Impeller shroud with pneumatic piston for clearance control in a centrifugal compressor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A compressor shroud assembly in a turbine engine, the compressor shroud assembly comprising:
- a static compressor casing;
an air piston mounted to said casing, said air piston comprising a chamber adapted to receive actuating air;
an aft extending mounting arm coupled to said air piston, wherein said aft extending mounting arm moves axially while maintaining a radial alignment when said air piston is actuated; and
an impeller shroud for encasing a rotatable centrifugal compressor, the impeller shroud coupled at a forward end to said casing by a slidable coupling that maintains an air boundary during the full range of axial movement of said impeller shroud, the impeller shroud mounted proximate an aft end to said aft extending mounting arm, said impeller shroud moving relative to the rotatable centrifugal compressor in an axial direction while maintaining a radial alignment when said air piston is actuated.
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Abstract
A system for controlling the clearance distance between an impeller blade tip of a centrifugal compressor and a radially inner surface of an impeller shroud in a turbine engine. The system comprises a high pressure air source, an air piston mounted between an engine casing and the shroud and adapted to receive high pressure air from the high pressure air source, a mounting arm coupling the shroud and air piston, and a slidable coupling adapted to allow axial movement of the shroud and joining the shroud to an axial member.
15 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A compressor shroud assembly in a turbine engine, the compressor shroud assembly comprising:
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a static compressor casing; an air piston mounted to said casing, said air piston comprising a chamber adapted to receive actuating air; an aft extending mounting arm coupled to said air piston, wherein said aft extending mounting arm moves axially while maintaining a radial alignment when said air piston is actuated; and an impeller shroud for encasing a rotatable centrifugal compressor, the impeller shroud coupled at a forward end to said casing by a slidable coupling that maintains an air boundary during the full range of axial movement of said impeller shroud, the impeller shroud mounted proximate an aft end to said aft extending mounting arm, said impeller shroud moving relative to the rotatable centrifugal compressor in an axial direction while maintaining a radial alignment when said air piston is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A compressor shroud assembly in a turbine engine, the compressor shroud assembly comprising:
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a static compressor casing; an air piston mounted to said casing, said air piston comprising a chamber adapted to receive actuating air; an aft extending mounting arm coupled to said air piston, wherein said aft extending mounting arm moves axially while maintaining a radial alignment when said air piston is actuated; an impeller shroud for encasing a centrifugal compressor, the impeller shroud mounted at a forward end to said casing and mounted proximate an aft end to said aft extending mounting arm, said impeller shroud moving relative to the rotatable centrifugal compressor in a cantilevered manner from said forward end thereof when said air piston is actuated, said impeller shroud moving radially inward and axially aft at a central portion of the impeller shroud; and a chamber bounded in part by said casing and at least a portion of said impeller shroud, wherein said air piston and said aft extending mounting arm are disposed within said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of dynamically changing a clearance gap between a rotatable centrifugal compressor and an impeller shroud encasing the rotatable centrifugal compressor, said method comprising:
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mounting a pressure-actuated piston to a static casing; mounting the impeller shroud to the piston, the impeller shroud slidably coupled to the casing; and actuating the piston to thereby move the impeller shroud relative to a rotatable centrifugal compressor, wherein the slidable coupling between said impeller shroud and said casing maintains an air boundary during the full range of axial movement of said impeller shroud. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification