Gas turbine engine balancing

• US 4,817,455 A
• Filed: 10/15/1987
• Issued: 04/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Buxe, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luong, Vinh
• Application Number:
  US07/108,612
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 74/573 R, 74/572, 74/574, 415/119 X, 415/500, 415/219 C, 415/219 R, 415/219 B, 415/219 A, 416/144 X, 416/500 X
• US Class Current: 416/144
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/027 Arrangements for balancing for balancing rotating bodies in general F16F15/32; for compensating unbalance G01M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/32 Correcting- or balancing-weights or equivalent means for balancing rotating bodies, e.g. vehicle wheels suppression of vibrations in rotating systems by using freely rotating masses F16F15/14; compensation of inertia forces F16F15/22; compensating unbalance for testing purposes G01M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 416/50 Vibration damping features

Abstract

A snap ring substantially uniform corss section is placed within a groove in a rotor disk of a bladed rotor. Unbalance of the bladed rotor with the ring installed is determined. The snap ring is removed for grinding to correct the unbalance and reinstalled at the same location grinding on or near the rotor is thereby avoided.

Claims

1. A bladed rotor balance arrangement comprising:

a bladed rotor having a circumferential axially extending cylindrical extension;

an inwardly facing groove in said cylindrical extension having a rounded ring receiving surface at the root thereof around the inner periphery of said extension;

a locking protrusion located on said extension adjacent to said groove at one location only;

a resilient split balancing ring of initial substantially uniform cross section, formed to mate with said rounded ring receiving surface, and having an interlocking protrusion at one location only, said locking protrusion and said interlocking protrusion formed to interlock with each other; and

said resilient split balancing ring removably located in said groove with said locking protrusion and said interlocking protrusion engaged, whereby said ring may be removed for balance grinding and replaced in the identical position.

2. The arrangement of claim 1:

said ring having a reduced thickness in the area of interlocking protrusion in an amount to compensate for the additional weight of said interlocking protrusion.