Blade track assembly with turbine tip clearance control

• US 9,587,517 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Vetters, Daniel K., Doyle, Joseph, Jacquinto, Michael, Thibault, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Woody
• Application Number:
  US14/950,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20160186611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/08 for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/18 using stator or rotor components with predetermined thermal response, e.g. selective insulation, thermal inertia, differential expansion
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/24 by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/246 Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/04 forming ring or sector
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/64 using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centring, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/642 using maintaining alignment while permitting differential dilatation
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/11 Shroud seal segments
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/307 related to the tip of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/38 angled, e.g. sweep angle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbine shroud assembly or blade track assembly adapted to extend around a turbine wheel assembly is disclosed. The turbine shroud assembly includes a carrier and a blade track coupled to the carrier. The blade track is movable between a radially-inward position having a first inner diameter and a radially-outward position having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter.

Claims

1. A turbine shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine, the turbine shroud assembly comprising

a carrier configured to change size in response to a change in temperature, the carrier arranged around an engine axis to form a ring, the carrier formed to include a plurality of guide slots extending perpendicular to the engine axis,

a blade track concentric with the carrier made of a plurality of segments, the blade track movable between a radially-inward position having a first inner diameter and a radially-outward position having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter, and

a plurality of guide pins positioned in the guide slots for movement therein relative to the carrier, attached to the segments of the blade track for movement with the blade track relative to the carrier, and configured to couple the carrier to the blade track, wherein the guide pins are movable within the guide slots so that the segments of the blade track each move substantially inwardly and outwardly in a radial direction relative to the engine axis as the blade track moves between the radially-inward position and the radially-outward position in response to movement of the guide pins within the guide slots.

2. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide slots extend substantially only in the radial direction.

3. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 1, wherein (i) the plurality of segments of the blade track comprise a plurality of segments formed from ceramic matrix composite material, and (ii) the carrier comprises a plurality of metallic carrier segments.

4. A turbine shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine, the turbine shroud assembly comprising

a carrier configured to change size in response to a change in temperature, the carrier arranged around an engine axis to form a ring, the carrier formed to include a plurality of guide slots extending perpendicular to the engine axis,

a blade track concentric with the carrier made of a plurality of segments, the blade track movable between a radially-inward position having a first inner diameter and a radially-outward position having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter, and

a plurality of guide pins positioned in the guide slots and attached to the segments of the blade track to couple the carrier to the blade track, the guide pins movable within the guide slots so that the segments of the blade track each move substantially inwardly and outwardly in a radial direction relative to the engine axis as the blade track moves between the radially-inward position and the radially-outward position, wherein the carrier is further formed to include (i) a plurality of first mover slots each circumferentially spaced clockwise from corresponding adjacent guide slots and (ii) a plurality of second mover slots each circumferentially spaced counterclockwise from corresponding adjacent guide slots.

5. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 4, wherein the carrier includes a plurality of carrier segments, and at least one of the plurality of carrier segments is formed to include one of the plurality of guide slots, one of the plurality of first mover slots, one of the plurality of second mover slots.

6. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 4, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first mover axis, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second mover axis, and (iii) the first mover axis and the second mover axis intersect at a point arranged radially outward of the guide slots.

7. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 4, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first mover axis, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second mover axis, and (iii) the first mover axis and the second mover axis intersect at a point arranged radially inward of the guide slots.

8. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 4, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first cam path, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second cam path, and (iii) the first cam path mirrors a corresponding second cam path when viewed about a corresponding guide axis.

9. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 4, further comprising (i) a plurality of first mover pins positioned in the first mover slots and attached to segments of the blade track to couple the carrier to the segments of the blade track and (ii) a plurality of second mover pins positioned in the second mover slots and attached to the segments of the blade track to couple the carrier to the segments of the blade track, wherein the first and second mover pins move together within their respective mover slots in response to expansion and contraction of the carrier to move the segments of the blade track inwardly and outwardly in the radial direction.

10. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 9, wherein corresponding first and second mover pins are equidistant from a corresponding guide pin as corresponding first and second mover pins move within their respective mover slots.

11. A turbine shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine, the turbine shroud assembly comprising

a carrier configured to change size in response to a change in temperature, the carrier arranged around an engine axis to form a ring, the carrier including a plurality of carrier segments each having (i) a guide slot extending perpendicular to the engine axis, (ii) a first mover slot circumferentially spaced a first distance from the guide slot, and (iii) a second mover slot circumferentially spaced a second distance equal to the first distance from the guide slot,

a blade track concentric with the carrier made of a plurality of segments, and

a plurality of fasteners attached to the segments of the blade track and the carrier segments to couple the segments of the blade track to the carrier segments, one of the plurality of fasteners being positioned in each of the guide slot, the first mover slot, and the second mover slot of each carrier segment, the fasteners positioned in the respective slots of each carrier segment being movable together in their respective slots in response to a change in size of the carrier to cause the plurality of segments of the blade track to move inwardly and outwardly in a radial direction relative to the engine axis.

12. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 11, wherein (i) the first mover slot is circumferentially spaced clockwise from the guide slot of each carrier segment, and (ii) the second mover slot is circumferentially spaced counterclockwise from the guide slot of each carrier segment.

13. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 12, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first mover axis, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second mover axis, and (iii) the first mover axis and the second mover axis intersect at a point arranged radially outward of each of the guide slots.

14. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 12, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first mover axis, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second mover axis, and (iii) the first mover axis and the second mover axis intersect at a point arranged radially inward of each of the guide slots.

15. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 12, wherein (i) each of the first mover slots extends along a first arc, (ii) each of the second mover slots extends along a second arc, and (iii) the first arc mirrors the second arc when viewed about a guide axis defined by the guide slot of each carrier segment.

16. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the carrier segments is symmetrical about a guide axis defined by the guide slot.

17. The turbine shroud assembly of claim 11, wherein (i) the plurality of segments of the blade track comprise a plurality of segments formed from ceramic matrix composite material, and (ii) the plurality of carrier segments of the carrier comprise a plurality of metallic carrier segments.

18. A method of coupling a carrier of a turbine shroud assembly of a gas turbine engine to a blade track of the turbine shroud assembly, the method comprising

arranging the carrier concentric with the blade track about an engine axis of the as turbine engine so that the carrier extends around the engine axis to surround the blade track, and

coupling the carrier to the blade track to (i) resist movement of the blade track relative to the carrier around the engine axis and (ii) allow movement of the blade track relative to the carrier in a radial direction relative to the engine axis in response to a change in temperature of the carrier,

wherein (i) at least one carrier segment of the carrier is formed to include a guide slot extending substantially only in the radial direction, (ii) at least one blade track segment of the blade track is formed to include an aperture, and (iii) coupling the carrier to the blade track comprises coupling the at least one carrier segment of the carrier to the at least one blade track segment of the blade track by inserting a fastener through the guide slot and the aperture.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein (i) the at least one carrier segment of the carrier is formed to include a first mover slot circumferentially spaced clockwise from the guide slot and a second mover slot circumferentially spaced counterclockwise from the guide slot so that the at least one carrier segment is symmetrical about the guide slot, (ii) the at least one blade track segment is formed to include a second aperture and a third aperture, and (iii) coupling the carrier to the blade track comprises coupling the at least one carrier segment of the carrier to the at least one blade track segment of the blade track by inserting fasteners through the first mover slot and the second aperture and also through the second mover slot and the third aperture.