INLET GUIDE VANE

• US 20100068045A1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Schott, Carl Gerard, Thermos, Anthony Constantine, Blohm, Marc Edward, Chaluvadi, Venkata Siva
• Granted Patent: US 7,985,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/191
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/162 for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line F01D17/167 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/04 forming ring or sector
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/74 given by a set or table of xyz-coordinates

Abstract

An inlet guide vane having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of x, y, and z set forth in TABLE 1 reduces vibration of engine components at various operating conditions. A scaling factor can be applied to the values to make the airfoil larger or smaller. The TABLE 1 x and y values are distances in inches within a tolerance which, when connected by smooth curves, define airfoil profile sections at each distance z in inches, the profile sections being joined smoothly to form a complete airfoil shape. The tolerance in an embodiment is up to about 0.16 inches.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, at least a portion of the article comprising an airfoil having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of x, y, and z set forth in TABLE 1 and a scaling factor, and wherein x and y are distances in inches, within a tolerance, which, when connected by smooth curves, define airfoil profile sections at each distance z in inches, the profile sections at the z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the airfoil is an inlet guide vane.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 2 wherein said article shape lies in an envelope within 0.16 inches in a direction normal to any article surface location.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 further comprising a top shaft portion extending from an initial plane of the article manufacture away from the airfoil and a bottom shaft portion extending from a terminal plane of the article of manufacture away from the airfoil coaxial with the top shaft portion such that the airfoil is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the top and bottom shaft portions.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the scaling factor is 1.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the tolerance is ±

0.16 inches.

7. A gas turbine comprising an inlet having a plurality of articles of manufacture, each of said articles of manufacture including an airfoil having an airfoil shape, the airfoil having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of x, y, and z set forth in TABLE 1 and a scaling factor, wherein x and y are distances in inches, within a tolerance, which, when connected by smooth curves, define the airfoil profile sections at each distance z in inches, the profile sections at the z distances being joined with one another with smooth surfaces to form a complete airfoil shape.

8. A gas turbine of claim 7, wherein at least one airfoil is an inlet guide vane.

9. The gas turbine of claim 7 wherein each article of manufacture further comprises coaxial top and bottom shaft portions non-rotatably projecting away from respective ends of the airfoil.

10. The gas turbine of claim 9 wherein the top shaft portions are rotatably mounted in one of a casing and a center structure of the gas turbine and the bottom shaft portions are rotatably mounted in another of the casing and the center structure of the gas turbine, the gas turbine further comprising at least one actuator configured to rotate at least one of the shaft portions.

11. The gas turbine of claim 7 wherein the scaling factor is 1.

12. The gas turbine of claim 7 wherein the tolerance is ±

0.16 inches.

13. A gas turbine comprising an inlet having a plurality of articles of manufacture disposed therein, each of said articles of manufacture including an airfoil having an uncoated nominal airfoil profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of x, y, and z set forth in TABLE 1, wherein x and y are distances in inches, within a tolerance, which, when connected by smooth curves, define airfoil profile sections at each distance z in inches, the profile sections at the z distances being joined with one another with smooth surfaces to form a complete airfoil shape, the x and y distances being scalable as a function of a scaling factor to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down inlet guide vane airfoil.

14. The gas turbine of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of articles of manufacture further comprises top and bottom shaft portions projecting away from respective ends of the inlet guide vane airfoil, the top and bottom shaft portions being rotatably mounted in respective ones of a casing and a center structure of the gas turbine.

15. The gas turbine of claim 13 further comprising at least one actuator configured to rotate at least one of the shaft portions, thereby controlling an angle of attack of at least one respective inlet guide vane airfoil.

16. The gas turbine of claim 13 wherein the scaling factor is 1.

17. The gas turbine of claim 13 wherein the tolerance is ±

0.16 inches.