Siemens Energy, Inc.

Brian J Wessell

George P Liang

Allister William James

John Joseph Marra

Paul J Gear

Christian X Campbell

Daniel M Eshak

Zhihong Gao

Joseph B Gilliam

Jay Alan Morrison

Anand A Kulkarni

David James Wiebe

Alexander Ralph Beeck

Todd A Ebert

Jan H Marsh

Walter Marussich

Raymond G Snider

Christian X Campbell, Jr

A vane assembly () having: an airfoil () and a shroud () held together without metallurgical bonding there between; a channel () disposed circumferentially about the airfoil (), between the airfoil () and the shroud (); and a seal () disposed in the channel (), wherein during operation of a turbine engine having the vane assembly () the seal () has a sufficient ductility such that a force generated on the seal () resulting from relative movement of the airfoil () and the shroud () is sufficient to plastically deform the seal ().

Ductile alloys for sealing modular component interfaces

Bi-casting a platform () onto an end portion () of a turbine airfoil () after forming a coating of a fugitive material () on the end portion. After bi-casting the platform, the coating is dissolved and removed to relieve differential thermal shrinkage stress between the airfoil and platform. The thickness of the coating is varied around the end portion in proportion to varying amounts of local differential process shrinkage. The coating may be sprayed (A,B) onto the end portion in opposite directions parallel to a chord line () of the airfoil or parallel to a mid-platform length () of the platform to form respective layers tapering in thickness from the leading () and trailing () edges along the suction side () of the airfoil.

Turbine airfoil to shroud attachment method

A vane structure for a gas turbine engine. The vane structure includes a radially outer platform and a radially inner platform, and an airfoil having an outer wall extending radially between the outer platform and the inner platform. A cooling passage is defined within the outer wall and has a plurality of radially extending channels. An outer end turn structure is located at the outer platform to conduct cooling fluid in a chordal direction between at least two of the channels. The outer end turn structure includes an enlarged portion wherein the enlarged portion is defined by an enlarged dimension, in a direction transverse to the chordal direction, between the at least two channels.

Gas turbine vane with cooling channel end turn structure

A turbine airfoil () with an end portion () that tapers () toward the end () of the airfoil. A ridge () extends around the end portion. It has proximal () and distal () sides. A shroud platform () is bi-cast onto the end portion around the ridge without bonding. Cooling shrinks the platform into compression () on the end portion () of the airfoil. Gaps between the airfoil and platform are formed using a fugitive material () in the bi-casting stage. These gaps are designed in combination with the taper angle () to accommodate differential thermal expansion while maintaining a gas seal along the contact surfaces. The taper angle () may vary from lesser on the pressure side () to greater on the suction side () of the airfoil. A collar portion () of the platform provides sufficient contact area for connection stability.

Turbine airfoil to shround attachment

A sealing apparatus in a gas turbine. The sealing apparatus includes a seal housing apparatus coupled to a disc/rotor assembly so as to be rotatable therewith during operation of the gas turbine. The seal housing apparatus comprises a base member, a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and spanning structure. The base member extends generally axially between forward and aft rows of rotatable blades and is positioned adjacent to a row of stationary vanes. The first leg portion extends radially inwardly from the base member and is coupled to the disc/rotor assembly. The second leg portion is axially spaced from the first leg portion, extends radially inwardly from the base member, and is coupled to the disc/rotor assembly. The spanning structure extends between and is rigidly coupled to each of the base member, the first leg portion, and the second leg portion.

Gas turbine sealing apparatus

A cooling system for a turbine airfoil of a turbine engine having a trailing edge cooling region formed from endwall cooling channels having a higher density of cooling channels than other areas in order to cool the material forming the intersection between the trailing edge of the airfoil and the endwall to prevent premature cracking. The increased density of cooling channels in the endwall at the trailing edge forms a heat sink that draws heat from the airfoil, thereby lowering the temperature of the airfoil and increasing the useful life of the airfoil.

Turbine airfoil cooling system with high density section of endwall cooling channels

A gas turbine includes forward and aft rows of rotatable blades, a row of stationary vanes between the forward and aft rows of rotatable blades, an annular intermediate disc, and a seal housing apparatus. The forward and aft rows of rotatable blades are coupled to respective first and second portions of a disc/rotor assembly. The annular intermediate disc is coupled to the disc/rotor assembly so as to be rotatable with the disc/rotor assembly during operation of the gas turbine. The annular intermediate disc includes a forward side coupled to the first portion of the disc/rotor assembly and an aft side coupled to the second portion of the disc/rotor assembly. The seal housing apparatus is coupled to the annular intermediate disc so as to be rotatable with the annular intermediate disc and the disc/rotor assembly during operation of the gas turbine.

A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine including an endwall and an airfoil extending from the endwall. An inner rail extends radially inwardly of the endwall, and an overhang portion extends axially from a location of the inner rail to a downstream edge. A recess cavity is defined in the overhang portion between the inner rail and the downstream edge. The recess cavity extends radially into the overhang portion and defines a cavity surface. A plurality of grooves extend radially into the cavity surface and have an elongated dimension extending in a direction from the inner rail toward the downstream edge. A plurality of cooling passages extend axially through the overhang portion, and are located between the grooves.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Brian J Wessell