Blade clearance control for gas turbine engine
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a gas turbine engine bladed turbomachinery component centered on a first axis and operable to rotate about said first axis, said bladed turbomachinery component including an inner base and a plurality of blades extending radially outward from said inner base and also extending along said first axis, wherein a plurality of fluid channels are respectively defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of blades;
a flow path forming component encircling said bladed turbomachinery component and substantially enclosing a radially outward side of said blades along said first axis;
a pivoting member circumferentially extending about said first axis and adjacent to at least part of said flow path forming component along said first axis;
an actuator operably engaged with said pivoting member to pivot said pivoting member about said first axis;
at least one cam engaged with said pivoting member; and
at least one cam follower engaged with said flow path forming component, wherein pivoting movement of said pivoting member about said first axis results in said at least one cam urging said at least one cam follower and said flow path forming component along said first axis to vary a distance between said plurality of blades and said flow path forming component.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling a clearance between the blades of a turbomachinery component and flow forming surface are disclosed herein, and includes controlling the clearance by moving the surface axially relative to the turbomachinery component. In one embodiment the apparatus includes an impeller rotatable about a first axis, a shroud encircling the impeller, and a first ring encircling the first axis. An actuator is operably engaged with the first ring to pivot the first ring about the first axis. The apparatus also includes at least one cam engaged with the first ring and at least one cam follower engaged with the shroud. Pivoting movement of the first ring about the first axis results in the at least one cam urging the at least one cam follower and the shroud along the first axis to vary a distance between the plurality of blades and the shroud.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a gas turbine engine bladed turbomachinery component centered on a first axis and operable to rotate about said first axis, said bladed turbomachinery component including an inner base and a plurality of blades extending radially outward from said inner base and also extending along said first axis, wherein a plurality of fluid channels are respectively defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of blades; a flow path forming component encircling said bladed turbomachinery component and substantially enclosing a radially outward side of said blades along said first axis; a pivoting member circumferentially extending about said first axis and adjacent to at least part of said flow path forming component along said first axis; an actuator operably engaged with said pivoting member to pivot said pivoting member about said first axis; at least one cam engaged with said pivoting member; and at least one cam follower engaged with said flow path forming component, wherein pivoting movement of said pivoting member about said first axis results in said at least one cam urging said at least one cam follower and said flow path forming component along said first axis to vary a distance between said plurality of blades and said flow path forming component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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spinning a gas turbine engine bladed component within a flow path surface about a first axis to change a pressure of a working fluid; moving a pivoting member about the first axis in a circumferential direction; interacting a cam and a cam follower as the pivoting member moves circumferentially; and axially adjusting the flow path surface to adjust a clearance between the flow path surface and the gas turbine engine bladed component as a result of the interacting. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A turbine engine comprising:
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a gas turbine engine bladed turbomachinery component centered on a first axis and operable to rotate about said first axis, said bladed turbomachinery component including a base and plurality of blades extending radially outward from said base and also extending along said first axis, wherein a plurality of fluid channels are respectively defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of blades; a flow path forming surface encircling said bladed turbomachinery component and substantially enclosing an outward side of said blades; a pivoting member encircling said first axis and adjacent to at least part of said flow path forming surface along said first axis; an actuator operably engaged with said pivoting member to pivot said pivoting member about said first axis; a plurality of cams engaged with and spaced from one another about said pivoting member; and a plurality of cam followers engaged with and spaced from one another about said flow path forming surface, wherein pivoting movement of said pivoting member about said first axis results in each of said plurality of cams urging a corresponding one of said plurality of cam followers and said flow path forming surface along said first axis to vary a distance between said plurality of blades and said flow path forming surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification