Tip sealing for a turbine rotor blade

• US 7,118,329 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Goodman, Peter Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Dwayne J
• Application Number:
  US10/989,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050220627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 415/173.1, 415/173.5, 415/92, 415/189, 415/191, 415/192, 415/195, 415/196.R, 415/235, 416/92, 416/189, 416/191, 416/192, 416/195, 416/196.R, 416/235
• US Class Current: 415/173.1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/10 using sealing fluid, e.g. steam
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/20 Specially-shaped blade tips to seal space between tips and stator F01D5/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/55 Seals

Abstract

An unshrouded rotor blade 24 comprising an aerofoil 28, said aerofoil 28 having a leading edge 34, a trailing edge 36, a pressure surface 30 and a suction surface 32, there being provided at a radially outer extremity of the aerofoil 28 a gutter 40 which is wider than the aerofoil 28 adjacent the trailing edge 36 thereof, wherein at least a part of the gutter 40 is offset towards the aerofoil pressure surface 30.

Claims

1. An unshrouded rotor blade, comprising an aerofoil, said aerofoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure surface and a suction surface, there being provided at a radially outer extremity of the aerofoil a gutter which is wider than the aerofoil adjacent the trailing edge thereof, wherein at least a part of the gutter is offset toward the aerofoil pressure surface,

wherein the gutter predominantly overhangs the aerofoil pressure surface.

2. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gutter overhangs only the aerofoil pressure surface.

3. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gutter overhangs the aerofoil pressure surface adjacent the aerofoil trailing edge.

4. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gutter is between 1 percent and 15 percent of the total aerofoil height.

5. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gutter is between 5 percent and 10 percent of the total aerofoil height.

6. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gutter is 6 percent of the total aerofoil height.

7. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gutter overhangs the aerofoil pressure surface from a point located at between 30 percent and 70 percent aerofoil chord to the trailing edge.

8. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 7, wherein the gutter overhangs the aerofoil pressure surface from a point located at about 50 percent aerofoil chord to the trailing edge.

9. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein, adjacent the trailing edge of the aerofoil between 70 percent to 90 percent of the gutter width extends beyond the aerofoil pressure surface.

10. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 9, wherein, adjacent the trailing edge of the aerofoil, between 75 percent to 85 percent of the gutter width extends beyond the aerofoil pressure surface.

11. An unshrouded blade as claimed in claim 10, wherein, adjacent the trailing edge of the aerofoil, 80 percent of the width of the gutter extends beyond the aerofoil pressure surface.