US20090148298A1 - Blade disk seal - Google Patents
Blade disk seal Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090148298A1 US20090148298A1 US12/330,755 US33075508A US2009148298A1 US 20090148298 A1 US20090148298 A1 US 20090148298A1 US 33075508 A US33075508 A US 33075508A US 2009148298 A1 US2009148298 A1 US 2009148298A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- disk
- seal
- seal plate
- tang
- blades
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D5/00—Blades; Blade-carrying members; Heating, heat-insulating, cooling or antivibration means on the blades or the members
- F01D5/30—Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots ; Blade spacers
- F01D5/3007—Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots ; Blade spacers of axial insertion type
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D11/00—Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages
- F01D11/005—Sealing means between non relatively rotating elements
- F01D11/006—Sealing the gap between rotor blades or blades and rotor
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2260/00—Function
- F05D2260/94—Functionality given by mechanical stress related aspects such as low cycle fatigue [LCF] of high cycle fatigue [HCF]
Definitions
- the present invention relates to gas turbine engines. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for reducing stress in a blade disk while minimizing leakage of cooling fluids directed towards one or more blades.
- Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust.
- land-based gas turbine engines typically have a generator coupled thereto for the purposes of generating electricity.
- a gas turbine engine comprises a number of components including a compressor section which has a series of rotating compressor blades.
- the compressor which receives air from an engine inlet, passes the air through the compressor, where the pressure of the air increases.
- the compressed air is then directed into one or more combustors where fuel is mixed with the compressed air and the mixture is ignited.
- the hot combustion gases are then directed into a turbine section, which is coupled by a shaft to the compressor section.
- the hot combustion gases pass through the turbine causing the turbine blades, which are attached to disks, to rotate, which also drives the compressor.
- an electrical generator may also be coupled to the engine shaft for harnessing its mechanical output in order to generate electricity.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 a portion of a disk 100 , in accordance with a turbine of the prior art, is shown.
- the blades are typically held in the disk by a series of generally axially extending attachment surfaces 102 . These attachment surfaces are machined into an outer surface 104 of the disk 100 .
- the blades and disk have corresponding attachment surfaces such that when the disk rotates, the blade is held in place, in a radial direction, by the attachment surfaces.
- the blades and disk rotate, the blades apply a substantial pulling load on the disk 100 . This is due to the weight of the blades, their radial position relative to the engine centerline, and rotational speed of the disk.
- a pulling load is created that results in a stress concentration of approximately 276 ksi in a corner between an attachment surface and a cooling channel of the disk.
- Such large stress concentrations have been known to exceed material capabilities at the disk operating temperatures and have led to cracking within the disk, failure of the disk, and engine failure.
- Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and method for, among other things, reducing stress levels in a disk assembly while providing a seal between a portion of the disk and one or more blades for a gas turbine engine.
- the present invention provides embodiments for a disk assembly of a gas turbine engine in which a seal plate is secured thereto in order to prevent leakage of cooling air that is directed to cool a blade installed in the disk.
- the assembly has a disk with generally axially extending slots for receiving one or more blades.
- each blade in the disk has a tang that extends radially inward, and one or more seal plates positioned to receive and engage the tang. The tang of the blade is secured to a seal plate by a fastener.
- a method of providing a sealing configuration between tangs of one or more blades and a disk is provided.
- This embodiment can be utilized in a variety of disk configurations, including modifying an existing turbine disk to remove areas of high concentrated stress.
- the method includes making alterations to the tang of the blade in order for it to mate with a seal plate. These alterations include machining a flat surface into a bottom of the tang and drilling a through hole in the tang. Once the blade is placed in the slot of the disk, the seal plate is placed around a portion of the tang such that a fastener can be placed through the seal plate and the tang, thereby joining the seal plate and tang together.
- a seal plate capable of minimizing cooling fluid leakage between a disk and one or more blades.
- the seal plate has generally parallel first and second members that are connected by a leg with the first and second members each having through holes for receiving a fastener. The first and second members are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive a blade tang therebetween.
- FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a portion of a disk in accordance with the prior art
- FIG. 2 depicts a cross section view taken through a slot of the disk of FIG. 1 in accordance with the prior art
- FIG. 3 depicts a cross section view taken through a slot of the disk of FIG. 1 in accordance with the prior art where a section of material to be removed is indicated;
- FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a portion of a disk assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 5 depicts an elevation view of the disk assembly of FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 6 depicts an elevation view of a portion of a disk assembly in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 7 depicts a cross section view of a seal plate taken through the disk assembly of FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 8 depicts an exploded assembly view of the disk assembly depicted in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of a seal plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the seal plate of FIG. 9 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a seal plate in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 12 is an alternate perspective view of the seal plate of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 13 is a cross section view of the seal plate depicted in FIGS. 11 and 12 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 14 is a cross section view of a seal plate in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 15 is a detailed cross section view of the seal plate depicted in FIG. 14 ;
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the seal plate depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15 .
- the disk 300 has an outer circumferentially extending surface 302 and a center axis A-A. In operation, the disk 300 rotates about the center axis A-A. Depending on the engine geometry, the disk 300 can vary in a thickness 304 . This thickness 304 can also vary for each stage of an engine.
- the disk 300 comprises a plurality of blade slots 306 , as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , with the blade slots 306 having a slot length 308 that extends through the thickness 304 proximate the outer circumferentially extending surface 302 .
- the blade slots 306 are spaced generally equally about the outer circumferential extending surface 302 .
- One or more blades 310 are positioned within the blade slots 306 and extend radially outward from the disk 300 .
- the one or more blades 310 each comprise a root portion 312 , an airfoil portion 314 , and a tang 316 .
- the root portion 312 has a root length 318 that may or may not be substantially similar to the slot length 308 .
- the root portion 312 in order for the blade 310 to be secured within the disk 300 it is necessary for the root portion 312 to have a cross sectional profile that corresponds to the blade slot 306 .
- the root portion 312 has a series of attachment surfaces 313 A that mate to attachment surfaces 313 B of the blade slot 306 .
- the cross sectional profile of the root portion 312 will be slightly undersized compared to the blade slot 306 to ensure that the blade 310 can slide into the blade slot 306 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the tang 316 is shown in greater detail.
- the tang 316 has a thickness 320 and extends radially inward opposite of the direction of the airfoil portion 314 and is spaced axially from the root portion 312 by a seal slot 322 .
- the tang 316 of the blade 310 also has a hole 324 that extends through the thickness of the tang 316 .
- the disk assembly also incorporates one or more seal plates 326 that are positioned to receive the tang 316 of the blade 310 in order to provide one or more sealing surfaces.
- Use of the seal plate 326 is especially critical for blades 310 that receive some type of internal cooling, as is commonly found in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine. Without adequate sealing, the cooling fluid, which is typically air or steam, can leak out of a cooling channel and not provide sufficient cooling to the blade, resulting in blade overheating and possible premature blade failure.
- the seal plate 326 comprises a first member 328 having a first thickness 330 and a second member 332 having a second thickness 334 .
- the first member 328 is generally parallel to the second member 332 .
- the first member 328 also has a height H 1 that is greater than a height H 2 of the second member 332 , but the second thickness 334 is greater than the first thickness 330 .
- the first member 328 has one or more holes 336 that extends through the first thickness 330 and the second member 332 has one or more threaded holes 338 in the second thickness 332 .
- the seal plate 326 also comprises a leg 333 that connects the first member 328 to the second member 332 .
- the disk 300 utilizes one or more fasteners 340 to secure the seal plate 326 to the tang 316 of the blade 310 .
- Fasteners 340 are placed through the one or more holes 336 in the first member 328 , through the hole 324 in the tang 316 , and engages a set of threads 342 of the one or more threaded holes 338 in the second member 332 . This arrangement is depicted in FIG. 7 . When the threads of the fastener 340 engage corresponding threads 342 of the threaded hole 338 , at least the second member 332 of seal plate 326 is drawn into contact with the tang 316 to provide a seal.
- angular momentum of the seal plate 326 causes a flat portion 344 of the leg 333 to move slightly radially outward and contact a corresponding flat surface 346 of the tang 316 . This contact provides an additional sealing region.
