The invention relates to a turbine ring assembly comprising a plurality of ring sectors made of ceramic matrix composite material, together with a ring support structure.
When turbine ring assemblies are made entirely out of metal, it is necessary to cool all of the elements of the assembly, and in particular the turbine ring that is subjected to the hottest stream. Such cooling has a significant impact on the performance of the engine since the cooling stream used is taken from the main stream through the engine. In addition, using metal for the turbine ring limits potential for increasing temperature in the turbine, even though that would enable the performance of aeroengines to be improved.
In an attempt to solve such problems, proposals have been made to have recourse to turbine ring sectors that are made of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material in order to avoid making use of a metal material.
CMC materials present good mechanical properties making them suitable for constituting structural elements, and advantageously they conserve these properties at high temperatures. Using CMC materials has advantageously made it possible to reduce the cooling stream that needs to be used in operation, and thus to improve the performance of engines. In addition, using CMC materials advantageously makes it possible to reduce the weight of engines and to reduce the effect of expansion when hot as encountered with metal parts.
Nevertheless, existing proposed solutions may involve assembling a CMC ring sector by using metal attachment portions of a ring support structure, these attachment portions being subjected to the hot stream. Consequently, the metal attachment portions are subjected to expansion when hot, and that can lead to the CMC ring sector being subjected to mechanical stress and being weakened.
Also known are Documents GB 2 480 766, EP 1 350 927, and US 2014/0271145, which disclose turbine ring assemblies.
There exists a need to improve existing turbine ring assemblies that use CMC material in order to reduce the magnitude of the mechanical stresses to which the CMC ring sectors are subjected in operation.
To this end, in a first aspect, the invention provides a turbine ring assembly comprising both a plurality of ring sectors made of ceramic matrix composite material forming a turbine ring, and also a ring support structure, each ring sector having a portion forming an annular base with an inner face defining the inside space of the turbine ring and an outer face from which an attachment portion of the ring sector extends for attaching it to the ring support structure, the ring support structure comprising two annular flanges between which the attachment portion of each ring sector is held, each annular flange of the ring support structure presenting at least one sloping portion bearing against the attachment portions of the ring sectors, said sloping portion, when observed in meridian section, forming a non-zero angle relative to the radial direction and relative to the axial direction.
The radial direction corresponds to the direction along a radius of the turbine ring (a straight line connecting the center of the turbine ring to its periphery). The axial direction corresponds to the direction of the axis of revolution of the turbine ring and also to the flow direction of the gas stream in the gas flow passage.
Using such sloping portions on the annular flanges of the ring support structure serves advantageously to compensate for expansion differences between the annular flanges and the attachment portions of the ring sector, thereby reducing the mechanical stresses to which the ring sectors are subjected in operation.
Preferably, at least one of the flanges of the ring support structure is elastically deformable. This makes it possible advantageously to compensate even better for differential expansion between the attachment portions of the CMC ring sectors and the flanges of the metal ring support structure without significantly increasing the stress that is exerted when “cold” by the flanges on the attachment portions of the ring sectors. In particular, both flanges of the ring support structure are elastically deformable or else only one of the two flanges of the ring support structure is elastically deformable.
In an embodiment, each of the annular flanges of the ring support structure may present first and second sloping portions bearing against the attachment portions of the ring sectors, each of said first and second sloping portions, when observed in meridian section, forming a non-zero angle relative to the radial direction and to the axial direction. In particular, the first sloping portion may bear against the upper halves of the attachment portions of the ring sectors, and the second sloping portion may bear against the lower halves of the attachment portions of the ring sectors.
The upper half of an attachment portion of a ring sector corresponds to the fraction of said attachment portion that extends radially between the zone halfway along the attachment portion and the end of the attachment portion situated beside the ring support structure. The lower half of an attachment portion of a ring sector corresponds to the fraction of the attachment portion extending radially between the zone halfway along the attachment portion and the end of the attachment portion situated beside the annular base.
In an embodiment, the ring support structure may present axial portions that bear against the attachment portions of the ring sectors, each axial portion possibly extending parallel to the axial direction, these axial portions possibly being formed by the annular flanges or by a plurality of fitted elements engaged without clearance when cold through the annular flanges. In particular, the attachment portions of the ring sectors may be held to the ring support structure via such axial portions.
In an embodiment, the annular flanges of the ring support structure may grip the attachment portions of the ring sectors over at least half of the length of said attachment portions.
In an embodiment, the annular flanges of the ring support structure may grip the attachment portions of the ring sectors at least at the radially outer ends of said attachment portions. The radially outer end of an attachment portion corresponds to the end of the attachment portion that is situated remote from the flow passage for the gas stream. In particular, the annular flanges of the ring support structure may grip the attachment portions of the ring sectors solely via the upper halves of said attachment portions.
