General Electric Company

Other

Melvin Bobo

Adam N Pope

Charles F Riedmiller

Ching-Pang Lee

Christopher Charles Glynn

Robert J Corsmeier

Gary Charles Liotta

Dudley O Nash

Larry W Plemmons

Peter John Wood

Peter W Mueller

Thomas L DuBell

Richard E Stenger

Wilson Frost

Sidney B Elston, Iii

Bernard Joseph Anderson

Fred J Monzel

L D Shotts

Joseph W Savage

Raymond W Wisbey

Alan P Wilds

Byron E Swanson

Thomas F McClure

Steven J Croft

Daniel R Little

James W Heyser

Elgin E Flagg

A heat transfer surface for use along a flowpath along the surface is scaled with rows of turbulators having ramp surfaces protruding into the flowpath operable to generate turbulence promoting vortices. The ramp surfaces may be oriented to present an upward or downhill ramp to the direction of the flowpath along the surface. The present invention is further characterized by triangular side surfaces which precipitous drop off from a top ramp surface to the base of the turbulator along the heat transfer surface. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a three sided pyramid shaped turbulator with a ramp downhill surface wherein the sharp edge at the intersection of the two precipitous side surfaces is a leading edge into the flowpath on the heat transfer surface. Alternate embodiments include turbulators with triangular and rectangular uphill ramp surfaces.

Scaled heat transfer surface with protruding ramp surface turbulators

A piston type ring which includes a continuous synthetic material O-ring concentrically mounted thereon in a groove in the outer circumference of the ring is utilized as a piston ring seal in a squeeze film damper.

Squeeze film damper composite ring seal

A damper bearing assembly and method for damper oil conservation and recirculation. The assembly includes opposed channels enclosing a squeeze film space and open to direct flow from the damper squeeze film space. The channels can isolate the squeeze film space from leakage points in the assembly, and can be profiled to direct fluid exiting from the high pressure region away from leakage points. The channels isolate the low pressure region in the squeeze film from leakage points to prevent air entrainment.

Squeeze film damper oil control

A piston ring seal for squeeze film dampers includes radial fluid vent passages through the ring section leading from the outer circumferential face of the ring through the inner circumference of the ring to the ring groove. A combination step ring and step groove prevents incorrect assembly.

Squeeze film damper piston ring seal

A squeeze film damper assembly includes a piston ring and groove seal combination. The piston ring is proportioned with respect to its groove to generate a pressure wave in an annular ring space which closely approximates the pressure generate in the annular squeeze film space, thereby improving piston ring sealing. The radial dimension of the ring space is matched to the radial dimension of the squeeze film space. The assembly can include channels interconnecting the squeeze film space and ring space at corresponding angular positions in the annular spaces, with means for restricting circumferential flow between the angular positions.

Proportioned piston ring seals

A vibration damper is disposed between each adjacent pair of turbine buckets of a gas turbine engine to act in a V-shaped groove defined by bevelled platform surfaces of the adjacent buckets. The damper is wedge-shaped in cross section and is provided with a pad on one side and two pads on another side. When the damper is propelled into the groove by centrifugal force, it assumes a consistent equilibrium position with the raised surface of the one pad slidingly engaging one of the platform bevelled surfaces and the raised surfaces of the other two pads slidingly engaging the other bevelled platform surface to dissipate vibrational energy in the buckets.

Vibration damping of gas turbine engine buckets

Apparatus for statically determinant mounting of a vane assembly in a gas turbine engine includes means for assuring contact support of the vane assembly in a predetermined number of identified locations. The vane assembly includes at least one vane extending between a radially outer nozzle band and a radially inner nozzle band. The radially outer nozzle band has axially directed load bearing elements on distal ends. The radially inner nozzle band has a radially inwardly oriented flange depending therefrom. The engine includes a radially outer support member positioned to engage the load bearing elements in the radially outer nozzle band when the vane assembly is in an operative position. A radially inner support member is incorporated in the engine for engaging the flange to axially restrain the vane assembly. The inner support member includes means for releasably connecting the flange thereto for supporting the vane assembly in radially and circumferential directions. Both the inner nozzle band and outer nozzle band have seals associated therewith for inhibiting gas flow between the respective nozzle band and the adjacent supporting members.

