Low weight nose cone assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344672-B2
Application number	US-201615342486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods of coupling a nose cone to a turbine machine. Nose cone assembly weight and coupling difficulty are each reduced by reducing or eliminating the number of bolts used to mount the nose cone to the turbine machine, as well as the support or retaining ring. The disclosed nose cone comprises a plurality of hub mounting elements including one or more bayonet flanges, two or more apertures defined by a flange forming an annular hub mating surface of the nose cone and configured to receive an fastener therethrough, and one or more pilot flanges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nose cone configured to be mounted to a hub in a turbo machine, said nose cone comprising:
a flange extending radially around a central axis and axially from an apex portion of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, said flange forming an annular hub mating surface at said base portion and having an outer surface defining an air flow path; and
a plurality of hub mounting elements comprising:
one or more bayonet flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said bayonet flanges being positioned inward from said hub mating surface and foil ling a hub engaging surface parallel to and facing in the opposite direction as said hub mating surface;
two or more apertures defined by said flange forming said annular hub mating surface, each of said apertures configured to receive a fastener therethrough and a balance weight, wherein the fastener secures the balance weight in position; and
one or more spring flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said spring flanges forming a hub engaging surface parallel to and facing in the same direction as said hub mating surface.

2. The nose cone of claim 1 further comprising one or more pilot flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said pilot flanges forming a hub engaging surface perpendicular to said hub mating surface.

3. The nose cone of claim 2 comprising an annular mounting member extending radially inward from said flange proximate said hub mating surface, said bayonet flanges and said pilot flanges extending axially from said mounting member.

4. The nose cone of claim 3 wherein each of said two or more apertures include a countersink configured to receive the balance weight.

5. The nose cone of claim 4 wherein each of said two or more apertures pass through said annular mounting member.

6. The nose cone of claim 1 wherein each hub engaging surface of said one or more bayonet flanges comprises a tapered surface.

7. The nose cone of claim 6 wherein said tapered surface comprises a parabolic taper.

8. The nose cone of claim 1 wherein said flange forming an annular hub mating surface defines a plurality of apertures each configured to receive a balancing weight and balancing weight fastener therein.

9. The nose cone of claim 1 wherein said flange extending radially around the central axis forms a parabolic outer surface of the nose cone.

10. The nose cone of claim 1 wherein said flange extending radially around the central axis forms a frustoconical outer surface of the nose cone.

11. A nose cone assembly in a turbo machine, said assembly comprising:
a turbo machine component comprising an annular hub extending radially around a central axis and forming a planar mounting surface, said hub comprising:
one or more bayonet retainers disposed around the circumference of said hub, said bayonet retainers extending radially inward from said hub and forming an engagement surface parallel to and facing the opposite direction as said planar mounting surface;
two or more mounting flanges disposed around the circumference of said hub, each of said mounting flanges extending axially forward from said planar mounting surface and defining an aperture configured to receive a fastener;
one or more pilot guides disposed around the circumference of said hub, said pilot guides extending radially inward from said hub and forming an engagement surface perpendicular to said planar mounting surface; and
one or more spring flange mating surfaces disposed around the circumference of said hub, said spring flange mating surfaces extending radially inward from said hub;
and
a nose cone mounted on said hub, said nose cone comprising a flange extending radially around the central axis and axially from an apex portion of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, said flange forming an annular hub mating surface at said base portion and having an outer surface defining an air flow path; and
a plurality of hub mounting elements comprising:
one or more bayonet flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said bayonet flanges being positioned radially inward from said hub mating surface and forming a hub engaging surface parallel to and facing in the opposite direction as said hub mating surface and being engaged with a respective engagement surface of a bayonet retainer disposed on said hub;
two or more apertures defined by said flange fainting said annular hub mating surface, each of said apertures configured to receive a fastener therethrough and a balance weight, wherein the fastener secures the balance weight in position, and wherein each of said apertures is engaged with said aperture of a respective one of said mounting flanges by said fastener;
one or more pilot flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said pilot flanges forming a hub engaging surface perpendicular to said hub mating surface and being engaged with a respective engagement surface of a pilot guide disposed on said hub; and
one or more spring flanges disposed around the circumference of said base portion, each of said spring flanges forming a hub engaging surface parallel to and facing in the same direction as said hub mating surface and being engaged with a respective engagement surface of a spring flange mating surface disposed on said hub.

12. The nose cone assembly of claim 11 further comprising two or more fasteners, each fastener secured through a respective one of said two or more apertures defined by said flange forming said annular hub mating surface and of a respective one of said aperture defined by said two or more mounting flanges.

13. The nose cone assembly of claim 12 wherein said two or more apertures defined by said flange forming said annular hub mating surface each include a countersink configured to receive the balance weight.

14. The nose cone assembly of claim 11 wherein each of said one or more pilot guides define an aperture configured to receive a balancing weight.

15. The nose cone assembly of claim 14 further comprising a balancing weight secured to said pilot guide by a fastener.

16. The nose cone of claim 11 further comprising an annular mounting member extending radially inward from the nose cone flange proximate said hub mating surface, said bayonet flanges and said pilot flanges extending axially from said mounting member.

17. The nose cone of claim 11 wherein said hub comprises a plurality of blades extending radially outward from a rotor.

18. A method of coupling a nose cone to a hub in a turbo machine having a central axis,
said nose cone comprising a flange extending radially around a central axis and axially from an apex portion of said nose cone to a base portion of said nose cone, said flange having an outer surface defining an air flow path, and a plurality of hub mounting elements disposed around a circumference of the nose cone base, said hub mounting elements including one or more bayonet flanges, one or more pilot flanges, and one or more spring flanges, said nose cone defining two or more nose cone apertures proximate the nose cone base and along the outer surface of said flange; and
said hub comprising a plurality of nose cone retention elements disposed proximate a planar mounting surface, said plurality of nose cone retention elements comprising one or more bayonet retainers, one or more pilot guides, one or more spring flange mating surfaces, and two or more mounting flanges each defining a respective mounting flange apert

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Scott Matthew A

Classifications

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F04D29/329

  Details of the hub · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05D2220/31

  in steam turbines · CPC title

• F03D1/0691

  of the hub · CPC title