Retaining of centring keys for rings under variable angle stator vanes in a gas turbine engine

• US 20060056963A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Abadie, Aude, Bromann, Alain Marc Lucien, Piot, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/191
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/001 for sealing space between stator blade and rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/162 for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line F01D17/167 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/042 fixing blades to stators fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/64 using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centring, e.g. pins

Abstract

The present invention concerns a gas turbine engine comprising at least one compressor stage with an inner ring under variable angle stator vanes comprising axial keys for centring said inner ring with respect to said stator vanes, and comprising at least one sealing member support mounted on the inner ring. It is characterized by the fact that said keys comprise a transverse groove cooperating with a radial rib arranged transverse to the engine axis on the periphery of the support for the sealing member.

Claims

1. Gas turbine engine comprising at least one compressor stage with an inner ring under variable angle stator vanes comprising axial keys for centring said inner ring with respect to said stator vanes, and comprising at least one sealing member support mounted on the inner ring, characterized by the fact that the said keys comprise a transverse groove cooperating with a radial rib arranged crosswise to the engine axis on the periphery of the support of the sealing member.

2. Engine as in claim 1 whose radial rib also cooperates with a groove having a radial opening arranged in the inner ring perpendicular to the engine axis.

3. Engine as in claim 2, whose said groove with radial opening forms an intersection with the housing for keys in the inner ring.

4. Engine as in claim 1, whose radial rib is joined to a cylindrical portion of said support.

5. Engine as in claim 1, in which the support of the sealing member also comprises tongue and groove connection means with the inner ring.

6. Engine as in claim 5 whose tongue is axial and arranged on the support and said groove has an axial opening and is arranged on the inner ring.

7. Engine as in claim 5 whose tongue is axial and arranged on the support, and said groove has an axial opening and is arranged on the inner ring, the sealing member being offset overhanging the inner ring.

8. Engine as in claim 5 whose tongue is axial and arranged on the inner ring and the groove has an axial opening and is arranged on the support, the sealing member being offset overhanging the ring.

9. Engine as in claims 2 and 5, whose groove with radial opening and the connection means are arranged either side of the pivots of the stator vanes one upstream and the other downstream, the sealing member being arranged underneath the inner ring.

10. Engine as in claims 2 and 5 whose groove with radial opening and connection means are arranged on one same side with respect to the pivots, the sealing member lying underneath the inner ring.