1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps, and more specifically to stator vanes in a compressor of a small turbomachine and, in particular, to the damping of vibrations transmitted to such stator vanes from the casing of the turbomachine.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
A turbomachine, such as a compressor in a gas turbine engine, includes a plurality of stages of rotor blades to compress the air and a plurality of stages of guide vanes or nozzles that act to guide the airflow into the rotor blades. The compressor is subject to vibration stresses and fatigue from rotor imbalances and pressure differentials within the gas turbine engine, as well as from others. The vibrations can be so severe that the lifetime of the compressor or casing, or the rotor blades and stator vanes, can be damaged. Excessive wear or part damage can occur from rubbing between vibrating engine parts. These rubs are undesirable due to wear gaps, which can decrease engine performance, that are created between the rubbing parts. Therefore, because close tolerances between engine parts are required for good engine performance, minimization of engine vibration is desirable.
Vibrations are of greatest concern when the resonance frequency of the engine component part lies within the frequency range of the vibrations expected to occur during normal engine operations. Rotor blades and stator vanes are subject to nodal diameter vibration, a form of vibration characterized by two (or more in higher vibration modes) nodes on the circumference of the component part remaining stationary while parts there-between oscillate. In small turbomachine, the stator ring is typically cast as a single small piece. Because of the size, it is not economical to produce a multiple vane stator ring since the individual vanes could be as small as ½ inch in length.
It is an object of the present invention to reduce vibrations in a stator vane ring of a small turbomachine.
A stator ring for a small turbomachine is made of a single piece with a plurality of vanes extending between an inner shroud ring and an outer shroud ring with the vanes connected between the inner and outer shroud rings. Adjacent vanes have a cut formed through either the inner ring or the outer ring, with a frictional damper held within the cut section by an annular outer band. The outer band holds the frictional damper between the adjacent shroud rings and function to dampen any vibrations. In another embodiment, no frictional damper is used but the cut between adjacent shroud rings is made narrow such that frictional rubbing of adjacent shroud ring ends function to dampen the vibrations.
A solid vane ring can be cast as a single piece, and then the cuts made in the shroud rings to provide for the damping effect. An outer band or an inner band is then placed over the shroud ring segments and the cut to hold the shroud ring segments together and the frictional damper if used.
A turbomachine, such as a compressor in a gas turbine engine, includes a stator vane ring assembly with a plurality of vanes extending from an outer ring shroud to and inner ring shroud, the vanes formed in an annular ring and function to guide the air into the rotor blades of the turbomachine.
In a second embodiment of the vane ring assembly 20 shown in
A third embodiment of the vane ring assembly 30 is shown in
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in
To form the vane guide assembly of any of the four embodiments described above, a solid vane ring assembly with inner ring and out ring is cast. A cut is made between adjacent vanes in the chosen inner or outer ring to form ring segments. If the V-shaped cut is made, then space must be sized to fit a frictional damper. The inner or outer band is then fitted around the ring segments. In the case of the cuts being formed in the inner ring, the inner band will be placed from the inside surface and made to expand outward to provide support for the inner ring segments. Because the inner ring provides a flow surface for the air passing through the vanes, the inner band would be in the flow field if placed outward of the inner ring. A groove could be cut in order to mount an inner ring flush with the upper surface of the inner ring segments if desired. The top of the inner band and the top of the inner ring would form a flush surface for the air to pass through the vanes.
In the vane ring assembly, the cuts could be formed in the rings at every location between adjacent vanes, or in an alternating arrangement like in every other segment of adjacent vanes. For example, one set of adjacent vanes could have a cut formed within the ring while the adjacent vanes on either side would not have a cut such that the inner ring or the out ring is continuous between adjacent vanes. If a vane ring assembly has 32 vanes, then 32 cuts would be made to form 32 ring segments. If every other vane was cut, then only 16 ring segments would be formed with two vanes per ring segment.
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