The present invention relates generally to stator vanes in the compressor and/or turbine section of a gas turbine engine, and methods of mounting same.
Both compressor and turbine stator vane assemblies comprise airfoils extending radially across the gas path to direct the flow of gas between forward and/or aft rotating turbines or compressor blades. The stator vane assemblies are mounted to an outer engine casing or other suitable supporting structure which generally defines the outer limit of the gas path and provides a surface to which the outer platforms of the stator vane assembly are connected. Conventional connecting means for mounting the stator vane assemblies to the engine casing include ring structures with hooks or tongue-and-groove surfaces.
Such conventional mounting systems for stator vanes are generally complex castings and thus impose a significant weight penalty on the engine due to the amount of material used for interlocking surfaces and connectors. It is therefore desirable to produce a stator vane array that reduces the weight and complexity of the overall stator vane assembly.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stator vane segment, for constructing a circumferential array of like segments in a gas turbine engine, each segment in the array being separated by an axially extending joint from an adjacent segment and being releasably mounted to an outer engine casing, each stator vane segment comprising: a plurality of vane airfoils spanning radially between an inner platform and an outer platform, wherein the outer platform includes a casing mounting fastener on an outer surface and mating lateral joint edges extending between forward and aft edges thereof.
There is also provided, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a stator vane assembly of a gas turbine engine comprising a circumferential array of like stator vane segments separated by an axially extending joints from an adjacent segments, the stator vane segments being releasably mounted to an outer engine casing such that relative circumferentially displacement therebetween due to thermal growth difference is possible, each stator vane segment having a plurality of vane airfoils spanning radially between an inner platform and an outer platform, wherein the outer platform includes a casing mounting fastener on an outer surface and mating lateral joint edges extending between forward and aft edges thereof.
There is further provided, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of assembling a stator vane assembly within a casing of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising: providing a plurality of vane segments, the vane segments being engageable circumferentially to form the annular stator vane assembly and being free to grow relative to the casing due to thermal growth difference between the casing and the vane segments, each said vane segment having a plurality of vane airfoils extending between inner and outer vane platforms, the outer platform having at least one mounting stud outwardly extending therefrom and overlapping lateral joint edges at opposed end of the outer platform; individually circumferentially mounting each said vane segment to said case by inserting the mounting stud into a mating opening in the casing and interlocking the mating lateral joint edges of the outer platforms of each adjacent vane segment; and fastening the vane segments in place within the casing with a fastener engaged to each of the mounting studs outside of said casing, to thereby form the annular stator vane assembly mounted within said casing.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
Further details will be apparent from the detailed description included below.
More specifically, air intake into the engine passes over fan blades 1 in a fan case 2 and is then split into an outer annular flow through the bypass duct 3 and an inner flow through the low-pressure axial compressor 4 and high-pressure centrifugal compressor 5. Compressed air exits the compressor 5 through a diffuser 6. Other engine types include an axial high pressure compressor instead of the centrifugal compressor and diffuser shown. Compressed air is contained within a plenum 7 that surrounds the combustor 8. Fuel is supplied to the combustor 8 through fuel tubes 9 which is mixed with air from the plenum 7 when sprayed through nozzles into the combustor 8 as a fuel air mixture that is ignited. A portion of the compressed air within the plenum 7 is admitted into the combustor 8 through orifices in the side walls to create a cooling air curtain along the combustor walls or is used for cooling to eventually mix with the hot gases from the combustor and pass over the stator vane array 10 and turbines 11 before exiting the tail of the engine as exhaust. The stator vane array 10 generally includes compressed air cooling channels when deployed in the hot gas path.
Referring to
The outer platform 15 includes circumferential ridges 17, as shown in
As shown in
As indicated in
A simple lap joint is shown in
Referring to
It will be appreciated therefore that in order to enable assembly as indicated in
Therefore, as shown in
Further, the sleeve 23 has an outer circumferential cross-sectional dimension that is greater than the inner circumferential cross-sectional dimension of the sleeve 23 by a difference no less than a circumferential length of the tongue 21. The outer engine casing 19 includes a matching circumferential array of vane segment mounting holes 25 and the casing mounting fastener 16 extends radially from the outer platform 15 through the mounting holes 25.
Therefore, in order to provide enough clearance for the assembly method shown in
The releasable sleeve 23 has an outer circumferential cross-sectional dimension mating the inner circumferential dimension of the mounting holes 25. The sleeve 23 has an inner circumferential cross sectional dimension mating the outer circumferential cross-sectional dimension of the fasteners 16. In this manner, the assembly method shown in
Although the above description relates to a specific preferred embodiment as presently contemplated by the inventors, it will be understood that the invention in its broad aspect includes mechanical and functional equivalents of the elements described herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20090185899 A1 | Jul 2009 | US |