General Electric Company

Kenneth Allen Loehle

Apostolos Pavlos Karafillis

Paul Stephen Manicke

Robert Patrick Tameo

David Allen Gutz

Jeffrey Howard Nussbaum

Jeffrey Francis Wessels

Gary Edward Trewiler

Joseph Capozzi

Peter J Rock

Alan Glen Turner

James A Huffman

Leslie M Pommer

Charles Kammer Christopherson

Apparatus and method of operating a centrifugal compressor and active control system includes a centrifugal compressor with compressor blades mounted on an impeller, an annular cavity bounded in part by a shroud adjacent to the blades, and an active control system for controlling a clearance between the shroud and the blades by controlling a cavity pressure in the cavity. An electronic controller for controlling a control pressure valve for pressurizing using a source of compressor discharge pressure air and depressurizing the cavity respectively may open and close the valves using pulse width modulation. Pressure and clearance sensors positioned for measuring the cavity pressure the blade tip clearance respectively in signal supply communication with the electronic controller may be used. The shroud may be supported by radially spaced apart annular radially outer and inner supports connected to a casing by a bolted joint bounding the cavity.

Active clearance control for a centrifugal compressor

Including a disk, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart airfoils extending radially outwardly from the disk, a plurality of shroud segments being disposed circumferentially between the plurality of airfoils and configured to attach to a corresponding airfoil of the plurality of airfoils and a plurality of wear surfaces, where at least one wear surface of the plurality of wear surfaces is configured and disposed to prevent excessive wear between the adjacent shroud segments. Each shroud segment of the plurality of shroud segments may be attached to a corresponding airfoil by weld connections to permit clearance during translation friction welding of the airfoil to the disk hub are located to avoid high stress areas.

Part span shrouded fan blisk

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Lynn, MA, United States of America

Kenneth Allen Loehle