Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced turbine rotor blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508546-B2
Application number	US-201715710109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A turbomachine includes a turbine section including a turbine, the turbine having a plurality of turbine rotor blades spaced along the axial direction, each turbine rotor blade extending generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end. The plurality of turbine rotor blades includes a first turbine rotor blade; and a second turbine rotor blade spaced from the first turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the first turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the second turbine rotor blade. The plurality of turbine rotor blades additionally includes a third turbine rotor blade spaced from the second turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial inner end of the second turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial inner end of the third turbine rotor blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbomachine defining a radial direction and an axial direction, the turbomachine comprising:
a spool; and
a turbine section comprising a turbine, the turbine having a plurality of turbine rotor blades spaced along the axial direction, each turbine rotor blade extending generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end, the plurality of turbine rotor blades comprising
a first turbine rotor blade, wherein the first turbine rotor blade is coupled to the spool at the inner end of the first turbine rotor blade through a first support member assembly;
a second turbine rotor blade spaced from the first turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the first turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the second turbine rotor blade; and
a third turbine rotor blade spaced from the second turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial inner end of the second turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial inner end of the third turbine rotor blade.

2. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the first turbine rotor blade, the second turbine rotor blade, and the third turbine rotor blade are each spaced sequentially along the axial direction.

3. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of turbine rotor blades is a first plurality of turbine rotor blades, and wherein the turbine further comprises a second plurality of turbine rotor blades, wherein the second plurality of turbine rotor blades includes at least one turbine rotor blade positioned between the first and second turbine rotor blades of the first plurality of turbine rotor blades or between the second and third turbine rotor blades of the first plurality of turbine rotor blades.

4. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of turbine rotor blades is a plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades, wherein the turbine further comprises a plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades, wherein each of the high-speed turbine rotor blades extend generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end, and wherein the plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades comprises:
a first high-speed turbine rotor blade; and
a second high-speed turbine rotor blade spaced from the first high-speed turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, wherein the radial inner end of the first high-speed turbine rotor blade is coupled to the radial inner end of the second high-speed turbine rotor blade.

5. The turbomachine of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades further comprises:
a third high-speed turbine rotor blade spaced from the second high-speed turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the second high-speed turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the third high-speed turbine rotor blade.

6. The turbomachine of claim 5 , wherein the first high-speed turbine rotor blade is positioned between the first and second low-speed turbine rotor blades along the axial direction, wherein the second high-speed turbine rotor blade is positioned forward of the third low-speed turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, and wherein the third high-speed turbine rotor blade is positioned between the second and third low-speed turbine rotor blades along the axial direction.

7. The turbomachine of claim 4 , wherein the turbine further comprises a stage of turbine stator vanes positioned between the second and third low-speed turbine rotor blades along the axial direction.

8. The turbomachine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gearbox, wherein the plurality of turbine rotor blades is a first plurality of turbine rotor blades, and wherein the turbine further comprises a second plurality of turbine rotor blades, wherein the first plurality of turbine rotor blades and the second plurality of turbine rotor blades are rotatable with one another through the gearbox.

9. The turbomachine of claim 8 , wherein the first plurality of turbine rotor blades are configured to rotate in a first circumferential direction, and wherein the second plurality of turbine rotor blades are configured to rotate in a second circumferential direction opposite the first circumferential direction.

10. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second turbine rotor blades are mechanically coupled through an outer drum, and wherein the second and third turbine rotor blades are mechanically coupled through an inner drum.

11. A turbine for a turbine section of a turbomachine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the turbine comprising:
a spool; and
a plurality of turbine rotor blades spaced along the axial direction, each turbine rotor blade extending generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end, the plurality of turbine rotor blades comprising
a first turbine rotor blade, wherein the first turbine rotor blade is coupled to the spool at the inner end of the first turbine rotor blade through a first support member assembly;
a second turbine rotor blade spaced from the first turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the first turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the second turbine rotor blade; and
a third turbine rotor blade spaced from the second turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial inner end of the second turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial inner end of the third turbine rotor blade.

12. The turbine of claim 11 , wherein the first turbine rotor blade, the second turbine rotor blade, and the third turbine rotor blade are each spaced sequentially along the axial direction.

13. The turbine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of turbine rotor blades is a first plurality of turbine rotor blades, and wherein the turbine further comprises a second plurality of turbine rotor blades, wherein the second plurality of turbine rotor blades includes at least one turbine rotor blade positioned between the first and second turbine rotor blades of the first plurality of turbine rotor blades or between the second and third turbine rotor blades of the first plurality of turbine rotor blades.

14. The turbine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of turbine rotor blades is a plurality of low-speed turbine rotor blades.

15. The turbine of claim 14 , wherein the turbine further comprises a plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades, wherein each of the high-speed turbine rotor blades extend generally along the radial direction between a radial inner end and a radial outer end, and wherein the plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades comprises:
a first high-speed turbine rotor blade; and
a second high-speed turbine rotor blade spaced from the first high-speed turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, wherein the radial inner end of the first high-speed turbine rotor blade is coupled to the radial inner end of the second high-speed turbine rotor blade.

16. The turbine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of high-speed turbine rotor blades further comprises:
a third high-speed turbine rotor blade spaced from the second high-speed turbine rotor blade along the axial direction, the radial outer end of the second high-speed turbine rotor blade coupled to the radial outer end of the third high-speed turbine rotor blade.

17. The turbine of claim 16 , wherein the first high-speed turbine rotor blade is positioned between the first and second low-speed turbine rotor blades along the axial direction, wherein the second high-speed turbine rotor blade is po

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Pankaj Peeyush
• Puranik Shashank Suresh
• Zatorski Darek Tomasz
• Glynn Christopher Charles
• Schmidt Richard

Classifications

• F01D25/164

  Flexible supports; Vibration damping means associated with the bearing · CPC title

• F01D1/26

  traversed by the working-fluid substantially axially · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F02C7/06 Primary

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title