General Electric Company

Jonathan David Baldiga

Brandon ALlanson Reynolds

Jason David Shapiro

Darrell Glenn Senile

Mark Eugene Noe

Daniel Patrick Kerns

Michael Ray Tuertscher

Aaron Michael Dziech

Brett Joseph Geiser

Brandon Allanson Reynolds

Joshua Tyler Mook

Victor Hugo Silva Correia

Shawn Michael Pearson

Andrew Scott Bilse

Brandon ALIanson Reynolds

David Scott Stapleton

Tyler Frederick Hooper

Michael Todd Radwanski

Dylan James Fitzpatrick

Jordan Tesorero

Christopher Paul Tura

Ernesto Andres Vallejo Ruiz

Megan Lynn Williams

Michael Elia Hayek

David W Bogdan

Antonio C Gominho

Meghan Mary Lenihan

Orin J Hall

James Daniel Longhurst

Brandon Alianson Reynolds

Accelerators, methods of manufacturing accelerators, and gas turbine engines are provided. For example, an accelerator for a gas turbine engine defines a radial direction and an axial direction and comprises an annular outer wall, an annular inner wall, an annular channel defined between the outer and inner walls, and a plurality of vanes disposed within the channel. The channel has an inlet for ingress of a cooling fluid and an outlet for egress of the cooling fluid. Each vane extends from the outer wall to the inner wall adjacent the outlet, which is angled such that an exit angle of the cooling fluid is nonzero with respect to both the radial and axial directions. The accelerator may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing method. The accelerator outlet may be disposed immediately upstream of a first turbine rotor blade stage of a gas turbine engine to direct the cooling fluid thereto.

Compound angle accelerator

A shroud assembly including a shroud support and an annular shroud is provided. The shroud assembly includes one or more pins for securing the annular shroud to the shroud support. The pins having a block capable of translating radially to allowing the shroud to expand and contract in the radial direction. A gas turbine engine having a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section and a shroud assembly is also provided. The shroud assembly includes one or more pins for securing the continuous shroud to the shroud support. The pins having a block capable of translating radially to allowing the shroud to expand and contract in the radial direction. Methods for assembling a shroud assembly structure in a gas turbine engine are also provided.

Annular shroud assembly

Flow path assemblies having features for positioning the assemblies within a gas turbine engine are provided. For example, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall and a unitary outer wall that includes an integral combustion portion and turbine portion, the combustor portion extending through a combustion section of the gas turbine engine and the turbine portion extending through at least a first turbine stage of a turbine section of the gas turbine engine. The flow path assembly further comprises at least two positioning members for radially centering the flow path assembly within the gas turbine engine. The positioning members extend to the flow path assembly from one or more structures external to the flow path assembly, constrain the flow path assembly tangentially, and allow radial and axial movement of the flow path assembly. Other embodiments for positioning flow path assemblies also are provided.

Methods and features for positioning a flow path assembly within a gas turbine engine

Flow path assemblies and methods for assembling a flow path assembly of a gas turbine engine are provided. For example, a flow path assembly comprises a unitary outer wall including combustor and turbine portions that are integrally formed as a single unitary structure; a single piece, generally annular inner band; and a plurality of nozzle airfoils extending from the unitary outer wall to the inner band. Each nozzle airfoil interfaces with the inner band to position the inner band within the assembly. An exemplary assembly method comprises inserting an inner band into a flow path having a unitary outer wall as its outer boundary; inserting a plurality of nozzle airfoils into the flow path; and securing the nozzle airfoils with respect to the unitary outer wall. The inner band interfaces with an inner end of each nozzle airfoil to radially locate the inner band within the flow path.

