Variable geometry turbine

• US 8,764,388 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Roberts, Tom J, Holroyd, Robert L
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiehe, Nathaniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lambert, Wayne A
• Application Number:
  US13/055,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20110123316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 415/150, 415/157, 415/158, 606/02, 298/892.1, 295/250.1, 295/251.3
• US Class Current: 415/158
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/143 the shiftable member being a wall, or part thereof of a radial diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/167 of vanes moving in translation
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/22 by varying cross-section of exhaust passages or air passages , e.g. by throttling turbine inlets or outlets or by varying effective number of guide conduits F02B37/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/24 by using pumps or turbines with adjustable guide vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49321 Assembling individual fluid flow interacting members, e.g., blades, vanes, buckets, on rotary support member

Abstract

A variable geometry turbine comprises: a turbine wheel (5) in a housing (1) for rotation about a turbine axis, an annular inlet passage (9) defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members (11, 12), at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage; an array of vanes (14) extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member; a complementary array of vane slots (28) defined by the second wall member, said vane slots configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members; the second wall member comprising at least two axially adjacent co-axial plates (29, 30), a first plate (29) defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by a second plate (30) so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate being fixed to said second plate.

Claims

1. A variable geometry turbine comprising:

a turbine wheel supported in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage;

an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member;

a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots being configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members;

wherein the second wall member comprises at least two axially adjacent co-axial plates, a first of said plates defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by a second of said plates so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate being fixed to said second plate; and

wherein the second wall member comprises at least a third co-axial plate that is axially adjacent to said second plate, said third plate defining a third array of openings which overlie the second array of openings defined by the second plate so as to further define said array of vane slots.

2. A turbine according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape transverse to said turbine axis of at least one of the openings in said first array of openings more closely matches the cross-sectional shape transverse to said turbine axis of the vane that said at least one opening is arranged to receive than the cross-sectional shape transverse to said turbine axis of at least one of the openings in said third array of openings.

3. A turbine according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape transverse to said turbine axis of at least one of the openings in said third array of openings substantially matches the cross-sectional shape transverse to said turbine axis of at least one of the openings in said second array of openings.

4. A turbine according to claim 3, wherein said at least one opening in said third array of openings axially overlies said at least one opening in said second array of openings to further define one slot of said array of vanes slots.

5. A turbine according to claim 1, wherein one of said second and third plates defines at least one further axially extending projection configured for receipt in a complementary recess defined by the other of the second and third plates.

6. A turbine according claim 1, wherein said second wall member defines a circumferential groove extending around the radially outermost edge of the second wall member, said groove arranged to receive a locating ring to retain the second wall member within the turbine housing.

7. A turbine according to claim 6, wherein the first and third plates possess larger respective diameters than the second plate, such that the difference in the diameters of the three plates at least partly defines said circumferential groove.

8. A turbine according to claim 1 wherein the third plate is fixed to the second plate.

9. A turbine according to claim 8, wherein the third plate is laminated to the second plate.

10. A turbine according to claim 8, wherein the third plate is fixed to the second plate by an adhesive, braze, rivet, screw, or weld.

11. A variable geometry turbine comprising:

a turbine wheel supported in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage;

an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member;

a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots being configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members;

wherein the second wall member comprises at least two axially adjacent co-axial plates, a first of said plates defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by a second of said plates so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate being fixed to said second plate;

wherein said first plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said first array of openings, said first segment being displaceable relative to said second segment within a major plane of the first plate; and

wherein each of said segments comprises generally radially extending leading and trailing edges connected by radially inner and outer edges;

wherein said second plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said second array of openings, said first segment of the second plate being displaceable relative to said second segment of the second plate within a major plane of the second plate.

12. A turbine according to claim 11, wherein said first segment of the first plate axially overlies said first segment of the second plate.

13. A turbine according to claim 11, wherein each of said segments of the second plate comprises generally radially extending leading and trailing edges connected by radially inner and outer edges.

14. A variable geometry turbine comprising:

a turbine wheel supported in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage;

an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member;

a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots being configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members;

wherein the second wall member comprises at least two axially adjacent co-axial plates, a first of said plates defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by a second of said plates so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate being fixed to said second plate; and

wherein said first plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said first array of openings, said first segment being displaceable relative to said second segment within a major plane of the first plate; and

wherein each of said segments comprises radially extending leading and trailing edges connected by radially inner and outer edges; and

wherein at least one of said leading and trailing edges is curved relative to a radial line passing through said segment and the turbine axis; and

wherein said second plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said second array of openings, said first segment of the second plate being displaceable relative to said second segment of the second plate within a major plane of the second plate; and

wherein a clearance is defined between the leading edge of one segment of the first plate and the trailing edge of a neighboring segment of the first plate; and

wherein a further clearance is defined between the leading edge of one segment of the second plate and the trailing edge of a neighboring segment of the second plate.

15. A turbine according to claim 14, wherein said first segment of the second plate is circumferentially offset with respect to said first segment of the first plate such that said clearance defined between segments of the first plate is circumferentially offset with respect to said further clearance defined between segments of the second plate.

16. A variable geometry turbine comprising:

a turbine wheel supported in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage;

an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member;

a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots being configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members;

wherein the second wall member comprises a first plate defining a first array of openings so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate comprising first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said first array of openings, said first segment being displaceable relative to said second segment within a major plane of the first plate;

wherein the second wall member comprises a second plate which is positioned axially adjacent to the first plate and said second plate being arranged co-axially with respect to said first plate, the first plate defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by the second plate so as to define said array of vane slots; and

wherein said second plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said second array of openings, said first segment of the second plate being displaceable relative to said second segment of the second plate within a major plane of the second plate.

17. A turbine according to claim 16, wherein said first segment of the first plate axially overlies said first segment of the second plate.

18. A turbine according to claim 16, wherein each of said segments of the second plate comprises generally radially extending leading and trailing edges connected by radially inner and outer edges.

19. A variable geometry turbine comprising:

a turbine wheel supported in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage;

an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member;

a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots being configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members;

wherein the second wall member comprises a first plate defining a first array of openings so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate comprising first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said first array of openings, said first segment being displaceable relative to said second segment within a major plane of the first plate; and

wherein the second wall member further comprises a second plate that is positioned axially adjacent to the first plate and said second plate being arranged co-axially with respect to said first plate, the first plate defining a first array of openings that overlie a second array of openings defined by the second plate so as to define said array of vane slots; and

wherein said second plate comprises first and second segments defining respective first and second openings from said second array of openings, said first segment of the second plate being displaceable relative to said second segment of the second plate within a major plane of the second plate; and

wherein a clearance is defined between the leading edge of one segment of the first plate and the trailing of a neighboring segment of the first plate; and

wherein a further clearance is defined between the leading edge of one segment of the second plate and the trailing edge of a neighboring segment of the second plate.

20. A turbine according to claim 19, wherein said first segment of the second plate is circumferentially offset with respect to said first segment of the first plate such that said clearance defined between segments of the first plate is circumferentially offset with respect to said further clearance defined between segments of the second plate.