In an embodiment, the attachment portion of each ring sector may be in the form of tabs extending radially. In particular, the radially outer ends of the ring sector tabs need not be in contact and the tabs of the ring sectors may define between them an internal ventilation volume for each of the ring sectors.
In an embodiment, the attachment portion of each of the ring sectors is in the form of a bulb.
In an embodiment, the ring sectors are of a section that is substantially Ω-shaped or substantially π-shaped.
The present invention also provides a turbine engine including a turbine ring assembly as described above.
The turbine ring assembly may form part of gas turbine of an aeroengine, or in a variant it may form part of an industrial turbine.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Below, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” are used with reference to the flow direction of the gas stream through the turbine (see arrow F in
The ring sector assembly 1 is mounted on the casing 2 so as to form a turbine ring that surrounds a set of rotary blades 3. The arrow F shows the flow direction of the gas stream through the turbine. The ring sectors 1 are single pieces made of CMC. The use of a CMC material for making ring sectors 1 is advantageous in order to reduce the ventilation requirements of the ring. In the example shown, the ring sectors 1 are substantially Ω-shaped, with an annular base 5 having its radially inner face 6 coated in a layer 7 of abradable material to define the flow passage for the gas stream through the turbine. Furthermore, the annular base 5 has a radially outer face 8 from which there extends an attachment portion 9. In the example shown, the attachment portion 9 is in the form of a solid bulb, but it would not go beyond the ambit of the invention for the attachment portion to be in the form of a hollow bulb or for it to be in some other form as described in detail below. Sealing is provided between sectors by sealing tongues (not shown) received in grooves that face one another in the facing edges of two adjacent ring sectors.
Each above-described ring sector 1 is made of CMC by forming a fiber preform of shape close to the shape of the ring sector and by densifying the ring sector with a ceramic matrix. In order to make the fiber preform, it is possible to use yarns made of ceramic fiber, e.g. yarns made of SiC fibers such as those sold by the Japanese supplier Nippon Carbon under the name “Nicalon”, or yarns made of carbon fibers. The fiber preform is advantageously made by three-dimensional weaving, or by multilayer weaving. The weaving may be of the interlock type. Other three-dimensional or multilayer weaves may be used, such as for example multi-plain or multi-satin weaves. Reference may be made for this purpose to Document WO 2006/136755. After weaving, the blank may be shaped in order to obtain a ring sector preform that is subsequently consolidated and densified by a ceramic matrix, which densification may be performed in particular by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), as is well known. A detailed example of fabricating CMC ring sectors is described in particular in Document US 2012/0027572.
The casing 2 has two annular radial flanges 11a and 11b made of metal material that extend radially towards a flow passage for the gas stream. The annular flanges 11a and 11b of the casing 2 grip the attachment portions 9 of the ring sectors 1 axially. Thus, as shown in
Each of the annular flanges 11a and 11b present two sloping portions bearing against the attachment portions 9 of the ring sectors 1 in order to hold them. The sloping portions of the annular flanges 11a and 11b are in contact with the attachment portions 9 of the ring sectors 1. The upstream annular flange 11a presents a first sloping portion 12a and a second sloping portion 13a. The flange 11a also presents a third portion 15a that extends in the radial direction R and that is situated between the first and second sloping portions 12a and 13a. The downstream annular flange 11b also presents a first sloping portion 12b and a second sloping portion 13b. The flange 11b also presents a third portion 15b extending in the radial direction R and situated between the first and second sloping portions 12b and 13b. When observed in meridian section, and as shown in
In the example shown, the annular flanges 11a and 11b grip the attachment portions 9 of the ring sectors over more than half of the length l of said attachment portions 9, in particular over at least 75% of this length. The length l is measured in the radial direction R.
In the example shown in
Nevertheless, the invention is not limited to annular flanges each presenting such first and second sloping portions. Specifically, the description below covers situations in which each of the annular flanges presents a single sloping portion bearing against the attachment portions of the ring sectors.
As mentioned above, using sloping portions serves advantageously to compensate for expansion differences between the annular flanges 11a and 11b relative to the ring sectors 1, and also to reduce the mechanical stresses to which the ring sector 1 are subjected in operation.