- a sealing arrangement is required for blades which receive a supply of cooling fluid. While embodiments of this invention can be applied to a variety of blades and disk designs, including newly manufactured components, one particular embodiment in which this invention is applicable is with respect to a method of modifying an existing turbine disk having regions of excessive stress in an attachment area between a blade and the disk. For clarity purposes, the same figures will be used in describing this embodiment of the present invention that is directed towards modifying a turbine disk, as have been previously referenced.
- the turbine disk 300 has a plurality of blade slots 306 for receiving blades along its outer circumferential surface 302 .
- this disk also contains a tangential cooling cavity 350 (see FIG. 3 ).
- the intersection of the cooling cavity 350 and blade slots 306 when combined with the radial pull associated with rotating blades 310 , can create excessive stress concentrations at these intersections. If not alleviated, the stress concentrations can exceed the allowable stress levels for a particular material and operating temperature resulting in failure of the disk.
- An alternate embodiment of the present invention applies the seal plate arrangement previously discussed to a modified blade disk, when the structure of the cooling cavity 350 adjacent to known high stress regions has been modified.
- a dashed line 352 indicates where a section of the disk, identified as 354 , is to be removed.
- An elliptical cut is made to reduce any remaining stress concentrations in the disk 300 .
- the blades 310 for that stage of the engine are also machined to place a flat surface 346 on the tang 316 . Then, a through hole is drilled into the tang 316 of the blade 310 .
- the blade 310 is then placed into the blade slot 306 of the now modified disk 300 and a seal plate 326 is slid at least partially around the tang 316 and into a seal slot 322 of the disk 300 .
- the seal plate 326 is placed adjacent to the blade 310 and the disk 300 such that the first member 328 , which has a through hole 336 , is placed adjacent to a first side 316 A of the tang 316 while the second member 332 , which has a threaded hole 338 , is placed adjacent to a second side 316 B of the tang 316 .
- the second member 332 is placed into the seal slot 322 such that the through holes 336 , 324 , and 338 are in alignment. During such an alignment, the flat surface 346 of the tang 316 may also contact the flat surface 344 of the seal plate 326 .
- a threaded fastener 340 is placed through the through hole 336 in the seal plate 326 and through the through hole 324 in the tang 316 such that the fastener 340 engages the threaded hole 338 in the second member 332 of the seal plate 326 .
- the fastener 340 is then secured to the first member 328 by a means such as tack welding so as to prevent the fastener 340 from backing out and coming loose during engine operation.
- seal plate 326 has been described in use with a particular modification to a blade disk 300 , as shown in FIG. 3 , similar modifications can be applied to a variety of disk configurations. Also, the seal plate 326 can take on a variety of configurations.
- One such alternate embodiment of the seal plate is depicted in FIG. 6 .
- the seal plate 626 extends circumferentially across a plurality of blades 610 .
- the seal plate 626 extends across three blades 610 , but this alternate embodiment is not limited to spanning only three blades 610 .
- the seal plate 626 can span a larger or smaller quantity of blades 610 and can use a single fastener 640 , as depicted in FIG. 6 , or multiple fasteners.
- the seal plate geometry can vary to include additional members similar to members 328 and 332 .
- the spacing between the members 328 and 332 can vary and as a result, the length of the leg 333 will also vary.
- more than one seal plate 326 will be required.
- multiple seal plates 326 can be used, with one at a forward end of a blade/disk assembly and another at an aft end of the blade/disk assembly.
- seal plate 326 and fastener 340 have been described with respect to a threaded engagement, this is but one type of coupling. Alternate forms of fastening the seal plate 326 and the blade tang 316 together are envisioned as such, slight modifications to the seal plate 326 and/or blade tang 316 may be required.
- the hole 338 may not be threaded, but instead may be a through hole or a tapered hole so as to engage an alternate form of the fastener 340 .
- the fastener 340 is not limited to this configuration. In fact, alternate sealing arrangements between the seal plate 326 and the blade tang 316 can be utilized, such as a snap fit or trapping the seal plate 326 between the tang 316 and the disk 310 .
- the second member 332 may not have a hole 338 . In this embodiment, a fastener can pass through the first member and the tang and contact the second member 332
- FIGS. 11-16 An alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 11-16 .
