General Electric Company

Nicholas Francis Martin

James Charles Gautreau

Stephen Paul Wassynger

Thomas Robbins Tipton

Chris A Rickert

Douglas Carl Hofer

Gregory Allan Crum

Kevin Joseph Barb

Steven Mark Schirle

James Edward Cencula

Martel Alexander McCallum

John David Memmer

Amir Mujezinovic

Ronald Stuart Denmark

A method of operating a gas turbine engine includes forming at least one stator ring passage within at least a portion of a radially inner surface of a casing. The method also includes providing at least one stator ring segment that is sized to be inserted into the at least one stator ring passage. The method further includes forming at least one radial passage within at least a portion of the at least one stator ring segment such that at least a portion of the at least one radial passage is adjacent to at least one substantially axial stator blade passage.

Method and apparatus for assembling gas turbine engines

A method of assembling a stator assembly includes coupling at least one stator ring segment to a portion of a casing using at least one circumferential stator ring groove defined in the casing. The method also includes coupling at least one stator blade assembly to a portion of the stator ring segment such that at least one radial passage is at least partially defined by at least one of the stator blade assembly and the stator ring segment. The stator assembly includes at least one first radial passage defined within a portion of the stator ring segment. The assembly also includes at least one second radial passage coupled in flow communication with the first radial passage. The second radial passage is at least partially adjacent to at least one of a portion of the stator blade assembly and a portion of the stator ring segment.

Method and apparatus for assembling turbine engines

A compressor radial bleed manifold and compressor case assembly includes a compressor case having one or more bleed flow exit passages therein; and a discrete bleed manifold mounted on the compressor case and having one or more inlet passages extending radially between a manifold plenum and the one or more exit passages in the mounting boss for bleeding compressor air into the manifold plenum.

Bolt-on radial bleed manifold

A stator blade segment for a compressor includes an inner ring segment and an outer ring segment and a plurality of stator blades extending radially between the inner and outer ring segments, the stator blade secured to the outer ring at a shank portion of the blade and loosely held in a slot in the inner ring segment at a tip portion of the blade, the slot formed to substantially match a cross-sectional profile of the tip portion of the blade but sized to create a clearance between the tip portion and the slot.

Compressor stator floating tip shroud and related method

A blade of an axial compressor comprising: an airfoil is disclosed that has a leading edge and a root; a platform attached to the root of the airfoil; a dovetail attached to a side of the platform opposite to the airfoil; a neck of the dovetail adjacent the platform, and a slot in the neck and generally parallel to the platform, and the slot extends from a front of the neck to position in the neck beyond a line formed by the leading edge of the blade.

Compressor blade with dovetail slotted to reduce stress on the airfoil leading edge

A blade of an turbomachine having an airfoil with a leading edge and a root; a base attached to the root of the airfoil; a dovetail portion of the base engageable with disk; a slot in the base generally parallel to a face of the base extending between opposite sides of the base, and a vibration adsorbing insert snuggly fitted into the slot.

Aerodynamically efficient air flow management in axial flow-turbines is provided by utilizing a variable stagger and camber airfoil. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by providing a two-piece airfoil including a strut and a flap, each of which is mounted to articulate about a common, radially oriented axis. The strut and flap are respectively positioned by a strut gear and a flap gear, located at the radial end of the airfoil and, in an exemplary embodiment, are driven by a stepped synchronizing ring.

Variable camber and stagger airfoil and method

Blades of increased blade angle may be retrofitted onto existing compressor rotor wheels as replacement blades whereby higher performance and efficiency without replacing the rotor wheel may be achieved. The base attachments of replacement blades are provided with lateral extensions or flanges and the rim of the compressor wheel is provided with recesses straddling the grooves to accommodate the flanges. The leading edge of the replacement blade is positioned circumferentially for support only by the platform extension thereby limiting the mean and vibratory stresses in the leading edge of the airfoil and maximizing damage tolerance.

Compressor blade platform extension and methods of retrofitting blades of different blade angles

A compressor bleed air manifold includes annular outer flanges on opposite sides of the generally annular manifold plenum. The outer and inner flange geometries may be circumferentially tailored to produce optimal case stiffness and thermal response for blade-to-case clearances. The inner flanges are secured to one another by an inner bolt circle radially adjacent the flow path thereby improving the case stiffness, out of roundness and eliminating unsupported sections of the flowpath along an outer diameter thereof. The flanges of the outer bolt circle seal the plenum. The compressor bleed air manifold and the compressor casing load path are thereby isolated from one another.

Compressor bleed air manifold for blade clearance control

A method of tuning a compressor stator blade having a base portion and an airfoil portion to achieve a desired natural frequency, includes a) identifying the natural frequency of the compressor stator blade; b) determining a different target natural frequency for the compressor stator blade; and c) removing material from the base portion of the compressor stator blade in an amount and in a configuration that achieves the target natural frequency. A frequency-tuned compressor stator blade includes an airfoil portion and a base portion, the base portion having a substantially solid rectangular shape; and a groove cut across a width dimension of the base portion, the groove having dimensions selected to obtain a predetermined natural frequency for the airfoil portion.

Frequency-tuned compressor stator blade and related method

A method of modifying a rotor blade, and a rotor blade are provided. The rotor blade is for a steam turbine and it is modified to facilitate altering a natural vibratory frequency of the rotor blade, the rotor blade includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, wherein the first and second sidewalls are connected axially at the leading and trailing edges, and the sidewalls extending radially between a rotor blade root to a rotor blade tip. The method includes determining a vibratory resonance condition of the rotor blade and forming a blade extension between the rotor blade root and the rotor blade tip that alters the determined resonance condition.

Method and apparatus for bucket natural frequency tuning

A compressor blade includes an airfoil portion having a leading edge, a radially inner attachment portion, and a platform between the airfoil portion and the attachment portion, wherein material is removed from the attachment portion to form an undercut at a front face thereof to thereby provide an overhang radially inward of the platform and leading edge of the airfoil portion.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Nicholas Francis Martin