Turbine damper

• US 9,279,332 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhang, Qingxuan M., Meier, Andrew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Craig
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lambert, Wayne A
• Application Number:
  US13/485,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130323058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/22 Blade-to-blade connections, e.g. for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/26 Antivibration means not restricted to blade form or construction or to blade-to-blade connections or to the use of particular materials

Abstract

A damper for a turbine rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a width dimension, a height dimension, and a length dimension, and includes a forward plate and an aft plate. The aft plate is larger than the forward plate along the width and height dimensions and includes an upper portion, which has a non-symmetric configuration and extends in the height dimension. The damper further includes a longitudinal structure extending in the length dimension and connecting the forward plate and the aft plate.

Claims

1. A damper for a turbine rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a width dimension, a height dimension, and a length dimension;

a forward plate;

an aft plate being larger than the forward plate along the width and height dimension and having an upper portion extending in the height dimension, the upper portion having a non-symmetric configuration;

wherein the upper portion includes an upper point that includes an upper most top surface of the upper portion forming a straight profile that is generally perpendicular to a central axis extending in the height dimension of the aft plate through the upper portion and through a lower portion of the aft plate;

wherein the upper portion, including the upper point, has a generally constant length along the length dimension;

wherein the upper portion includes a first side with a first straight profile portion, and a second side with a second straight profile portion, the first and second sides being separated by the central axis of the aft plate extending in the height dimension of the aft plate, the first straight profile portion extending along a line below the upper point and in a direction that intersects the central axis at a different location than that of the second straight profile portion; and

a longitudinal structure extending in the length dimension and connecting the forward plate and the aft plate.

2. The damper of claim 1, wherein the upper portion has a width that decreases along the height dimension.

3. The damper of claim 2, wherein the upper point includes a generally right angle profile including the uppermost top surface on the first side of the upper portion.

4. The damper of claim 3, wherein the upper point includes an obtuse angle profile including the uppermost top surface on the second side of the upper portion.

5. The damper of claim 1, further including a generally rectangular-shaped discourager extending aft in the length dimension from the aft plate.

6. The damper of claim 5, wherein the discourager extends further in the width dimension than the upper portion.

7. The damper of claim 6, wherein the discourager extends from one side of he aft plate to an opposite side of the aft plate.

8. The damper of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal structure has a generally constant width.

9. The damper of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the aft plate is generally rectangular-shaped.

10. The damper of claim 9, wherein the lower portion includes a generally straight profile portion that is generally perpendicular to the central axis extending in the height dimension of the aft plate.

11. The damper of claim 10, wherein the lower portion includes a width that is greater than a width of the upper portion.

12. A damper for a turbine rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a width dimension, a height dimension, and a length dimension;

a forward plate;

an aft plate including

a larger area than the forward plate along the width and height dimension,

a lower portion including a generally rectangular-shaped portion,

a generally rectangular-shaped discourager extending aft in the length dimension from the aft plate, and

an upper portion having a non-symmetric configuration and having an upper point that is offset with respect to a central axis of the aft plate extending in the height dimension through the upper portion and through a lower portion of the aft plate, wherein the upper portion includes an uppermost top surface of the upper portion forming a straight profile that is generally perpendicular to the central axis, the upper portion, including the upper point, having generally constant length along the length dimension, the upper portion including a first side with a first straight profile portion, and a second side with a second straight profile portion, the first and second sides being separated by the central axis of the aft plate extending in the height dimension of the aft plate, the first straight profile portion extending along a line below the upper point and in a direction that intersects the central axis at a different location than that of the second straight profile portion;

a longitudinal structure extending in the length dimension and connecting the forward plate and the aft plate; and

wherein the longitudinal structure is positioned substantially entirely between the forward plate and the upper point with respect to the length dimension.

13. The damper of claim 12, wherein the discourager and the lower portion have a width that is greater than a width of the upper portion.

14. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a turbine rotor assembly, the turbine rotor assembly including

a turbine rotor having a plurality of turbine blade slots,

a plurality of turbine blades having an airfoil, a platform, and a root structure, the root structure of each turbine blade shaped to be received in a corresponding turbine blade slot of the turbine rotor,

an under-platform gap formed adjacent and below the platforms of adjacent turbine blades, and

an under-platform cavity formed between an outer radial surface of the rotor and adjacent turbine blade root structures, and below adjacent turbine blade platforms; and

a turbine damper located within at east one of the under platform cavities, the turbine damper including

a width dimension, a height dimension, and a length dimension;

a forward plate sized to provide a forward flow gap into the under-platform cavity and the under-platform gap;

an aft plate sized to cover a portion of the under-platform cavity and a portion of the under-platform gap; and

wherein an upper portion of the aft plate has a non-symmetric configuration and includes an upper point that includes an uppermost top surface of the upper portion forming a straight profile that is generally perpendicular to a central axis extending in the height dimension of the aft plate through the upper portion and through a lower portion of the aft plate, the upper portion, including the upper point, having a generally constant length along the length dimension, the upper point configured to cover the portion of the under-platform gap, and the upper portion includes a first side with a first straight profile portion, and a second side with a second straight profile portion, the first and second sides being separated by the central axis of the aft plate extending in the height dimension of the aft plate, the first straight profile portion extending along a line below the upper point and in a direction that intersects the central axis at a different location than that of the second straight profile portion.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14, wherein the aft plate is sized to cover substantially all of an aft end of the under platform cavity and the under-platform gap.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein the under-platform gap is offset.