- a first alternate embodiment of a seal plate 1100 is depicted.
- the seal plate 1100 comprises a circumferentially extending base member 1106 , a first vertical member 1108 that extends radially outward from an end of the circumferentially extending base member 1106 .
- a second vertical member 1110 extends radially outward from the first vertical member 1108 .
- the first and second vertical members are connected by an axial member 1112 .
- the circumferentially-extending member 1106 also includes an angled surface 1114 that mates to an angled surface 1116 of the blade tang 1118 .
- the coverplate 1100 is secured to a blade tang 1118 by one or more pins 1120 that pass through respective openings in the coverplate 1100 and tang 1118 . This securing means permits the coverplate 1100 to move slightly radially outward such that the angled surface 1114 of the coverplate comes into and maintains a line-on-line contact with the blade tang 1118 .
- FIGS. 14-16 yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown.
- the features of this alternate embodiment are similar to those described in FIGS. 11-13 and carry similar identifiers where common, and as such, only new and/or different features of this embodiment are described in more detail below.
- the second vertical member 1110 further comprises a slot 1122 that contains a generally circumferentially-extending seal 1124 that has a circular cross section, such as a wire seal.
- the slot 1122 is formed from material removed or void from the radially outer portion of the second vertical member 1110 .
- the circumferentially-extending seal 1124 extends the circumference of the disk 1102 to provide a supplemental seal to the angled surfaces 1114 and 1116 .
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority to the Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 61/012,475 and filed on Dec. 10, 2007.
- The present invention relates to gas turbine engines. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for reducing stress in a blade disk while minimizing leakage of cooling fluids directed towards one or more blades.
- Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust. Specifically, land-based gas turbine engines typically have a generator coupled thereto for the purposes of generating electricity. A gas turbine engine comprises a number of components including a compressor section which has a series of rotating compressor blades. The compressor, which receives air from an engine inlet, passes the air through the compressor, where the pressure of the air increases. The compressed air is then directed into one or more combustors where fuel is mixed with the compressed air and the mixture is ignited. The hot combustion gases are then directed into a turbine section, which is coupled by a shaft to the compressor section. The hot combustion gases pass through the turbine causing the turbine blades, which are attached to disks, to rotate, which also drives the compressor. Depending on the type of gas turbine engine, an electrical generator may also be coupled to the engine shaft for harnessing its mechanical output in order to generate electricity.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , a portion of adisk 100, in accordance with a turbine of the prior art, is shown. The blades are typically held in the disk by a series of generally axially extendingattachment surfaces 102. These attachment surfaces are machined into anouter surface 104 of thedisk 100. The blades and disk have corresponding attachment surfaces such that when the disk rotates, the blade is held in place, in a radial direction, by the attachment surfaces. However, as the blades and disk rotate, the blades apply a substantial pulling load on thedisk 100. This is due to the weight of the blades, their radial position relative to the engine centerline, and rotational speed of the disk. For example, for a turbine blade installed in a prior art disk configuration, such as thedisk 100, with the disk rotating at approximately 3600 RPM, and the blade having a weight of approximately 17.5 lbs, a pulling load is created that results in a stress concentration of approximately 276 ksi in a corner between an attachment surface and a cooling channel of the disk. Such large stress concentrations have been known to exceed material capabilities at the disk operating temperatures and have led to cracking within the disk, failure of the disk, and engine failure. - Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and method for, among other things, reducing stress levels in a disk assembly while providing a seal between a portion of the disk and one or more blades for a gas turbine engine.
- The present invention provides embodiments for a disk assembly of a gas turbine engine in which a seal plate is secured thereto in order to prevent leakage of cooling air that is directed to cool a blade installed in the disk. The assembly has a disk with generally axially extending slots for receiving one or more blades. In one embodiment, each blade in the disk has a tang that extends radially inward, and one or more seal plates positioned to receive and engage the tang. The tang of the blade is secured to a seal plate by a fastener.