In the embodiment of
In the example shown in
The ring sectors 1a of
The fiber preform that is to form the ring sector 1a of the type shown in
The embodiments that are described with reference to
In this embodiment, the ring support structure 2 is made up of two portions, namely a first portion corresponding to an upstream annular radial flange 31a that is presently formed internally with a turbine casing, and a second portion corresponding to an annular retention band 50 mounted on the turbine casing. The upstream annular radial flange 31a includes a sloping portion 13a as described above bearing against the upstream tabs 29a of the ring sectors 1c. On its downstream side, the band 50 comprises an annular web 57 that forms a downstream annular radial flange 54 comprising a sloping portion 13b as described above bearing against the downstream tabs 29b of the ring sectors 1c. The band 50 comprises an annular body 51 extending axially and comprising, on its upstream side, the annular web 57, and on its downstream side, a first series of teeth 52 that are distributed circumferentially on the band 50 and that are spaced apart from one another by first engagement passages 53 (
The tabs 29a and 29b of each ring sector 1c are mounted with prestress between the annular flanges 31a and 54 so that, at least when “cold”, i.e. at an ambient temperature of about 25° C., the flanges exert a stress on the tabs 29a and 29b. Furthermore, as in the embodiment of
At least one of the flanges of the ring support structure is elastically deformable, thereby serving even better to compensate differential expansion between the tabs of the ring sectors made of CMC and the flanges of the ring support structure made of metal, without significantly increasing the stress exerted when “cold” by the flanges on the tabs of the ring sectors.
Furthermore, the turbine ring assembly is provided with upstream to downstream sealing by an annular projection 70 extending radially from the inside surface 38a of the shroud 38 of the turbine casing and having its free end in contact with the surface of the body 51 of the ring 50.
There follows a description of two mounting methods suitable for mounting the ring sectors on the ring support structure.
The ring support structure has at least one annular flange that is elastically deformable in the axial direction A of the ring. In the present example, the downstream annular radial flange 31b is elastically deformable. While mounting a ring sector 1c, the downstream annular radial flange 31b is pulled in the axial direction A, as shown in
The number of hooks 25 distributed over the face 31c of the flange 31b is defined as a function of the number of traction points that it is desired to have on the flange 31b. This number depends mainly on the elastic nature of the flange. Naturally, it is possible to envisage other shapes and arrangements of means that enable traction to be exerted on the flanges of the ring support structure in the axial direction A.
Once the ring sector 1c is inserted and in position between the flanges 31a and 31b, pegs 35 are engaged in the aligned orifices 35b and 35a formed respectively in the upstream annular radial flange 31a and in the upstream tab 29a, and pegs 37 are engaged in the aligned orifices 37b and 37a arranged respectively in the downstream annular radial flange 31b and in the downstream tab 29b. Each tab 29a or 29b of the ring sector may include one or more orifices for passing a blocking peg.
An analogous method may be used for mounting ring sectors for the embodiments shown in
There follows a description of mounting ring sectors 1c for the embodiment of
Once all of the ring sectors 1c have been fastened in this way to the upstream annular radial flange 31a, the annular retention band 50 is assembled by twist-lock jaw coupling between the turbine casing and the downstream tabs 29b of the ring sectors. In the presently-described embodiment, the spacing E′ between the downstream annular radial flange 54 formed by the annular web 57 of the band 50 and the outer surfaces 52a of the teeth 52 of said band is greater than the distance D′ present between the outer faces 29d of the downstream tabs 29b of the ring sectors and the inner faces 60a of the teeth 60 present on the turbine casing. By defining a spacing E′ between the downstream annular radial flange and the outer surfaces of the teeth of the band that is greater than the distance D′ between the outer faces of the downstream tabs of the ring sectors and the inner faces of the teeth present on the turbine casing, it is possible to mount the ring sectors with prestress between the flanges of the ring support structure.
The ring support structure includes at least one annular flange that is elastically deformable in the axial direction A of the ring. In the presently-described example, it is the downstream annular radial flange 54 present on the band 50 that is elastically deformable. Specifically, the annular web 57 forming the downstream annular radial flange 54 of the ring support structure 2 is of small thickness compared with the upstream annular radial flange 31a, thereby giving it a certain amount of resilience.
As shown in
Once the band has been put into place in this way, the pegs 37 are engaged in the aligned orifice 56 and 37a formed respectively in the downstream annular radial flange 54 and in the downstream tabs 29b. Each tab 29a or 29b of the ring sector may include one or more orifices for passing a blocking peg.
The term “lying in the range . . . to . . . ” should be understood as including the bounds.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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15 54626 | May 2015 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/FR2016/051168 | 5/18/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2016/189223 | 12/1/2016 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3501246 | Hickey | Mar 1970 | A |
6733235 | Alford | May 2004 | B2 |
7771159 | Johnson | Aug 2010 | B2 |
20030185674 | Alford et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
20110293410 | Marusko et al. | Dec 2011 | A1 |
20140271145 | Thomas et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1 350 927 | Oct 2003 | EP |
2480766 | Nov 2011 | GB |
2011 140 942 | Apr 2013 | RU |
2522264 | Jul 2014 | RU |
WO 2013115349 | Aug 2013 | WO |
Entry |
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International Search Report dated Aug. 1, 2016, in PCT/FR2016/051168 filed May 18, 2016. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180156068 A1 | Jun 2018 | US |