General Electric Company

David John Humanchuk

Daniel David Snook

Edward Durell Benjamin

Robert Walter Coign

Gunnar Leif Siden

Peter Paul Pirolla

Ariel K Harter

Matthew Troy Hafner

Steven Robert Brassfield

Gregory Thomas Foster

Robert Alan Brittingham

Craig Allen Bielek

Thomas William Vandeputte

Paul Stuart Wilson

Mark Edward Stegemiller

Andrew Charles Powis

James Tyson Balkcum, Iii

Wilson Frost

Curtis John Jacks

Liming Xu

Kevin Lee Worley

James Bernard Fehlberg

Andrew Jones, Jr

Majid Ahmadi

Leslie Tucker

Nicholas Moretto

Richard Edward Delehanty

A retention pin for fastening retaining lugs of an outer sidewall, of a turbine nozzle, within a groove between a forward land and an aft land of a retaining ring. The retention pins fit through coaxial holes in the lug and the lands, securing the radial and circumferential location of the nozzles as well as allowing transitional motion. While maintaining limited contact with both the nozzles and the retaining ring they significantly reduce conductive heat transfer from the nozzle to the retaining ring. By positioning the nozzles, they also set the desired nozzle throat areas for targeted turbine performance. The pins have been designed such that the nozzle cannot disengage within the assembly due to the pin backing out of its nominal axial position, and the pin will not fail due to low cycle fatigue, creep, or yielding, all of which prevent nozzle fallout.

Fully contained retention pin for a turbine nozzle

Gas turbine systems having flexible chordal hinge seals are provided. According to an embodiment, a turbine system comprises: a nozzle segment comprising a stator vane extending between an inner band segment and an outer band segment; an inner support ring adjacent to the inner band segment; and an inner chordal hinge seal in operable communication with the nozzle segment, the inner chordal hinge seal comprising a flexible inner rail extending inwardly from the inner band segment, the inner rail having a projection for sealingly engaging the inner support ring.

Gas turbines having flexible chordal hinge seals

An article of manufacture includes an object having an airfoil core shape. The airfoil core shape has a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z set forth in TABLE 1 where 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 are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil core shape.

Airfoil core shape for a turbine nozzle

An outer sidewall retention scheme for a singlet first stage nozzle of a gas turbine. The retention scheme includes a circumferential retaining ring with a main body and a pair of circumferential retaining lands projecting inward radially. A circumferential annular retaining groove is formed between the pair of circumferential retaining lands. A first lug and a second lug mounted on an outer face of the outer sidewall of each nozzle are adapted to fit within the circumferential annular retaining groove of the retaining ring and are supported radially and circumferentially by a first retaining pin and a second retaining pin, each pin passing though the circumferential retaining lands. Each nozzle further includes a chordal hinge rail and seal on the outer sidewall and a chordal hinge rail and seal on the inner sidewall providing axial support for the nozzle.

Outer sidewall retention scheme for a singlet first stage nozzle

An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth TABLE I. The X and Y values are distances in inches, which when connected by smooth continuing arcs define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the nozzle. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of +0.130 inch to &#x2212;0.030 inch.

Airfoil shape for a turbine nozzle

A mechanical arrangement for protection against catastrophic nozzle failures includes a turbine nozzle segment including an inner platform rail, a turbine nozzle inner support ring in part in axial registration with the rail on one side, an inner retainer segment secured to the inner support ring and in part in axially spaced registration relative to the rail on an axial side of the rail opposite from the support ring, a first inclined conical surface on the inner retainer segment, and a second inclined conical surface on the inner platform rail of the turbine nozzle, the second inclined conical surface opposing the first inclined conical surface, so as to bind the inner platform rail to the turbine nozzle between the inner retainer segment and the inner support ring, resulting in a wedge lock that prevents the inner platform from being lost downstream into rotating hardware of the turbine.

Mechanical solution for rail retention of turbine nozzles

Arcuate seal layers conforming with one another are disposed between inner retainer segments and inner rails of nozzle segments of a gas turbine. The layers are secured to the aft axial face of the segments and project radially outwardly to seal against the forward axial faces of the rails. The rear axial faces of the rails have chordal seals for sealing against the forward axial faces of the support rings. The seal layers have radial cuts misaligned with one another in an axial direction to preclude leakage flows through gaps formed by the cuts. Arcuate spacers are staggered circumferentially with the arcuate retainer segments whereby an intermediate pressure plenum is formed between the finger seals and chordal seals.

System for sealing an inner retainer segment and support ring in a gas turbine and methods therefor

First stage nozzle airfoils have internal core profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table I wherein X, Y and Z values are in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define internal core profile sections at each radial distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete internal core profile. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down internal core profile. The nominal internal core profile given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of &#xb1;0.030 inches in directions normal to any internal core surface location.

Internal core profile for a turbine nozzle airfoil

The second stage nozzle has an airfoil profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z and Z is a non-dimensional value from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values of Table I by a height of the airfoil in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape. The X and Y distances may be scalable to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil for the nozzle. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of &plusmn;0.100 inches.

The second stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z value is non-dimensional along the bucket centerline coincident with a turbine radius and convertible to a Z distance in inches from the turbine axis by multiplying the Z value by the height of the airfoil and adding the root radius to the result. The X and Y distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelop of &plusmn;0.160 inches.

Second stage turbine bucket airfoil

The second-stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in inches in Table I wherein Z is a perpendicular distance from a plane normal to a radius of the turbine centerline and containing the X and Y values with the Z value commencing at zero in the X, Y plane at the radially innermost aerodynamic section of the airfoil and X and Y are coordinate values defining the airfoil profile at each distance Z. The X, Y and Z values may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil section for the bucket.

Second-stage turbine bucket airfoil

The fourth-stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in inches in Table I wherein Z is a perpendicular distance from a plane normal to a radius of the turbine centerline and containing the X and Y values with the Z value commencing at zero in the X, Y plane at the radially innermost aerodynamic section of the airfoil and X and Y are coordinate values defining the airfoil profile at each distance Z. The X, Y and Z values may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil section for the bucket.

Fourth-stage turbine bucket airfoil

The third-stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in inches in Table I wherein Z is a perpendicular distance from a plane normal to a radius of the turbine centerline and containing the X and Y values with the Z value commencing at zero in the X, Y plane at the radially innermost aerodynamic section of the airfoil and X and Y are coordinates defining the airfoil profile at each distance Z. The X, Y and Z values may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil section for the bucket.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

David John Humanchuk