- In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing a sealing configuration between tangs of one or more blades and a disk is provided. This embodiment can be utilized in a variety of disk configurations, including modifying an existing turbine disk to remove areas of high concentrated stress. The method includes making alterations to the tang of the blade in order for it to mate with a seal plate. These alterations include machining a flat surface into a bottom of the tang and drilling a through hole in the tang. Once the blade is placed in the slot of the disk, the seal plate is placed around a portion of the tang such that a fastener can be placed through the seal plate and the tang, thereby joining the seal plate and tang together.
- In yet another embodiment, a seal plate capable of minimizing cooling fluid leakage between a disk and one or more blades is provided. In one embodiment, the seal plate has generally parallel first and second members that are connected by a leg with the first and second members each having through holes for receiving a fastener. The first and second members are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive a blade tang therebetween.
- Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in a description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from practice of the invention.
- The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a portion of a disk in accordance with the prior art; -
FIG. 2 depicts a cross section view taken through a slot of the disk ofFIG. 1 in accordance with the prior art; -
FIG. 3 depicts a cross section view taken through a slot of the disk ofFIG. 1 in accordance with the prior art where a section of material to be removed is indicated; -
FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a portion of a disk assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 depicts an elevation view of the disk assembly ofFIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 depicts an elevation view of a portion of a disk assembly in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7 depicts a cross section view of a seal plate taken through the disk assembly ofFIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 depicts an exploded assembly view of the disk assembly depicted inFIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of a seal plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the seal plate ofFIG. 9 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a seal plate in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 12 is an alternate perspective view of the seal plate ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 13 is a cross section view of the seal plate depicted inFIGS. 11 and 12 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 14 is a cross section view of a seal plate in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 15 is a detailed cross section view of the seal plate depicted inFIG. 14 ; and, -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the seal plate depicted inFIGS. 14 and 15 . - The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different components, combinations of components, steps, or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies.
- Referring initially to
FIG. 3 , a portion of adisk 300 is depicted in cross section. Thedisk 300 has an outer circumferentially extendingsurface 302 and a center axis A-A. In operation, thedisk 300 rotates about the center axis A-A. Depending on the engine geometry, thedisk 300 can vary in athickness 304. Thisthickness 304 can also vary for each stage of an engine. Thedisk 300 comprises a plurality ofblade slots 306, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 , with theblade slots 306 having aslot length 308 that extends through thethickness 304 proximate the outer circumferentially extendingsurface 302. Theblade slots 306 are spaced generally equally about the outercircumferential extending surface 302. - One or
more blades 310 are positioned within theblade slots 306 and extend radially outward from thedisk 300. Referring now toFIGS. 4 , 5, 7, and 8, the one ormore blades 310 each comprise aroot portion 312, anairfoil portion 314, and atang 316. More specifically, theroot portion 312 has aroot length 318 that may or may not be substantially similar to theslot length 308. However, in order for theblade 310 to be secured within thedisk 300 it is necessary for theroot portion 312 to have a cross sectional profile that corresponds to theblade slot 306. That is, theroot portion 312 has a series ofattachment surfaces 313A that mate to attachment surfaces 313B of theblade slot 306. The cross sectional profile of theroot portion 312 will be slightly undersized compared to theblade slot 306 to ensure that theblade 310 can slide into theblade slot 306, as shown inFIG. 5 . - Referring to
FIG. 7 , thetang 316 is shown in greater detail. Thetang 316 has athickness 320 and extends radially inward opposite of the direction of theairfoil portion 314 and is spaced axially from theroot portion 312 by aseal slot 322. Thetang 316 of theblade 310 also has ahole 324 that extends through the thickness of thetang 316. - Turning to
