TURBINE ROTOR

• US 3,873,234 A
• Filed: 11/06/1972
• Issued: 03/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Noel Penny
• Original Assignee: Robert Noel Penny
• Inventors: Penny, Robert Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Jr., Everette A.
• Application Number:
  US05/304,009
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 416/213,244A,95,193 415/114,115
• US Class Current: 416/97.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/021 for flow machines or engines with only one axial stage for more than one stage F01D5/06
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/08 Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means specially adapted for radial flow machines or engines F01D5/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/18 Hollow blades, i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/30 Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots ; Blade spacers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49321 Assembling individual fluid flow interacting members, e.g., blades, vanes, buckets, on rotary support member

Abstract

A turbine rotor in which each blade has a root in the form of a hollow box including a radially-outer wall forming a platform from which the blade extends, a radially-inner wall, by which the blade is secured to the periphery of a hub and radially-extending walls at each axial end of the box, the box having internal stiffening interconnecting the radially-inner and radially-outer walls intermediate the circumferential ends of the box. The stiffening may be an internal wall extending between the radially-inner and radially-outer walls and between the radiallyextending walls at each axial end of the box and dividing the box into two compartments. Alternatively the stiffening may be an insert of a metallic or ceramic sponge-like material filling the box and bonded to the walls of the box.

Claims

1. A turbine rotor comprising a hub and a plurality of blades formed separately of the hub and arranged circumferentially around the periphery of the hub, each blade having a root end in the form of a hollow box including a radially-outer wall forming a platform from which the blade extends, a radially-inner wall which abuts the periphery of the hub and is directly attached thereto, and radially-extending walls at each axial end of the box, the box having an internal wall interconnecting the radially-inner and radially-outer walls, and the radiallyextending walls at each axial end of the box, thereby dividing the box into two compartments, each open at the relevant circumferentially outer end of the box and at least some of the blades each having at least one passage therein extending from the interior of the box of the root end of the blade through the radially-outer wall forming the platform to a radially-outer part of the blade, the circumferential ends of the box-like roots of adjacent blades being spaced apart circumferentially to form spaces through which coolant can be introduced into the compartments of the box-like roots.

2. A rotor as claimed in claim 1 in which the passage in a blade communicates with at least one opening in the trailing edge of the blade.

3. A rotor as claimed in claim 1 in which the internal wall extends from the circumferential end of one of the radially-extending walls to the opposite circumferential end of the other of the radially-extending walls.

4. A rotor as claimed in claim 3 in which the internal wall of the box of each blade is an extension of the working part of the blade extending radially inwardly of the platform formed by the radially-outer wall of the box.

5. A gas turbine engine including a turbine rotor as claimed in claim 1 and having a ring of stator vanes positioned alongside the rotor and a plurality of nozzles positioned radially within the ring of stator vanes for introducing coolant through the spaces between the box-like roots of adjacent blades and into the compartments of the box-like roots between the radially-outer and the radially-inner walls.

6. A turbine rotor comprising a hub and a plurality of blades formed separately of the hub and arranged circumferentially around the periphery of the hub, each blade having a root end in the form of a hollow box including a radially-outer wall forming a platform from which the blade extends, a radially-inner wall which abuts the periphery of the hub and is directly attached thereto, and radially-extending walls at each axial end of the box, the box having an internal wall interconnecting the radially-inner and radially-outer walls and the radially-extending walls at each axial end of the box, thereby dividing the box into two compartments, each open at the relevant circumferentially outer end of the box, the circumferential ends of the box-like roots of adjacent blades being spaced apart circumferentially to form spaces through which coolant can be introduced into the compartments of the box-like roots.