Segmented conduit with airfoil geometry

• US 10,641,115 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Colebrook, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dallo, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reinbold, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US15/689,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20190063241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 4152082, 4152982
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/26 Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/041 using blades F01D5/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/06 Fluid supply conduits to nozzles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/50 Building or constructing in particular ways
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/51 in a modular way, e.g. using several identical or complementary parts or features
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods

Abstract

A conduit that includes a first segment forming a first sidewall of the conduit and a second segment forming a second sidewall of the conduit. The first segment may include a first inner surface and a first outer surface and the second segment may include a second inner surface and a second outer surface. The first segment may be coupled to the second segment such that the first inner surface and the second inner surface jointly form an inner conduit surface and the first outer surface and the first inner surface jointly form at least a portion of an outer conduit surface, wherein the outer conduit surface has an airfoil geometry. The first segment and the second segment may be detachably coupled together.

Claims

1. A conduit comprising:

a first segment forming a first sidewall of the conduit, the first segment comprising a first inner surface and a first outer surface;

a second segment forming a second sidewall of the conduit, the second segment comprising a second inner surface and a second outer surface; and

a third segment and a fourth segment, wherein the third segment is monolithic with the fourth segment such that the third segment and the fourth segment comprise a common cap flange extending between the third segment and the fourth segment;

wherein the first inner surface and the second inner surface jointly form an inner conduit surface and the first outer surface and the second outer surface jointly form at least a portion of an outer conduit surface, wherein the outer conduit surface has an airfoil geometry;

wherein the third segment is in sliding longitudinal engagement with the first segment and the second segment and forms a leading edge portion of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface; and

wherein the fourth segment is in sliding longitudinal engagement with the first segment and the second segment and forms a trailing edge portion of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface.

2. The conduit of claim 1, wherein:

the first segment further comprises a first flange extending outward from the first outer surface;

the second segment further comprises a second flange extending outward from the second outer surface; and

in an assembled state the first flange and the second flange are configured to abut and engage the common cap flange.

3. The conduit of claim 2, wherein:

the first segment comprises a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge;

the second segment comprises a third longitudinal edge and a fourth longitudinal edge;

the third segment is in longitudinal sliding engagement with the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge such that the first longitudinal edge is coupled to the third longitudinal edge via the third segment; and

the fourth segment is in longitudinal sliding engagement with the second longitudinal edge and the fourth longitudinal edge such that the second longitudinal edge is coupled to the fourth longitudinal edge via the fourth segment.

4. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the third segment comprises one of a slot geometry and a complementary tab geometry, wherein the first longitudinal edge and the third longitudinal edge jointly form the other of the slot geometry and the complementary tab geometry.

5. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the fourth segment comprises one of a slot geometry and a complementary tab geometry, wherein the second longitudinal edge and the fourth longitudinal edge jointly form the other of the slot geometry and the complementary tab geometry.

6. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a first case structure;

a second case structure; and

a conduit extending between the first case structure and the second case structure, wherein the conduit comprises a plurality of detachably coupled segments that jointly form an outer conduit surface having an airfoil geometry;

wherein the plurality of detachably coupled segments comprises a first segment, a second segment, a third segment, and a fourth segment, wherein each of the first segment, the second segment, the third segment, and the fourth segment forms at least a portion of the outer conduit surface;

wherein the first segment forms a first sidewall of the conduit, the second segment forms a second sidewall of the conduit, the third segment forms a leading edge portion of conduit, and the fourth segment forms a trailing edge portion of the conduit; and

wherein the third segment is monolithic with the fourth segment such that the third segment and the fourth segment comprise a common cap flange extending between the third segment and the fourth segment.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the first segment at least partially forms one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface and the second segment at least partially forms the other of the upper surface and the lower surface of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7, wherein the third segment couples the first segment to the second segment and forms a leading edge portion of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface, wherein the fourth segment couples the first segment to the second segment and forms a trailing edge portion of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 7, wherein:

the first segment further comprises a first flange extending outward from the one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface;

the second segment further comprises a second flange extending outward from the other of the upper surface and the lower surface of the airfoil geometry of the outer conduit surface; and

in an assembled state the first flange and the second flange are configured to abut and engage the common cap flange.

10. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

inserting a first segment of a conduit through a first aperture formed in a first case structure of the gas turbine engine;

positioning at least one of an electronics cable and a tube for fluids relative to the first segment of the conduit;

inserting a second segment of the conduit through the first aperture formed in the first case structure of the gas turbine engine; and

sliding a monolithic element comprising a third segment and a fourth segment along respective longitudinal edges of the first segment and the second segment to couple the first segment to the second segment, wherein an outer conduit surface of the conduit has an airfoil geometry.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein positioning the at least one of the electronics cable and the tube for fluids comprises mounting the at least one of the electronics cable and the tube for fluids to the first segment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the monolithic element comprises a common cap flange extending between the third segment and the fourth segment, wherein sliding the monolithic element along the respective longitudinal edges of the first segment and the second segment comprises abutting and engaging the common cap flange against a first flange of the first segment and a second flange of the second segment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the at least one of the electronics cable and the tube for fluids is performed before sliding the monolithic element along the respective longitudinal edges of the first segment and the second segment.