FIGS. 7-10 , the disk assembly also incorporates one ormore seal plates 326 that are positioned to receive thetang 316 of theblade 310 in order to provide one or more sealing surfaces. Use of theseal plate 326 is especially critical forblades 310 that receive some type of internal cooling, as is commonly found in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine. Without adequate sealing, the cooling fluid, which is typically air or steam, can leak out of a cooling channel and not provide sufficient cooling to the blade, resulting in blade overheating and possible premature blade failure. - Referring to
FIGS. 9 and 10 , theseal plate 326 comprises afirst member 328 having afirst thickness 330 and asecond member 332 having asecond thickness 334. As it can be seen fromFIGS. 7 and 10 , thefirst member 328 is generally parallel to thesecond member 332. In the embodiment shown, thefirst member 328 also has a height H1 that is greater than a height H2 of thesecond member 332, but thesecond thickness 334 is greater than thefirst thickness 330. Also, thefirst member 328 has one ormore holes 336 that extends through thefirst thickness 330 and thesecond member 332 has one or more threadedholes 338 in thesecond thickness 332. It is necessary, for the embodiment shown, that thesecond thickness 334 be greater than thefirst thickness 330, since thehole 338 is threaded and a threaded hole requires additional thickness for the threads than does a through hole. Theseal plate 326 also comprises aleg 333 that connects thefirst member 328 to thesecond member 332. - The
disk 300 utilizes one ormore fasteners 340 to secure theseal plate 326 to thetang 316 of theblade 310.Fasteners 340 are placed through the one ormore holes 336 in thefirst member 328, through thehole 324 in thetang 316, and engages a set ofthreads 342 of the one or more threadedholes 338 in thesecond member 332. This arrangement is depicted inFIG. 7 . When the threads of thefastener 340 engage correspondingthreads 342 of the threadedhole 338, at least thesecond member 332 ofseal plate 326 is drawn into contact with thetang 316 to provide a seal. Also, upon rotation of thedisk 300 having one ormore blades 310, angular momentum of theseal plate 326 causes aflat portion 344 of theleg 333 to move slightly radially outward and contact a correspondingflat surface 346 of thetang 316. This contact provides an additional sealing region. - As previously discussed, a sealing arrangement is required for blades which receive a supply of cooling fluid. While embodiments of this invention can be applied to a variety of blades and disk designs, including newly manufactured components, one particular embodiment in which this invention is applicable is with respect to a method of modifying an existing turbine disk having regions of excessive stress in an attachment area between a blade and the disk. For clarity purposes, the same figures will be used in describing this embodiment of the present invention that is directed towards modifying a turbine disk, as have been previously referenced.
- As previously discussed, the
turbine disk 300 has a plurality ofblade slots 306 for receiving blades along its outercircumferential surface 302. However, this disk also contains a tangential cooling cavity 350 (seeFIG. 3 ). The intersection of thecooling cavity 350 andblade slots 306, when combined with the radial pull associated withrotating blades 310, can create excessive stress concentrations at these intersections. If not alleviated, the stress concentrations can exceed the allowable stress levels for a particular material and operating temperature resulting in failure of the disk. - An alternate embodiment of the present invention applies the seal plate arrangement previously discussed to a modified blade disk, when the structure of the
cooling cavity 350 adjacent to known high stress regions has been modified. Referring back toFIG. 3 , a dashedline 352 indicates where a section of the disk, identified as 354, is to be removed. An elliptical cut is made to reduce any remaining stress concentrations in thedisk 300. Theblades 310 for that stage of the engine are also machined to place aflat surface 346 on thetang 316. Then, a through hole is drilled into thetang 316 of theblade 310. - Once modifications have been made to the
disk 300 andblade 310, theblade 310 is then placed into theblade slot 306 of the now modifieddisk 300 and aseal plate 326 is slid at least partially around thetang 316 and into aseal slot 322 of thedisk 300. Referring toFIG. 7 , theseal plate 326 is placed adjacent to theblade 310 and thedisk 300 such that thefirst member 328, which has a throughhole 336, is placed adjacent to afirst side 316A of thetang 316 while thesecond member 332, which has a threadedhole 338, is placed adjacent to asecond side 316B of thetang 316. Thesecond member 332 is placed into theseal slot 322 such that the throughholes flat surface 346 of thetang 316 may also contact theflat surface 344 of theseal plate 326. - Once the
