DAMPER AND SEAL PIN ARRANGEMENT FOR A TURBINE BLADE

• US 20120237352A1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: BOYER, Bradley, COLLIER, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,905,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/221
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/006 Sealing the gap between rotor blades or blades and rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/22 Blade-to-blade connections, e.g. for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/26 Antivibration means not restricted to blade form or construction or to blade-to-blade connections or to the use of particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 416/50 Vibration damping features

Abstract

A bucket for a turbomachine rotor wheel includes an airfoil portion, a shank portion and a dovetail mounting portion, the shank portion including opposite sides, one of the sides formed with a substantially axially-oriented groove extending between forward and aft ends of the shank portion. The other one of the opposite sides is formed with at least one substantially radially-oriented groove. The substantially axially-oriented groove is adapted to receive an elongated damper pin, and the at least one substantially radially-oriented groove is adapted to receive an elongated radial seal pin.

Claims

1. A bucket pair in a turbomachine comprising:

a first bucket having a first airfoil portion and a first shank portion;

a second adjacent bucket having a second airfoil portion and a second shank portion adjacent said first shank portion;

a substantially axially-oriented groove in said first shank portion;

at least one substantially radially-oriented groove in said second shank portion;

an elongated damper pin seated in said at least one substantially axially-oriented groove in said first shank portion; and

an elongated radial seal pin seated in said at least one substantially radially-oriented groove in said second shank portion.

2. The bucket pair of claim 1 wherein said damper pin is of substantially uniformly round cross-section.

3. The bucket pair of claim 2 wherein said at least one radial seal pin is of substantially uniformly round cross-section.

4. The bucket pair of claim 1 wherein said damper pin is formed with a substantially uniformly round cross-section in a middle portion thereof and with reduced cross-section opposite end portions.

5. The bucket pair of claim 4 wherein said reduced cross-section opposite ends are substantially semi-circular in cross section.

6. The bucket pair of claim 3 wherein said radial seal pin is located at a forward end of said second shank portion.

7. The bucket pair of claim 3 wherein said radial seal pin is engaged with a substantially flat surface of said first shank portion.

8. The bucket pair of claim 1 wherein said elongated damper pin is engageable, in use, with angled wedge surfaces on each of said first and second shank portions.

9. The bucket pair of claim 7 wherein said elongated damper pin is engageable, in use, with angled wedge surfaces on each of said first and second shank portions.

10. The bucket pair of claim 1 wherein said elongated damper pin is engageable, in use, with an angled wedge surface on said first shank portion and a flat surface on said second shank portion.

11. A bucket for a turbomachine rotor wheel comprising:

an airfoil portion, a shank portion and a dovetail mounting portion, said shank portion including opposite sides, one of said sides formed with a substantially axially-oriented groove extending between forward and aft ends of said shank portion, and the other of said sides formed with a least one substantially radially-oriented groove, said substantially axially-oriented groove adapted to receive an elongated damper pin, and said at least one substantially radially-oriented groove adapted to receive an elongated radial seal pin.

12. The bucket of claim 11 wherein said substantially axially-oriented groove is formed with raised supporting surfaces at opposite ends of said substantially axially-oriented groove.

13. The bucket of claim 11 wherein said at least one substantially radially-oriented groove comprises first and second substantially radially-oriented grooves at forward and aft ends of said shank portion, adapted to receive first and second radial seal pins.

14. The bucket of claim 11 wherein said substantially radially-oriented groove is located at said forward end of said shank portion.

15. The bucket of claim 11 wherein said shank portion is formed with a substantially flat surface radially inward of said substantially axially-oriented groove.

16. The bucket of claim 11 wherein said substantially axially-oriented groove includes a flat support surface and an angled wedge surface.

17. A bucket and pin assembly for a turbine machine rotor wheel comprising:

a bucket formed with an airfoil portion, a shank portion and a dovetail mounting portion, said shank portion including opposite sides each adapted to face respective adjacent buckets when installed on a rotor wheel, one of said opposite sides of said shank portion formed with a substantially axially-oriented groove extending between forward and aft ends of said shank portion, and the other of said opposite sides formed with at least one substantially radially-oriented groove at a forward end of the bucket;

an elongated damper pin seated in said substantially axially-oriented groove, and a radial seal pin located in said at least one substantially radially-oriented groove.

18. The bucket and pin assembly of claim 17 wherein said substantially axially-oriented groove is formed with raised supporting surfaces at opposite ends of said substantially axially-oriented groove.

19. The bucket and pin assembly of claim 17 wherein said shank portion is formed with a substantially flat surface radially inward of said substantially axially-oriented groove.

20. The bucket and pin assembly of claim 17 wherein said substantially axially-oriented groove includes a flat support surface and an angled wedge surface.