Claims
- 1. A gas turbine comprising a turbine wheel having a turbine blade row therein, a ceramic ring member spaced radially outwardly of said blade row to define a flow passage therethrough, a ceramic stator vane stage interposed axially of said turbine blade row, said stator vane stage including a radially outwardly located ring portion, coacting tongue and groove means on said ring member and said ring portion to join said ring member and ring portion at an axial joint therebetween to define a continuous outer wall having opposite ends thereon, support means including an annular ceramic stop ring in engagement with one of said opposite ends, an axially movable piston in engagement with the other of said opposite ends, and means for applying a primary force on said piston to maintain the joint between said ring member and ring portion as the turbine temperature increases thereby to hold said stator vane stage in a desired position with respect to said support means notwithstanding differences in thermal expansion between said stator vane stage and said support means.
- 2. A gas turbine comprising a turbine wheel having a turbine blade row therein, a ceramic ring member spaced radially outwardly of said blade row to define a flow passage therethrough, a ceramic stator vane stage interposed axially of said turbine blade row, said stator vane stage including a radially outwardly located ring portion, coacting tongue and groove means on said ring member and said ring portion to join said ring member and ring portion at an axial joint therebetween to define a continuous outer wall having opposite ends thereon, support means including an annular ceramic stop ring in engagement with one of said opposite ends, an axially movable double-ended piston having one end thereof in engagement with the other of said opposite ends, and means for directing compressor discharge pressure on said piston at the opposite end thereof to apply a primary force from said piston to said other of said opposite ends to maintain the joint between said ring member and ring portion as the turbine temperature increases thereby to hold said stator vane stage in a desired position with respect to said support means notwithstanding differences in thermal expansion between said stator vane stage and said support means.
- 3. A gas turbine comprising a turbine wheel having a turbine blade row therein, a ceramic ring member spaced radially outwardly of said blade row to define a flow passage therethrough, a ceramic stator vane stage interposed axially of said turbine blade row, said stator vane stage including a radially outwardly located ring portion, coacting tongue and groove means on said ring member and said ring portion to join said ring member and ring portion at an axial joint therebetween to define a continuous outer wall having opposite ends thereon, support means including an annular ceramic stop ring in engagement with one of said opposite ends, an axially movable piston in engagement with the other of said opposite ends, supplemental spring means acting on said other of said opposite ends to produce a selected load for holding said tongue and groove means together under first turbine conditions, and means for applying a primary force on said piston to maintain the joint between said ring member and ring portion as the turbine temperature increases thereby to hold said stator vane stage in a desired position with respect to said support means notwithstanding differences in thermal expansion between said stator vane stage and said support means.
- 4. A gas turbine comprising a turbine wheel having a plurality of axially spaced turbine blade rows thereon, a plurality of ceramic ring members spaced axially of each other and radially outwardly of each of said blade rows to define a flow passage therethrough, a ceramic stator vane stage interposed axially between each of said turbine blade rows, each of said stator vane stages including a radially outwardly located ring portion, coacting tongue and groove means on each of said ring portions and said ring members to join said rings axially of one another to define a continuous outer wall around said alternately arranged blade rows and stator vane stages having opposite ends thereon, an annular ceramic stop ring in engagement with one of said opposite ends, an axially movable piston in engagement with the other of said opposite ends, spring means acting on said other of said opposite ends to bias it toward said stop ring to produce a selected load for holding said tongue and groove means together under cold conditions, and means for applying a pressure force on said piston to hold said ring portions and ring members together as the turbine temperature increases so as to maintain the position of said stator vane stages.
Government Interests
The invention herein described was made in the course of work under a contract or subcontract thereunder with the Department of Defense.
US Referenced Citations (7)