seal plate 326 is positioned around thetang 316, a threadedfastener 340 is placed through the throughhole 336 in theseal plate 326 and through the throughhole 324 in thetang 316 such that thefastener 340 engages the threadedhole 338 in thesecond member 332 of theseal plate 326. Thefastener 340 is then secured to thefirst member 328 by a means such as tack welding so as to prevent thefastener 340 from backing out and coming loose during engine operation. - Although this
seal plate 326 has been described in use with a particular modification to ablade disk 300, as shown inFIG. 3 , similar modifications can be applied to a variety of disk configurations. Also, theseal plate 326 can take on a variety of configurations. One such alternate embodiment of the seal plate is depicted inFIG. 6 . For clarity purposes, similar numerical identifiers are used inFIG. 6 to denote similar features of other embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, theseal plate 626 extends circumferentially across a plurality ofblades 610. In this embodiment, theseal plate 626 extends across threeblades 610, but this alternate embodiment is not limited to spanning only threeblades 610. Theseal plate 626 can span a larger or smaller quantity ofblades 610 and can use asingle fastener 640, as depicted inFIG. 6 , or multiple fasteners. - Depending on the blade construction, the seal plate geometry can vary to include additional members similar to
members members leg 333 will also vary. Furthermore, depending on the blade and disk configuration, it is possible that more than oneseal plate 326 will be required. For example,multiple seal plates 326 can be used, with one at a forward end of a blade/disk assembly and another at an aft end of the blade/disk assembly. - While the
seal plate 326 andfastener 340 have been described with respect to a threaded engagement, this is but one type of coupling. Alternate forms of fastening theseal plate 326 and theblade tang 316 together are envisioned as such, slight modifications to theseal plate 326 and/orblade tang 316 may be required. For example, depending on the fastener type, thehole 338 may not be threaded, but instead may be a through hole or a tapered hole so as to engage an alternate form of thefastener 340. - Although the present invention has been described in terms of a threaded fastener, the
fastener 340 is not limited to this configuration. In fact, alternate sealing arrangements between theseal plate 326 and theblade tang 316 can be utilized, such as a snap fit or trapping theseal plate 326 between thetang 316 and thedisk 310. Furthermore, thesecond member 332 may not have ahole 338. In this embodiment, a fastener can pass through the first member and the tang and contact thesecond member 332 - An alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown in
FIGS. 11-16 . Referring initially toFIGS. 11-13 , a first alternate embodiment of aseal plate 1100 is depicted. In this first alternate embodiment, aseal plate 1100 for minimizing a cooling fluid leakage between a portion of adisk 1102 and one ormore blades 1104 is shown. Theseal plate 1100 comprises a circumferentially extendingbase member 1106, a firstvertical member 1108 that extends radially outward from an end of the circumferentially extendingbase member 1106. A secondvertical member 1110 extends radially outward from the firstvertical member 1108. The first and second vertical members are connected by anaxial member 1112. - The circumferentially-extending
member 1106 also includes anangled surface 1114 that mates to anangled surface 1116 of theblade tang 1118. During operation, as theblade 1104 rotates, theblade 1104 moves slightly radially outward away, from thedisk 1102 due to the circumferential pull created by the blade weight and rotation. However, theblade 1102 is fixed in place radially by an attachment (not shown). Thecoverplate 1100, is secured to ablade tang 1118 by one ormore pins 1120 that pass through respective openings in thecoverplate 1100 andtang 1118. This securing means permits thecoverplate 1100 to move slightly radially outward such that theangled surface 1114 of the coverplate comes into and maintains a line-on-line contact with theblade tang 1118. - Referring now to
FIGS. 14-16 , yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown. The features of this alternate embodiment are similar to those described inFIGS. 11-13 and carry similar identifiers where common, and as such, only new and/or different features of this embodiment are described in more detail below. - In this alternate embodiment, the second
vertical member 1110 further comprises aslot 1122 that contains a generally circumferentially-extendingseal 1124 that has a circular cross section, such as a wire seal. Theslot 1122 is formed from material removed or void from the radially outer portion of the secondvertical member 1110. The circumferentially-extendingseal 1124 extends the circumference of thedisk 1102 to provide a supplemental seal to theangled surfaces - The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its scope.
- From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages which are obvious and inherent to the system and method. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and within the scope of the claims.
