United Technologies Corporation

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Herbert L Burchette

Lee E Hansen

John L Mayers

Kevin L Worley

Glen A Nawrocki

James C West

A shroud for supporting the vanes in the hot sections of a gas turbine engine is comprised of composite segments retained in a metal ring. The metal ring has a positive coefficient of expansion, while the segments have a zero (or much smaller) coefficient. When the ring is heated and grows, it carries the segments with it, so that there is an apparent corresponding growth of the segments.

Segmented composite inner shrouds

A split casing (10) of low, coefficient of expansion material, has internal upstream facing slots (12). A semicircular shroud ring (16), of high coefficient of expansion material, carries the vanes (18), and has a tongue (20) sliding within casing slot (12). Casing stop lugs (14) and shroud stop lugs (22) have mutually abuttable surfaces (70,72) to antirotate the shroud within the casing. The distance between abuttable surfaces of the casing is greater than the distance between abuttable surfaces of the shroud ring at room temperature, but the distance are the same at the long time operating temperature.

Axial compressor stator construction

A connection or attachment joint between two coaxial cylindrical members having substantially different thermal coefficients of expansion. Each cylindrical member has an outstanding flange at its mating end with the end portions of the cylindrical members being separated by an annular resilient strain pad to evenly absorb radial growth between the cylinders and the flanges being held together in a manner to permit one flange to slide over the other flange as a result of thermal expansions and contractions. A torque transfer arrangement is provided to control relative rotation between the cylindrical members.

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West Palm Beach, FL, United States of America

Herbert L Burchette