Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Power Generation, Inc.

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Other

Steven James Vance

Jay Alan Morrison

Gary Brian Merrill

Stephen M Sabol

John G Goedjen

Kelly M Sloan

Michael Anthony Burke

Daniel George Thompson

Yevgeniy P Shteyman

Douglas A Keller

Harry A Albrecht

Ramesh Subramanian

Allister William James

Christian X Campbell

Jay Edgar Lane

Anthony L Schiavo

Malberto Gonzalez

Mrinal Munshi

David Charles Radonovich

Petya M Georgieva

Harshawardhan S Bhide

Thomas N Silvey

Vijay Parthasarathy

A method of servicing an airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine. The airfoil assembly is defined by a base material and includes an airfoil and a platform from which the airfoil extends. A predetermined amount of the base material is removed from the airfoil assembly proximate to a fillet area of the airfoil assembly via water jet material removal. The fillet area comprises a junction between the airfoil and the platform and is located at an intersection between the airfoil and the platform. A remainder of the base material comprising base material of the airfoil assembly other than proximate to the fillet area is left intact.

Method of servicing an airfoil assembly for use in a gas turbine engine

A stacked laminate component for a turbine engine that may be used as a replacement for one or more metal components is provided. The stacked laminate component can have a body formed by a process of stacking and laminating layers to define a radially inner surface along the hot gas path. The layers can be substantially orthogonal to the radially inner surface. The layers can be at least a first layer of a first material and a second layer of a second material. At least the first material is a ceramic matrix composite. The second material can have a higher thermal conductivity or a higher creep strength than the first material.

Stacked laminate gas turbine component

Thermally insulating layer incorporating a distinguishing agent and method for inspecting the insulating layer are provided. The distinguishing agent may be used for determining a remaining thickness of the thermally insulating layer.

Thermally insulating layer incorporating a distinguishing agent

A multiple piece turbine airfoil having an outer shell with an airfoil tip that is attached to a root with an internal structural spar is disclosed. The root may be formed from first and second sections that include an internal cavity configured to receive and secure the one or more components forming the generally elongated airfoil. The internal structural spar may be attached to an airfoil tip and place the generally elongated airfoil in compression. The configuration enables each component to be formed from different materials to reduce the cost of the materials and to optimize the choice of material for each component.

Multiple piece turbine engine airfoil with a structural spar

A pattern of depressions () in a sealing surface () on a CMC wall () of gas turbine ring segment () allows minimum clearance against turbine blades tips, and thus maximizes working gas sealing. An array of depressions () on the surface () increases abradability of the surface () by blade tip contact during zero clearance conditions and reduces blade tip damage. The depressions () are unconnected, preventing bypass of the working gas around the blade tips. A desired abradable surface geometry may be formed in a stacked laminate wall construction (-) by staggered laminate edge profiles () or by machining of depressions () after construction.

Abradable CMC stacked laminate ring segment for a gas turbine

A ceramic ring segment for a turbine engine that may be used as a replacement for one or more metal components. The ceramic ring segment may be formed from a plurality of ceramic plates, such as ceramic matrix composite plates, that are joined together using a strengthening mechanism to reinforce the ceramic plates while permitting the resulting ceramic article to be used as a replacement for components for turbine systems that are typically metal, thereby taking advantage of the properties provided by ceramic materials. The strengthening mechanism may include a bolt or a plurality of bolts designed to prevent delamination of the ceramic plates when in use by keeping the ceramic plates in compression.

Stacked laminate bolted ring segment

Aspects of the invention relate to a ring seal for a turbine engine. The ring seal can be made up of a plurality of circumferentially abutted ring seal segments. Each ring seal segment can comprise a plurality of individual channels. The channels can be generally U-shaped in cross-section with a forward span, and aft span and an extension connecting therebetween. The channels can be positioned such that the aft span of one channel can substantially abut the forward span of another channel. The plurality of separate channels can be detachably coupled to each other by, for example, a plurality of pins. The ring seal segment according to aspects of the invention can facilitate numerous advantageous characteristics including greater material selection, selective cooling, improved serviceability, and reduced blade tip leakage. Moreover, the configuration is well suited to handle the operational loads of the turbine.

