United Technologies Corporation

Gary F Chaplin

Frederick M Schwarz

James G Griffin

Francis L DeTolla

Michael A Weisse

Walter J Baran, Jr

Keith S Brewer

Vincent P Laurello

Robert R Kalogeros

John L Pannone

Arthur W Lucas, Jr

David R Olsen

The present invention relates to a thermally compliant liner for a gas turbine engine. The liner includes an outer wall, an inner wall spaced radially inwardly from the outer wall leaving a duct therebetween. A plurality of stiffeners are disposed in the duct. The stiffeners include a flexible medial portion which accommodates differential rates of thermal growth between the outer and inner walls. The stiffeners also include radially extending portions which in conjunction with the medial portion, minimize buckling of the liner due to pressure differentials.

Thermally compliant liner

A stator vane assembly 30 for a rotary machine is disclosed. The stator vane assembly includes an array of stator vanes 44 and an inner air seal 46. Various construction details which damp vibrational stresses in the vanes are developed. In one embodiment, the stator vanes slidably engage the inner air seal. The inner air seal is urged radially into sliding contact with the vanes at the inner ends 52 of the vanes by a resilient device such as a radial spring member 70. In one detailed embodiment, the stator vane has at least two airfoils 55b,c which are circumferentially spaced at their inner ends leaving a circumferential gap therebetween.

Stator vane asssembly for an axial flow rotary machine

A stator assembly 28 for a gas turbine engine 10 is disclosed. The stator assembly includes an inner stator structure 54 and an outer stator structure 52. A plurality of tensioned members 50 extend radially between the structures to stiffen the structures against deflection and to restrain the structures against relative movement. In one embodiment, the inner stator structure is an engine casing 54, the outer stator structure 42 is a fan casing, and the radially extending members are a plurality of guide vanes 50.

Annular stator structure for a rotary machine

The cover plates defining windage covers adjacent the broached rim of the turbine disk has the dual function of insulating the disk rim by defining a gap between the rim and turbine blades for receiving cooler air and insulating the disk from the gas path resulting in a cooler disk.

Turbine cover-seal assembly

A stator seal land and supporting structure suitable for use in an axial flow rotary machine is disclosed. Included are concepts for matching the thermal response of the seal land to the rotor assembly and for inhibiting rolling or twisting of the seal land under changing thermal conditions. The seal land is free to expand and contract in diameter independently of the supporting stator structure.

Stator seal land structure

A stage of circumferentially disposed turbine stator vane clusters and arcuate, circumferentially disposed segments of a rotor outer air seal disposed on one side of the stator stage is secured to an annular attachment ring which is integral with a surrounding turbine case. The outer seal segments are trapped axially between stator vane clusters and the radially inner ends of arcuate support segments, and are also radially supported thereby. The radially inner ends of the support segments are trapped axially between the stator vane clusters and the annular attachment ring, and are also supported radially thereby. This boltless attachment reduces the number of parts while providing strong radially support and accurate radial location for the seal segments.

Stator vane support assembly

Apparatus for confining cooling air to a flowpath between an outer case and adjacent structure is disclosed. Various construction details which enable the means to sealingly engage the adjacent structure to block the leakage of cooling air and to accommodate changes in diameter are discussed. The means has dual walls which are segmented.

Dual wall seal means

A flanged joint 20 having a seal ring 38 is disclosed. The flanged joint includes two cylindrical case structures 24,26. The seal ring is disposed in a groove 40 formed between two outwardly convergent sidewalls 32,34. The seal ring has a wedge-shaped cross section 48 and may operate with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the adjacent case structure or at a higher temperature than the adjacent case structure.

Wedge-shaped seal for flanged joints

A seal means for confining cooling air to a cooling air flowpath extending between a case structure and a flowpath for hot working medium gases in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which enable the seal means to block the leakage of cooling air into the working medium flowpath are discussed. The seal means has a center section which expands axially in response to the temperature of the working medium gases to develop a sealing force.

Seal means for a gas turbine engine

A seal member for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which ensure an adequate fatigue life and increase the sealing effectiveness of the member during engine operation are developed. A metal diaphragm extends from a nonrotating structure inwardly of the engine flow path to engage the stator vanes at engine operating temperature.

Temperature actuated turbine seal

A seal member for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which increase sealing effectiveness and which enable the damping of vibrations in a plurality of vanes are developed. The seal member is disposed between the engine case and a plurality of stator vanes. The seal member has a flexible center section which is compressed in the installed position.

Turbine seal and vane damper

A support structure for an outer air seal of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which improve the sealing effectiveness of the outer air seal are developed. The outer air seal is held in close proximity to the rotor blades by the circumferentially adjacent support segments.

Outer air seal support structure for gas turbine engine

Apparatus for reducing the leakage of working medium gases between the rotor and stator assemblies of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Concepts for maintaining concentric correspondence between a stator outer air seal of a gas turbine engine and the arc circumscribed by blades of the rotor assembly are discussed. Techniques for uniformly distributing the cooling air about the inner circumference of the case to control thermal distortions of the case and techniques for sealing the working medium flow are employed in one embodiment.

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Vernon, CT, United States of America

Gary F Chaplin