Clearance control assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132187-B2
Application number	US-201414910341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A clearance control assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a clearance control ring to position a blade outer air seal assembly radially relative to a blade tip. The clearance control ring is compression fit to the blade outer air seal assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. A clearance control assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a clearance control ring to position a blade outer air seal assembly radially relative to a blade tip, wherein the clearance control ring is compression fit to the blade outer air seal assembly; and
a heat shield having a portion radially outside the clearance control ring and a portion that directly contacts the clearance control ring.

2. The clearance control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clearance control ring is compression fit to a radially outward facing land of the blade outer air seal assembly.

3. The clearance control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clearance control ring is positioned axially between a radially extending flange of the blade outer air seal and an inner diffuser case.

4. The clearance control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clearance control ring has a generally “T” shaped cross section.

5. The clearance control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clearance control ring comprises a cap portion and a stem portion extending radially from the cap portion, the stem portion having an axial width that is less than an axial width of the cap portion.

6. The clearance control assembly of claim 5 , wherein the stem portion is radially inside the cap portion.

7. The clearance control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clearance control ring is mechanically unfastened.

8. A clearance control assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a blade outer air seal assembly mechanically fastened to a gas turbine engine structure;
a clearance control ring to position the blade outer air seal relative to an array of blade tips, the clearance control ring being compression fit to the blade outer air seal; and
a heat shield radially outside the clearance control ring, the heat shield including a portion directly contacting the clearance control ring.

9. The clearance control assembly of claim 8 , wherein the blade outer air seal assembly comprises an axial span connecting a seal portion to a fastener flange.

10. The clearance control assembly of claim 9 , wherein the fastener flange is positioned upstream a vane array relative to a direction of flow through the gas turbine engine and the seal portion is positioned downstream the vane array.

11. The clearance control assembly of claim 8 , wherein the blade outer air seal assembly includes a ring alignment flange that limits movement of the clearance control ring in a first axial direction.

12. The clearance control assembly of claim 11 , including a spacer that limits movement of the clearance control ring in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.

13. The clearance control assembly of claim 12 , wherein the spacer is positioned axially between an inner diffuser case and the clearance control ring.

14. The clearance control assembly of claim 8 , wherein blade outer air seal comprises a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the clearance control ring comprises a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

15. The clearance control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second material comprises a superalloy.

16. A method of controlling blade tip clearances within a gas turbine engine, comprising:
compression fitting a clearance control ring to a blade outer air seal assembly;
contracting the clearance control ring to limit radial expansion of the blade outer air seal; and
contacting the clearance control ring with a heat shield, the heat shield including a portion that is radially outside the clearance control ring.

17. The method of claim 16 , limiting axial movement of the clearance control ring using a flange extending radially from the blade outer air seal assembly.

18. The method of claim 16 , including mechanically fastening the blade outer air seal to a gas turbine engine structure at a first position, and contacting the clearance control ring at a second position, the first and second positions on opposing axial sides of a vane of the gas turbine engine.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Tatman Neil L
• Rioux Philip Robert

Classifications

• F05D2240/11

  Shroud seal segments · CPC title

• F05D2300/50212

  dissimilar · CPC title

• F01D11/16 Primary

  by self-adjusting means (F01D11/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F01D25/246 Primary

  Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings · CPC title