General Electric Company

Nick Martin

Lisa Anne Wichmann

Michael James Dutka

Stephen Paul Wassynger

Thomas Robbins Tipton

John R Hess

Steven Eric Tomberg

Steven Mark Schirle

Timothy E Dejoris

Timothy Dejoris

A retention system retains a turbine blade dovetail in a retention ring dovetail slot. The retention system includes a retention opening formed in the blade dovetail. A through hole is formed in the retention ring, wherein the through hole is positioned such that it is aligned with the retention opening when the dovetail is assembled in the dovetail slot. A connector is disposed in the through hole and engages the retention opening. In this manner, undesirable relative movement of parts can be reduced or eliminated, thereby preventing excessive wear.

Turbine blade retention system and method

Systems, methods, and apparatus for linking machine stators are provided. A bracket may be utilized to link adjacent stators within a machine, for example, a turbine. The bracket may include a body portion, a first plurality of extensions, and a second plurality of extensions. The body portion may include a first edge operable to align with a base of a first stator and a second edge opposite the first edge and operable to align with a base of a second stator. The first plurality of extensions may extend from the first edge and may be operable to align with at least one corresponding groove on the base of the first stator. The second plurality of extensions may extend from the second edge and may be operable to align with at least one corresponding groove on the base of the second stator. When utilized to link the first stator and the second stator, the bracket may facilitate a reduction of vibrations in the first stator and the second stator.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for linking machine stators

A rotor of a turbomachine is provided. The rotor includes at least first and second rotor portions and at least first and second blades. The first and second rotor portions are configured to rotate about an axis. The first and second rotor portions have first and second rim portions, respectively, which are spaced a predetermined distance apart from one another and have a perimetrical slot therebetween. The first and second rim portions have first and second dovetail slots, respectively, extending therethrough communicating with the perimetrical slot. The first and second blades have first and second dovetail portions, respectively. The first dovetail portion is disposed in one of the first and second dovetail slots, and the second dovetail portion is disposed in the other of the first and second dovetail slots. The perimetrical slot has a sufficient size to pass the first and second blades therethrough when the first and second blades are removed from the rotor.

Rotor of a turbomachine and method for replacing rotor blades of the rotor

A method of starting up a turbine with a compressor have an inlet guide vane, a number of bleed valves, and a number of blades so as to limit the duration in a rotating stall window. The method may include starting rotation of the blades, increasing the speed of the rotation of the blades, closing one or more bleed valves so as to shift the rotating stall window to a higher rotational speed, partially opening the inlet guide vane to a position outside the rotating stall window, and opening the bleed valves while partially closing the inlet guide vane such that the number of blades pass through the rotating stall window.

Turbine anti-rotating stall schedule

A compressor having a plurality of vane units each having at least one airfoil projecting from the base. Each base has a groove, so that when the vane units are disposed circumferentially adjacent, the grooves of the respective vane units are circumferentially aligned. A metal strip is disposed in the groove of a plurality of adjacent vane units to link the vane units forming a more rigid ring of vanes that are less susceptible to vane motion, e.g., caused by pressure fluctuations within the compressor of a gas turbine.

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Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Nick Martin