Anti-rotation stator vane assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465712-B2
Application number	US-201615270773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2016
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A vane assembly may comprise an engine case and an anti-rotation lug coupled to the engine case. The anti-rotation lug may have a forward end and an aft end. A vane cluster may be supported within the engine case. The vane cluster may include an outer shroud with a first slot defined by a forward flange of the outer shroud and with a second slot defined by an aft flange of the outer shroud. The second slot may be configured to receive the aft end of the anti-rotation lug from first direction and wherein the aft flange may be configured to block receipt of the anti-rotation lug from a second direction, which is opposite the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vane assembly, comprising:
an engine case;
an anti-rotation lug coupled to the engine case, the anti-rotation lug having a forward end comprising a non-tapered geometry and an aft end comprising a tapered geometry, wherein the anti-rotation lug is at least one of integrally formed with the engine case or attached to the engine case via a fastener; and
a vane cluster supported within the engine case, wherein the vane cluster includes an outer shroud and a plurality of vanes coupled to the outer shroud, the outer shroud comprising a first slot defined by a forward flange of the outer shroud and a second slot defined by an aft flange of the outer shroud;
wherein a geometry of the second slot is complementary to the tapered geometry of the aft end of the anti-rotation lug and a width of the second slot decreases in a forward to aft direction, and wherein the geometry and the width of the second slot allow the aft end of the anti-rotation lug to be inserted into the second slot from a first axial direction and block the aft end of the anti-rotation lug from being inserted into the second slot from a second axial direction, which is opposite the first axial direction.

2. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the width of the second slot at an aft end of the second slot is less than a width of the first slot.

3. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein an aft edge of the aft flange forms an aft wall of the second slot, wherein the aft wall extends radially outward from a radially inward floor of the second slot and circumferentially between a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the second slot.

4. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vane cluster is positioned adjacent to a radially inner surface of the engine case.

5. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first axial direction is directed from the forward flange toward the aft flange of the outer shroud.

6. The vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second axial direction is directed from the aft flange toward the forward flange of the outer shroud.

7. A compressor section, comprising:
a compressor case;
an anti-rotation lug coupled to the compressor case, wherein the anti-rotation lug is at least one of integrally formed with the compressor case or attached to the compressor case via a fastener, the anti-rotation lug having a forward end comprising a non-tapered geometry and an aft end comprising a tapered geometry; and
a vane cluster including an outer shroud and a plurality of vanes coupled to the outer shroud, the outer shroud including a forward flange and an aft flange, wherein the outer shroud is supported within the compressor case, and wherein the forward flange defines a first slot and the aft flange defines a second slot;
wherein a geometry of the second slot is complementary to the tapered geometry of the aft end of the anti-rotation lug and a width of the second slot decreases in a forward to aft direction, and wherein the geometry and the width of the second slot allow the aft end of the anti-rotation lug to be inserted into the second slot from a first axial direction and block the aft end of the anti-rotation lug from being inserted into the second slot from a second axial direction, which is opposite the first axial direction.

8. The compressor section of claim 7 , wherein an aft edge of the aft flange forms an aft wall of the second slot, wherein the aft wall extends radially outward from a radially inward floor of the second slot and circumferentially between a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the second slot.

9. The compressor section of claim 7 , wherein the first axial direction is directed from the forward flange toward the aft flange of the outer shroud.

10. The compressor section of claim 9 , wherein the second axial direction is directed from the aft flange toward the forward flange of the outer shroud.

11. The compressor section of claim 7 , wherein the vane cluster further includes an inner shroud mounted to the plurality of vanes.

12. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
an engine section comprising at least one of a compressor section or a fan section, the engine section comprising:
an engine case,
an anti-rotation lug coupled to the engine case, the anti-rotation lug having a forward end comprising a non-tapered geometry and an aft end comprising a tapered geometry, and
a vane cluster supported within the engine case, wherein the vane cluster includes an outer shroud, the outer shroud comprising a first slot defined by a forward flange of the outer shroud and a second slot defined by an aft flange of the outer shroud,

wherein a geometry of the second slot is complementary to the tapered geometry of the aft end of the anti-rotation lug, and wherein the geometry of the second slot allows the aft end of the anti-rotation lug to be inserted into the second slot from a first axial direction and blocks the aft end of the anti-rotation lug from being inserted into the second slot from a second axial direction, which is opposite the first axial direction.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the second slot comprises a tapered opening that narrows toward an aft end of the second slot.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein an aft edge of the aft flange forms an aft wall of the second slot, wherein the aft wall extends radially outward from a radially inward floor of the second slot and circumferentially between a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the second slot.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the first axial direction is directed from the forward flange toward the aft flange of the outer shroud and wherein the second axial direction is directed from the aft flange toward the forward flange of the outer shroud.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Freeman Thomas

Classifications

• F05D2240/1281

  Plug nozzles · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F01D9/042 Primary

  fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246) · CPC title

• F05D2240/80

  Platforms for stationary or moving blades · CPC title

• F01D25/246

  Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings · CPC title