Patent Application
20110164983
The present application relates generally to turbine engines and more particularly relates to a locking spacer assembly for use with the final circumferential compressor blade and the like.
The compressor and turbine sections of a turbine engine generally include rotors with a number of blades attached thereto. The blades are generally arranged in axially spaced rows or stages along the rotor. Each blade is releaseably attached to a groove within each rotor and locked into place.
Specifically, the blades and the spacers generally may be inserted at about a ninety degree angle (90°) relative to their loading position. The blades and spacers may then be rotated into place. The final blade or spacer, however, may not have enough circumferential room to be inserted perpendicularly. As such, the final blade or spacer generally must be placed directly therein. Known methods to position the last spacer generally have involved multi-part spacers with difficult assembly procedures and possibly uneven axial loads.
There is therefore a desire for improved compressor and turbine blade assemblies and methods of installing the same, particularly in the final slot. Such an assembly may be applicable to any type of rotating equipment, should be easy to install, and should provide even axial loads.
The present application thus describes a locking spacer assembly for use with a groove in a rotating disk. The locking spacer assembly may include a locking spacer with a leg and a wedge tool in contact with the leg so as to pull the leg inward and into the groove.
The present application further describes a method of installing a spacer assembly in a final spacer slot. The method may include raising a wedge tool within a locking spacer of the spacer assembly, contacting one or more legs of the locking spacer with the wedge tool, pulling the one or more legs inward, and positioning the spacer assembly straight into the final spacer slot.
The present application further describes a compressor stage. The compressor stage may include a rotating disk. The rotating disk may include a groove with a number of blades and spacers positioned therein as well as a final spacer slot in the groove. A locking spacer assembly with a pair of legs may be positioned in the final spacer slot. A wedge tool may be in contact with the pair of legs so as to pull the legs inward.
These and other features and improvements of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The gas turbine engine 10 may use natural gas, various types of syngas, and other types of fuels. The gas turbine engine 10 may be a heavy duty gas turbine model offered by General Electric Company of Schenectady, N.Y. The gas turbine engine 10 may have other configurations and may use other types of components. Other types of gas turbine engines 10 may be used herein. Multiple gas turbine engines, other types of turbines, and other types of power generation equipment also may be used herein together. The present application also may be applicable to steam turbines, aircraft, and other types of rotating equipment.
The wedge tool 180 may include an inverted wedge 230. The inverted wedge 230 may have two faces that largely conform to the wedge surfaces 220 of the legs 190 of the locking spacer 170. The “inverted” wedge 230 simply means that it has an opposed surface to that of the wedge surfaces 220. The inverted wedge 230 may be positioned on an extended rod 240 or a similar type of extended member such as a bolt and the like. The rod 240 may extend through and beyond the spacer section 190 of the locking spacer 170. Other shapes may be used herein.
In use, the wedge tool 180 may be pulled radially outward from the spacer section 190 of the locking spacer 170. Pulling the wedge tool 180 upward causes the inverted wedge 230 to contact the wedge surfaces 220 of the legs 200 and move the legs 200 inward. The wedge tool 180 then can be restrained via the rod 240 or otherwise. The locking spacer assembly 160 as a whole then may be inserted straight down into the final spacer slot 150 on the disk 110. Once the locking spacer assembly 160 is in place, the wedge tool 180 may be released such that the contact surfaces 210 of the legs 200 snap into place within the groove 120 of the disk 110. The wedge tool 180 may be extended radially downward and attached to the disk 110 for circumferential restraint or otherwise disposed.
The locking spacer assembly 160 also may be removed by raising the wedge tool 180 such that the inverted wedge 230 pulls the legs 200 inward and out of contact with the groove 120. The locking spacer assembly 160 as a whole then may be removed straight out.
The locking spacer assembly 160 described herein thus provides ease of installation and removal. Moreover, the single piece locking spacer 170 provides for ease of manufacturing. Likewise, the locking spacer 170 may be made out of relatively inexpensive materials. The inward actuation of the legs 200 of the locking spacer 170 provides a far simpler design and ease of installation as compared to the known outwardly actuating devices.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
