Siemens Energy, Inc.

Robert Watson Spitzer

Yevgeniy P Shteyman

Brian Harry Terpos

John N Strain

David James Wiebe

William Richard Ryan

Kevin Michael Light

James S Marshall

Robert T Brooks

Jonathan M Leagon

Scott W Smith

Brian Micklos

Christopher Scogin

Dan Guinan

A flange connection for an exhaust section of a gas turbine engine. The flange connection includes a stub flange attached to an exhaust manifold. The stub flange has a first axial face for engagement with the axial face of a cylinder flange extending radially from an exhaust cylinder. A plate structure attached to the cylinder flange is configured to provide axial retention of the stub flange to the axial face of the cylinder flange. The plate structure includes a resilient beam portion extending radially inwardly and engaging a second axial face of the stub flange. The stub flange is retained between the cylinder flange and the beam portion of the plate structure in an interference fit to provide three degrees of freedom of the stub flange relative to the exhaust cylinder.

Exhaust manifold flange connection

A turbine vane ID support system usable to support the ID of a turbine vane and including a transition seal system and a turbine vane ID forward rail seal system. The transition seal system may seal the turbine vane ID support body to a transition, and the turbine vane ID forward rail seal system may seal the turbine vane ID support body to a turbine vane. Use of the transition seal system and the turbine vane ID forward rail seal system eliminates the problems inherent with conventional seals used to seal transitions directly to turbine vanes. The turbine vane ID support system may also be configured such that the turbine vane ID support system may be removed to facilitate removal of turbine vanes and blades for repair or replacement.

Turbine vane ID support

A support for the first row turbine vanes () in a gas turbine engine, the support including a support framework (). The support framework () includes an outer vane carrier (), and an inner vane carrier () connected to the outer vane carrier () by a plurality of struts (). The outer vane carrier () is mounted to an inner casing () of the engine and the struts () support the inner vane carrier () in cantilevered relation to the outer vane carrier (). An aft outer flange () of each first row vane () is supported on the outer vane carrier () and a forward inner flange () of the vane () is support on the inner vane carrier ().

Cantilevered framework support for turbine vane

Aspects of the invention are directed to an interface between an exhaust cylinder and an exhaust diffuser in a turbine engine. The interface allows relative radial movement of the exhaust diffuser and the exhaust cylinder. According to aspects of the invention, the diffuser and the cylinder are operatively connected about their peripheries by a plurality of connecting members, which can be tie rods. Each connecting member can be pivotally connected at a first end to a joint bolt affixed to the exhaust cylinder and at a second end to an exhaust diffuser. Thus, the connecting members can join the cylinder and the diffuser in the axial direction, while allowing for the differential thermal expansion of the two components. Relative circumferential movement between the cylinder and the diffuser can be reduced by positioning neighboring connecting members at opposing angles in relation to one another.

Radially expanding turbine engine exhaust cylinder interface

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Casselberry, FL, United States of America

Robert Watson Spitzer