Gas turbine vane assembly seal and support system

A flow control ring in a concentric groove in the outer surface of an outer rolling element bearing race of a shaft fluid damper has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the groove and moves in the groove to control discharge of damper fluid through radial fluid flow passages in the groove for fluid pressure control in the damper.

Hydraulic shaft damper pressure control

A temperature-sensitive, deformable cylinder locknut for use in high temperature applications associated with the operation of a gas turbine engine provides a secure fastener lock which resists torsional and vibrational stresses which may otherwise act to unseat and disengage the bolt. The locknut includes an undeformed threaded portion, an unthreaded transitional cylindrical sleeve portion, and a deformable unthreaded cylindrical portion. A threaded shaft contacts the cylindrical sleeve with reduced surface engagement to minimize frictional interaction and define a spiral volume therebetween to ensure the establishment of a non-permanent lock.

Deformable cylinder locknut

A rotating labyrinth seal especially useful for effecting sealing between two plenums in aircraft gas turbine engines comprising a base and a plurality of radially-directed seal teeth rings extending circumferentially around the outer peripheral surface of the base. Each of the seal teeth rings has a body portion and a tip portion, with the body portion being substantially thicker than the tip portion. Seal teeth rings of the invention exhibit improved resistance to fatigue crack propagation compared to conventional seal teeth rings.

Stepped tooth rotating labyrinth seal

A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating ice and debris in a gas turbine engine. More particularly, a specially configured and slidable scoop is positioned between the booster exit and the compressor inlet in a gas turbine engine. An actuator mechanism can be coupled through a linkage to the scoop to position the scoop within the core path at low power conditions and retract the scoop from the core flow path at high power conditions.

Method and apparatus for ejecting foreign matter from the primary flow

A squeeze film damper assembly includes a piston ring and groove seal combination. The piston ring is proportioned with respect to its groove to generate a pressure wave in an annular ring space which closely approximates the pressure generate in the annular squeeze film space, thereby improving piston ring sealing. The radial dimension of the ring space is matched to the radial dimension of the squeeze film space. The assembly can include channels interconnecting the squeeze film space and ring space at corresponding angular positions in the annular spaces, with stand-offs for restricting circumferential flow between the angular positions.

To prevent overheating of the gaps between shroud segments circumferentially arranged about a high pressure turbine rotor, an improved seal is provided to block radial leakage flow of hot working gas through the gaps, as well as to restrict axial flow of working gas in the gaps. The seal includes a corrugated, axial fluid flow restricting element sandwiched between a pair of radially spaced, gap spanning shim sealing elements. Pressurized cooling air is admitted to the gap at locations between the shim sealing elements via passages through adjacent shroud segments to cool the gap and to further restrict working gas axial flow in the gap.

Shroud seal

In one form of the invention, different airflows across a temperature sensor in an aircraft are maintained during different flight conditions. A first airflow is generated during takeoff by a pressure differential existing between two surfaces of the aircraft. A second airflow is maintained during cruise by an air jet supplied by an ejector.

Air temperature measurement

A gas turbine engine rotor assembly has an inertial damper loosely surrounding a portion of the main rotor shaft. The damper is axially compressed between facing abutment surfaces provided on a nut and bevel gear. The damper has two axially spaced rows of circumferentially spaced slots, with the interrupting web portions of each row being circumferentially staggered with respect to one another. The damper is configured and dimensioned so that the axial force exerted by the damper on the nut and bevel gear, the polar moment of inertia of the damper, and the coefficient of friction between the damper end faces and the abutment surfaces, cooperate to effectively damp the excitation of the fifth-stage blades in response to application of a source of vibrations at a particular frequency to the bevel gear.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Melvin Bobo