Methods and features for positioning a flow path inner boundary within a flow path assembly

Example apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to control deflection mismatch are disclosed herein. Further examples and combinations thereof include: A deflection limiter comprising an inner shroud segment to support a stator structure, the inner shroud segment including a first end face and a first outer upper portion, the first end face positioned radially inward and aft relative to the first outer upper portion, and an outer shroud segment to support the inner shroud segment, the outer shroud segment including a second end face and a second outer upper portion, the second end face positioned aft relative to the first end face and the second outer upper portion positioned aft relative to the first outer upper portion of the inner shroud segment, the second end face coupled to the first end face of the inner shroud segment and the second outer upper portion coupled to the first outer upper portion.

Systems and apparatus to control deflection mismatch between static and rotating structures

Flow path assemblies of gas turbine engines are provided. For example, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall and a unitary outer wall that includes a combustor portion extending through a combustion section of the gas turbine engine and a turbine portion extending through at least a first turbine stage of a turbine section of the gas turbine engine. The combustor portion and the turbine portion are integrally formed as a single unitary structure. The flow path assembly further comprises a plurality of nozzle airfoils, each nozzle airfoil having an inner end radially opposite an outer end. The inner wall or the unitary outer wall defines a plurality of openings therethrough, and each opening is configured for receipt of one of the plurality of nozzle airfoils. Methods of assembling flow path assemblies also are provided.

Flow path assembly with airfoils inserted through flow path boundary

Gas turbine engines, as well as outer walls and flow path assemblies of gas turbine engines, are provided. For example, an outer wall of a flow path comprises a combustor portion extending through a combustion section, and a turbine portion extending through at least a first turbine stage of a turbine section. The combustor and turbine portions are integrally formed as a single unitary structure that defines an outer boundary of the flow path. As another example, a flow path assembly comprises a combustor dome positioned a forward end of a combustor; an outer wall extending from the combustor dome through at least a first turbine stage; and an inner wall extending from the combustor dome through at least a combustion section. The combustor dome extends radially from the outer wall to the inner wall and is integrally formed with the outer and inner walls as a single unitary structure.

Unitary flow path structure

A shroud hanger assembly or shroud assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine wherein a hanger includes a radially depending and axially extending arm. The arm or retainer engages a pocket formed in a shroud so as to retain the shroud in a desired position relative to the hanger. An aft retaining structure is provided on the hanger and provides a seat for a seal structure which biases the retainer so that the arm of the hanger maintains engagement in the shroud pocket. A baffle may be utilized at the hanger to cool at least some portion of the shroud.

Shroud hanger assembly

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine sealing assembly that includes a first static gas turbine wall and a second static gas turbine wall. A seal is disposed between the first static gas turbine wall and the second static gas turbine wall. The seal includes a shield wall constructed from a first material that includes a first shield wall portion and a second shield wall portion. A spring constructed from a second material includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion. The first shield wall portion is adjacent to the first spring portion, and the second shield wall portion is adjacent to the second spring portion.

Advanced stationary sealing concepts for axial retention of ceramic matrix composite shrouds

A compliant seal component, a turbomachine including such compliant seal component, and an associated method for cooling the compliant seal component disposed in the turbomachine are disclosed. The compliant seal component includes a convoluted portion and a plurality of end portions spaced apart from each other. The plurality of end portions is joined to the convoluted portion. An end portion of the plurality of end portions includes a first section and a second section, the second section defining a plenum. The end portion further includes a plurality of inlet holes and a plurality of outlet holes. The plurality of inlet holes is configured to direct a portion of a cooling fluid to the plenum. The portion of the cooling fluid in the plenum is configured to cool the end portion. The plurality of outlet holes is configured to discharge the portion of the cooling fluid from the plenum.

Compliant seal component and associated method

A shroud support system with load spreading comprises a shroud hanger having a first wall and a second wall spaced apart in an axial direction by a retainer support wall, a ceramic matrix composite shroud segment disposed in the shroud hanger between the first and second walls and the retainer support wall, a retainer having circumferentially spaced first and second bolt holes, the retainer passing through the shroud, first and second bolts passing through the shroud hanger and engaging the first and second bolt holes of the retainer.

Growing community of inventors

Amesbury, MA, United States of America

Jonathan David Baldiga