Turbomachine blade assemblies

• US 10,443,421 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: McCaffrey, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sosnowski, David E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zamora Alvarez, Erica J
• Application Number:
  US14/803,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/006 Sealing the gap between rotor blades or blades and rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/147 Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/22 Blade-to-blade connections, e.g. for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/30 Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots ; Blade spacers
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/3007 of axial insertion type
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/303 in a circumferential slot
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/30 in turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/55 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/57 Leaf seals
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/30 Arrangement of components
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/70 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbomachine blade can include a blade root defining a plurality of feather seal slots on a lateral portion thereof. The plurality of seal slots includes two leg slots, each leg slot extending radially, and a cross member slot extending axially. An airfoil portion extends radially from the blade root.

Claims

1. A turbomachine blade, comprising:

a blade root having a dove-tail slot defined therein;

a plurality of feather seal slots on a lateral portion of the blade root, the plurality of feather seal slots being defined to straddle the dove-tail slot and comprise two leg slots, each leg slot extending radially with respect to the blade root, and a cross member slot extending axially with respect to the blade root, wherein the cross member slot is separate from each of the leg slots and is in proximity to a radial outward end of each of the leg slots, and wherein the plurality of feather seal slots are not fully enclosed; and

an airfoil portion extending radially from the blade root.

2. The blade of claim 1, wherein one of the leg slots is a forward leg slot and the other is an aft leg slot such that the forward leg slot is positioned axially forward of the aft leg slot.

3. The blade of claim 2, wherein the cross member slot extends axially forward beyond the forward leg slot and aft of the aft leg slot.

4. The blade of claim 2, wherein the cross member slot includes a forward bend at least partially extending around the radial outward end of the forward leg slot.

5. The blade of claim 2, wherein the cross member slot includes an aft bend at least partially extending around the radial outward end of the aft leg slot.

6. The blade of claim 1, wherein the cross member slot is radially outboard of the leg slots.

7. The blade of claim 1, wherein each leg slot has a variable thickness such that the thickness of the leg slot increases from a radially inward end to the radially outward end thereof.

8. The blade of claim 1, wherein the cross member slot is defined in between the leg slots.

9. A turbomachine blade assembly, comprising:

at least two turbomachine blades assembled adjacent each other and defining a gap therebetween, each blade assembly including;

a blade root having a dove-tail slot defined therein;

a plurality of feather seal slots on a lateral portion of the blade root, the plurality of feather seal slots being defined to straddle the dove-tail slot and comprise two leg slots, each leg slot extending radially with respect to the blade root, and a cross member slot extending axially with respect to the blade root, wherein the cross member slot is separate from each of the leg slots and is in proximity to a radial outward end of each of the leg slots, and wherein the plurality of feather seal slots are not fully enclosed; and

an airfoil portion extending radially from the blade root; and

three feather seals including a cross member seal and two leg seals, each feather seal seated in a respective one of the slots for sealing the gap.

10. The blade assembly of claim 9, wherein one of the leg seals is a forward leg seal and the other is an aft leg seal such that the forward leg seal is positioned axially forward of the aft leg seal.

11. The blade assembly of claim 10, wherein the cross member seal extends axially forward beyond the forward leg seal and aft of the aft leg seal.

12. The blade assembly of claim 10, wherein the cross member seal includes a forward bend at least partially extending around an end of the forward leg seal.

13. The blade assembly of claim 10, wherein the cross member seal includes an aft bend at least partially extending around an end of the aft leg seal.

14. The blade assembly of claim 9, wherein the cross member seal is radially outboard of the leg seals.

15. The blade assembly of claim 9, wherein each leg seal has a variable thickness such that the thickness of the leg seal increases from a radially inward end to a radially outward end thereof.

16. The blade assembly of claim 9, wherein the cross member seal is disposed between the leg slots.