General Electric Company

Terry E Buerkle

Jan Christopher Schilling

Robert Bruce Dickman

Kurt E Young

A damper which provides both blade to blade and blade to ground damping is described. In one embodiment, the damper includes a retainer and a chicklet. The retainer is secured to a rotor disk by a bolt which extends through an opening in the disk and an opening in the retainer. The retainer includes support flanges which facilitate positioning retainer relative to the disk, and sidewalls (or guides) for limiting movement of the chicklet. The chicklet is movably positioned within the retainer, and movement of the chicklet is limited by sidewalls and a cross wall member of the retainer. The retainer positions the chicklet so that in operation, a contact surface of chicklet makes blade to blade contact with adjacent blades. In operation, centrifugal forces drive the chicklet into contact with the blade platforms. Since the chicklet is in contact with adjacent blades, blade to blade damping is provided. Further, due to the geometric configuration of the contact surfaces of the chicklet, the chicklet tends to travel upward along the underside of the platform. As the chicklet slides upward and rearward on the platform, the chicklet contacts the cross wall member of the retainer, and since the retainer is secured to the disk, blade to ground damping is provided by the damper.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Terry E Buerkle