General Electric Company

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Edward Charles Vickers

Jason David Shapiro

Donald Brett Desander

Peter W Mueller

George Eric Moertle

James S Kelm

Clifford Stephen Creevy

Scott Brensike

Jan Christopher Schilling

Kevin Weston McMahan

Thomas G Wakeman

Jack Rogers Taylor

Harvey M Maclin

Edward Atwood Rainous

Jesse J Williams

William E Cody

Gregory P Maue

Daniel J Barber

Sharon L Yee

Flow path assemblies for gas turbine engines are provided. For example, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall; a unitary outer wall; and a plurality of nozzle airfoils having an inner end radially opposite an outer end. The unitary outer wall defines a plurality of outer pockets each configured for receipt of the outer end of one of the nozzle airfoils, and the inner wall includes defines a plurality of inner pockets each configured for receipt of the inner end of one of the plurality of nozzle airfoils. A portion of each inner pocket is defined by a forward inner wall segment and an aft inner wall segment. In another embodiment, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall defining a plurality of bayonet slots that each receive a bayonet included with each of a plurality of nozzle airfoils that are integral with a unitary outer wall.

Methods and assemblies for attaching airfoils within a flow path

A fuel nozzle including a nozzle stem having an annular overhang and a heat shield secured to the overhang is described. More specifically, and in one embodiment, the nozzle stem includes an upstream end and a downstream end. The annular overhang is intermediate to the upstream end and the downstream end of the stem. The heat shield includes a first end and a second end, and the heat shield is welded to the annular overhang at the heat shield first end. An annular air gap is between the nozzle stem and the heat shield.

Methods for shielding heat from a fuel nozzle stem of a fuel nozzle

A retainer which, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, is used in a gas turbine engine inter-stage seal assembly to retain an annular seal ring flange of a seal ring against an annular platform flange extending radially inwardly from an inner platform of an annular nozzle stage having nozzle vanes. The retainer includes a body having a central portion through which a bore is formed around a bore axis and a central tab extends radially outwardly from the central portion with respect to the bore axis. First and second arms, respectively, extend in opposite respective first and second tangential directions, with respect to the bore axis, away from the central portion and each other. Axial spacers extend aftwardly from first and second free ends of the first and second arms, respectively and anti-rotation feet with rounded ends depend from the first and second free ends in an opposite direction from which the central tab extends. A pedestal assembly extends aft from the central portion and is located aft of the central tab. In the exemplary embodiment, the pedestal assembly has a semi-annular cylindrical inner surface circumscribed around the bore axis and a semi-annular cylindrical outer surface wherein the semi-annular cylindrical outer surface extends between generally parallel spaced apart radially inner and outer flats, respectively with respect to the bore axis, and the radially inner flats are coplanar and the radially outer flats are coplanar. Chamfers are formed along the radially inner and outer flats, respectively. The retainer is an integrally cast unit including the body, the central portion, the central tab, the first and second arms, the axial spacers, the anti-rotation feet, and the pedestal assembly.

Inter-stage seal retainer and assembly

Methods and apparatus for shielding heat from a fuel nozzle stem of fuel

A dome assembly for a multiple annular combustor is disclosed as including an annular dome plate having at least two radial domes, wherein each of the radial domes include a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein. A heat shield is positioned within each of the openings, with a threaded forward end located upstream of the dome plate and an aft end located downstream of the dome plate. A retainer nut with threads formed on an annular surface thereof is matingly engagable with the forward end of each heat shield. When the retainer nut is tightened onto the heat shield forward end, the heat shield is mechanically attached to the dome plate. Preferably, at least one centerbody extends axially downstream from either the radially outer or inner side of the aft end. The dome assembly includes a ferrule within each of the dome plate openings for receiving an air/fuel mixer therein, the ferrule having an annular sealing flange extending radially therefrom. A retaining ring is positioned upstream of the heat shield forward end to produce a gap therebetween. The ferrule sealing flange is positioned within the gap to prevent air from flowing between the heat shield and the air/fuel mixer.

Dome assembly for a multiple annular combustor

Means for axially attaching a variable turbine vane array to a combustor in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The attachment means are configured so that substantially all of the axial load on the array is transmitted through the walls of the combustor.

Variable turbine vane support

A swirler for a gas turbine engine combustor is disclosed for simultaneously controlling combustor flow rate, swirl angle, residence time and fuel-air ratio to provide three regimes of operation. A first regime is provided in which fuel-air ratio is less than stoichiometric, NOx is produced at one level, and combustor flow rate is high. In a second regime, fuel-air ratio is nearly stoichiometric, NOx production is less than that of the first regime, and combustor flow rate is low. In a third regime, used for example at lightoff, fuel-air ratio is greater than stoichiometric and the combustor flow rate is less than in either of the other regimes.

Flow modifying device

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Edward Charles Vickers