Retaining of centering keys for rings under variable angle stator vanes in a gas turbine engine

• US 7,458,771 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Bromann, Alain Marc Lucien, Abadie, Aude, Piot, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn; Igor
• Application Number:
  US11/221,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 415/29, 415/155, 415/159, 415/160, 415/162, 415/170.1
• US Class Current: 415/160
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/001 for sealing space between stator blade and rotor
• 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 9/042 fixing blades to stators fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/64 using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centring, e.g. pins

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes at least one compressor stage with an inner ring under variable angle stator vanes including axial keys for centering the inner ring with respect to the stator vanes, and including at least one sealing member support mounted on the inner ring. The keys include a transverse groove cooperating with a radial rib arranged transverse to the engine axis on the periphery of the support for the sealing member.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising at least one compressor stage with an inner ring under variable angle stator vanes comprising axial keys for centering said inner ring with respect to said stator vanes, and comprising at least one sealing member support that supports a sealing member and that is mounted on the inner ring, wherein said keys comprise a transverse groove cooperating with a radial rib housed in said groove and arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said engine on the periphery of the sealing member support.

2. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein said radial rib further cooperates with a groove having a radial opening arranged in the inner ring perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said engine.

3. A gas engine as in claim 2, wherein said groove in said inner ring with said radial opening forms an intersection with the housing for keys in the inner ring.

4. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein said radial rib is integerally joined to a portion of said sealin member support.

5. A gas engine as in claim 1, further comprising a suuport connection that connects the sealing member support to the inner ring, said support connection including a tongue and a groove.

6. A gas engine as in claim 5, wherein said tongue of said support connection is axial and arranged on the sealing member support and said groove of said support connenction has an axial opening and is arranged on the inner ring.

7. A gas engine as in claim 5, wherein said tongue of said support connection is axial and arranged on the sealing member support, and said groove of said support connection has an axial opening and is arranged on the inner ring, the sealing member being offset overhanging the inner ring.

8. A gas engine as in claim 5, wherein said tongue of said support connection is axial and arranged on the inner ring and the groove of said support connection has an axial opening and is arranged on the sealing member support, the sealing member being offset overhanging the ring.

9. A gas engine as in claims 5, wherein said groove with said radial opening and the support connection are arranged on either side of pivots of the stator vanes one upstream and another downstream, the sealing member being arranged underneath the inner ring.

10. A gas engine as in claims 5, wherein said groove with said radial opening and said support connection means are arranged on one same side with respect to the pivotsof the stator vanes, the sealing member lying underneath the inner ring.

11. A gas engine as in claim 1, further comprising two rotor stages, each rotor stage comprising a plurality of rotor blades, wherein said inner ring is part of a stator stage and is arranged between said two rotor stages, and wherein said sealing member cooperates with rotor elements joined to one of said rotor stages so as to limit fluid leaks between said stator stage and said rotor stage during steady state operation of said engine.

12. A gas engine as in claim 11, wherein said sealing member includes an abradable material that wears when said rotor elements contact said abradable material of the sealing member during said steady state operation of said engine.

13. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein each of said stator vanes is pivotable about a pivot axis, each pivot axis being in a radial plane and said radial rib being parallel to said radial plane.

14. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein said radial rib extends radially outward away from said support and toward said stator vanes.

15. A gas engine as in claim 14, wherein said keys are distributed around said inner ring.

16. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein said sealing member cooperates with mating sealing members on a rotor of said engine so as to oppose gas back-flow towards upstream of said engine.

17. A gas engine as in claim 1, wherein said radial rib is arranged on the periphery of the sealing member support such that said radial rib is upstream of said sealing member and upstream of a downstream end of said keys.

18. A gas engine as in claim 17, wherein each of said stator vanes is pivotable about a pivot axis, and said radial rib is downstream of each pivot axis.