molding fiber-reinforced polymer composite resin material into the mold to produce a plurality of substantially identical segments, and assembling the segments into an impeller by bonding corresponding mating end surfaces of the hub and rim portions of the segments. A veil cloth is applied to the outer surface of the rim portion and impregnated with resin material to complete the impeller structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Electric Boat Corporation
    Inventors: Pieter Van Dine, Catherine Van Dine
  • Patent number: 6832896
    Abstract: A rotary assembly comprising a disk having recesses at its periphery; a plurality of blades carried by the disk, each blade having a blade root engaged in a corresponding recess of the disk, and a plurality of fitted platforms each mounted on the disk between two adjacent blades, each platform being a piece of sheet metal of substantially omega section having two flanks interconnected by a web and shaped so as to press against the side walls of the bottom portions of two adjacent blades, with the end portions of the flanks presenting respective setbacks which fit closely to the outlines of one side of a blade root and of the adjacent side of the wall of a recess in which the blade root is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Goga, Pierre Lamothe
  • Patent number: 6827554
    Abstract: Axial entry dovetails on buckets are installed axially into generally complementary-shaped female dovetails about the rim of the turbine wheel. The buckets include bucket covers having an interference fit such that upon installation, the buckets tend to rotate, which causes radial inward displacement of the buckets. To eliminate the bucket rotation and radial displacement, the male dovetails mount an anti-rotation key for reception in a generally complementary-shaped recess at the base of the female dovetail. The anti-rotation key in the slot eliminates rotation and radial displacement of the bucket, maintaining the buckets on radii and enables the bucket covers to be machined to proper diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Alan Caruso, James Harvey Vogan, Dennis W. Roberts, Kiernan Francis Ryan