Flow splitter for gas turbine engine

• US 8,833,087 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Rice, Edward Claude, Bloom, Stuart, Louie, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, CRAIG SANG
• Application Number:
  US12/290,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20100101230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 607/51, 607/96, 608/00, 607/98, 415/211.2
• US Class Current: 60/796
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/04 forming ring or sector
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/06 Fluid supply conduits to nozzles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26

Abstract

A splitter is disclosed that can be coupled with a splitter support and used within a diffuser of a gas turbine engine. The splitter includes apertures for receiving a portion of the splitter support. The splitter support includes support arms that are adapted to be slidingly received within the apertures of the splitter.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a gas turbine engine having a compressor;

a flow splitter disposed within a flow path between a radially inner wall and radially outer wall of the gas turbine engine and having upper and lower surfaces for splitting a flow of working fluid from the compressor, the flow splitter also having fastener portions disposed on opposing circumferential ends operable to be connected to the gas turbine engine;

a radially oriented splitter support structured to be coupled to and support the flow splitter;

a fastener assembly used to connect the opposing circumferential ends of the flow splitter to the radially oriented splitter support of the gas turbine engine, the fastener assembly operable by way of a protrusion in one of the flow splitter and splitter support, the protrusion oriented in a circumferential direction translatingly received within an aperture of the other of the flow splitter and splitter support, the aperture oriented in a circumferential direction; and

a diffuser located downstream of the compressor and upstream from a combustor, wherein the flow splitter is disposed within the diffuser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow splitter is disposed within the diffuser, and wherein the compressor is an axial flow compressor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fastener assembly is a splitter support having the protrusion, wherein the flow splitter includes the aperture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the splitter support is coupled with a diffuser strut located in the diffuser.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the splitter support is attached to a trailing edge of the diffuser struts.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the splitter support includes a base, wherein the protrusion extends away from the base.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the protrusion is a first protrusion, and wherein the splitter support includes a second protrusion, the first protrusion and the second protrusion operable to support the flow splitter and a second splitter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each include two extensions that extend from two arms.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastener assembly further includes a resilient member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, which further includes a plurality of splitters disposed circumferentially around an annulus of the gas turbine engine.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a gas turbine engine flow splitter having a semi-annular shape that extends between a first arc end and a second arc end and mount points disposed at the first arc end and the second arc end that are operable to be circumferentially slidably engageable with a support within a gas turbine engine, the flow splitter operable to split a flow of working fluid within the gas turbine engine, the support oriented radially and having a support mount point that is complementary to the first arc end mount point of the gas turbine engine flow splitter, the support mount point structured to be circumferentially slidably engageable with the first arc end mount point of the flow splitter, wherein one of the support mount point and the first arc end mount point of the splitter is configured as a protrusion, and the other of the support mount point and the first arc end mount point of the splitter is configured as an aperture that receives the protrusion; and

wherein the gas turbine engine flow splitter is located downstream of a compressor and upstream of a combustor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, which further includes a gas turbine engine having the gas turbine engine flow splitter and wherein the compressor is an axial flow compressor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the gas turbine engine flow splitter is operable to split a flow of working fluid into a plurality of streams.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of streams pass through channels formed in part by the flow splitter, the channels providing a diffusion to the plurality of streams.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mount points includes a first mount point formed as an opening operable to receive the structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gas turbine engine flow splitter includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a blunt base, the blunt base located on a downstream side of the gas turbine engine flow splitter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the blunt base includes a cross member operable to couple the top surface to the bottom surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support includes an extension operable to engage the flow splitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the flow splitter includes an aperture having a complementary shape of the extension in the support.