Turbine engine ring seal

A CMC airfoil () formed with CMC stitches () interconnected between opposed walls () of the airfoil to restrain outward flexing of the walls resulting from pressurized cooling air within the airfoil. The airfoil may be formed of a ceramic fabric infused with a ceramic matrix and dried, and may be partially to fully cured. Then holes () are formed in the opposed walls of the airfoil, and a ceramic stitching element such as ceramic fibers () or a ceramic tube () is threaded through the holes. The stitching element is infused with a wet ceramic matrix before or after threading, and is flared () or otherwise anchored to the walls () to form a stitch () there between. The airfoil and stitch are then cured. If the airfoil is cured before stitching, a pre-tension is formed in the stitch due to relative curing shrinkage.

Hollow CMC airfoil with internal stitch

Aspects of the invention relate to a modular turbine vane assembly. The vane assembly includes an airfoil portion, an outer shroud and an inner shroud. The airfoil portion can be made of at least two segments. Preferably, the components are connected together so as to permit assembly and disassembly of the vane. Thus, in the event of damage to the vane, repair involves the replacement of only the damaged subcomponents as opposed to the entire vane. The modular design facilitates the use of various materials in the vane, including materials that are dissimilar. Thus, suitable materials can be selected to optimize component life, cooling air usage, aerodynamic performance, and cost. Because the vane is an assemblage of smaller sub-components as opposed to one unitary structure, the individual components of the vane can be more easily manufactured and more intricate features can be included.

Multi-piece turbine vane assembly

A method of manufacturing a hybrid structure () having a layer of CMC material () defining an interior passageway () and a layer of ceramic insulating material () lining the passageway. The method includes the step of casting the insulating material to a first thickness required for effective casting but in excess of a desired second thickness for use of the hybrid structure. An inner mold () defining a net shape desired for the passageway remains in place after the casting step to mechanically support the insulating material during a machining process used to reduce the thickness of the insulating material from the as-cast first thickness to the desired second thickness. The inner mold also provides support as the CMC material is deposited onto the insulating material. The inner mold may include a fugitive material portion () to facilitate its removal after the CMC material is formed.

Method of manufacturing a hybrid structure

Thermally insulating layer incorporating a distinguishing agent and method for inspecting the same

A hybrid structure () and method of manufacturing the same including a structural ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material () coated with a layer of ceramic insulating tiles (). Individual ceramic tiles are attached to a surface () of a mold (). The exterior surface () of the tiles may be subjected to a mechanical process such as machining with the mold in place to provide mechanical support for the tiles. A layer of CMC material is then applied to bond the tiles and the CMC material together into a hybrid structure. The mold may include a fugitive material portion () to facilitate removal of the mold when the hybrid structure has a complex shape. Tiles located in different regions of the structure may have different compositions and/or dimensions. The gaps between adjacent tiles may be filled from the outside before the CMC material is applied or from the inside after the mold is removed.

Hybrid structure using ceramic tiles and method of manufacture

An airfoil () formed of a plurality of pre-fired structural CMC panels (). Each panel is formed to have an open shape having opposed ends () that are free to move during the drying, curing and/or firing of the CMC material in order to minimize interlaminar stresses caused by anisotropic sintering shrinkage. The panels are at least partially pre-shrunk prior to being joined together to form the desired structure, such as an airfoil () for a gas turbine engine. The panels may be joined together using a backing member (), using flanged ends () and a clamp (), and/or with a bond material (), for example.

CMC component and method of fabrication

Embodiments of the invention relate to various cooling systems for a turbine vane made of stacked ceramic matrix composite (CMC) laminates. Each airfoil-shaped laminate has an in-plane direction and a through thickness direction substantially normal to the in-plane direction. The laminates have anisotropic strength characteristics in which the in-plane tensile strength is substantially greater than the through thickness tensile strength. Such a vane construction lends itself to the inclusion of various cooling features in individual laminates using conventional manufacturing and forming techniques. When assembled in a radial stack, the cooling features in the individual laminates can cooperate to form intricate three dimensional cooling systems in the vane.

Cooling systems for stacked laminate CMC vane

A stacked ceramic matrix composite lamellate assembly () including shear force bearing structures () for resisting relative sliding movement between adjacent lamellae. The shear force bearing structures may take the form of a cross-lamellar stitch (), a shear pin (), a warp () in the lamellae, a tongue () and groove () structure, or an inter-lamellar sealing member (), in various embodiments. Each shear force bearing structure secures a subset of the lamellae, with at least one lamella being common between adjacent subsets in order to secure the entire assembly.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Steven James Vance