Claims (26)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/330,755 US20090148298A1 (en) | 2007-12-10 | 2008-12-09 | Blade disk seal |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US1247507P | 2007-12-10 | 2007-12-10 | |
US12/330,755 US20090148298A1 (en) | 2007-12-10 | 2008-12-09 | Blade disk seal |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20090148298A1 true US20090148298A1 (en) | 2009-06-11 |
Family
ID=40721865
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/330,755 Abandoned US20090148298A1 (en) | 2007-12-10 | 2008-12-09 | Blade disk seal |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20090148298A1 (en) |
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CN102128056A (en) * | 2010-01-19 | 2011-07-20 | 通用电气公司 | Seal plate and bucket retention pin assembly |
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US20120039719A1 (en) * | 2009-02-17 | 2012-02-16 | Guido Ahaus | Rotor section for a rotor of a turbomachine, and rotor blade for a turbomachine |
CN103075201A (en) * | 2011-10-26 | 2013-05-01 | 通用电气公司 | Turbine cover plate assembly |
US20140161590A1 (en) * | 2011-05-02 | 2014-06-12 | MTU Aero Engines AG | Cover device, integrally bladed main rotor body, method and turbomachine |
US20170191371A1 (en) * | 2014-04-15 | 2017-07-06 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Wheel disc with at least one sealing plate |
DE102016208759A1 (en) * | 2016-05-20 | 2017-11-23 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Rotor disc with front-side sealing element |
DE102017203380A1 (en) | 2017-03-02 | 2018-09-06 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Load-receiving element with a hook-shaped design |
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US20190032501A1 (en) * | 2017-07-31 | 2019-01-31 | United Technologies Corporation | Removably attached air seal for rotational equipment |
US10196916B2 (en) | 2016-04-08 | 2019-02-05 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Rotor disk having an end-side sealing element |
US20220290574A1 (en) * | 2021-03-09 | 2022-09-15 | Raytheon Technologies Corporation | Scalloped mateface seal arrangement for cmc platforms |
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US20120128504A1 (en) * | 2009-02-17 | 2012-05-24 | Guido Ahaus | Rotor section for a rotor of a turbomachine, and rotor blade for a turbomachine |
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US8602737B2 (en) * | 2010-06-25 | 2013-12-10 | General Electric Company | Sealing device |
JP2012007606A (en) * | 2010-06-25 | 2012-01-12 | General Electric Co <Ge> | Sealing device |
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CN102296993A (en) * | 2010-06-25 | 2011-12-28 | 通用电气公司 | Sealing device |
US20140161590A1 (en) * | 2011-05-02 | 2014-06-12 | MTU Aero Engines AG | Cover device, integrally bladed main rotor body, method and turbomachine |
US20130108462A1 (en) * | 2011-10-26 | 2013-05-02 | General Electric Company | Turbine Cover Plate Assembly |
CN103075201A (en) * | 2011-10-26 | 2013-05-01 | 通用电气公司 | Turbine cover plate assembly |
US9217334B2 (en) * | 2011-10-26 | 2015-12-22 | General Electric Company | Turbine cover plate assembly |
US20170191371A1 (en) * | 2014-04-15 | 2017-07-06 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Wheel disc with at least one sealing plate |
US10196916B2 (en) | 2016-04-08 | 2019-02-05 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Rotor disk having an end-side sealing element |
DE102016208759A1 (en) * | 2016-05-20 | 2017-11-23 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Rotor disc with front-side sealing element |
DE102017203380A1 (en) | 2017-03-02 | 2018-09-06 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Load-receiving element with a hook-shaped design |
KR101919228B1 (en) * | 2017-03-16 | 2018-11-15 | 두산중공업 주식회사 | Apparatus for axial locking of bucket and bucket assembly and gas turbine having the same |
US10934864B2 (en) | 2017-03-16 | 2021-03-02 | DOOSAN Heavy Industries Construction Co., LTD | Apparatus for axial locking of bucket and bucket assembly and gas turbine having the same |
US20190032501A1 (en) * | 2017-07-31 | 2019-01-31 | United Technologies Corporation | Removably attached air seal for rotational equipment |
US20220290574A1 (en) * | 2021-03-09 | 2022-09-15 | Raytheon Technologies Corporation | Scalloped mateface seal arrangement for cmc platforms |
US11781440B2 (en) * | 2021-03-09 | 2023-10-10 | Rtx Corporation | Scalloped mateface seal arrangement for CMC platforms |
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