Turbine discs and methods of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10584594-B2
Application number	US-201615179594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A turbine disc having a radius and a circumference is provided. The turbine disc includes a central aperture and a plurality of cooling channels circumferentially spaced about the central aperture such that the cooling channels are in flow communication with the central aperture. Each of the cooling channels has a radially inner end, a radially outer end, and a lengthwise axis that is curved between the radially inner end and the radially outer end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine disc having a radius and a circumference, said turbine disc comprising:
a central aperture;
a plurality of cooling channels circumferentially spaced about said central aperture such that said cooling channels are in flow communication with said central aperture, wherein each of said cooling channels has a radially inner end, a radially outer end, and a lengthwise axis that is curved between said radially inner end and said radially outer end; and
a shoulder extending circumferentially around said central aperture and through said plurality of cooling channels, said shoulder comprises a plurality of first shoulder segments adjacent to said plurality of cooling channels and a plurality of second shoulder segments within said plurality of cooling channels, wherein said plurality of first shoulder segments and said plurality of second shoulder segments each extend from said turbine disc, and wherein said plurality of first shoulder segments are axially displaced from said plurality of second shoulder segments.

2. A turbine disc in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said lengthwise axis is oriented substantially tangential to said central aperture at said radially inner end.

3. A turbine disc in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a plenum segment extending circumferentially about said central aperture.

4. A turbine disc in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said turbine disc is a spacer disc.

5. A turbine disc in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of said cooling channels has an edge including a substantially straight segment extending across said shoulder.

6. A turbine disc in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of said cooling channels has a substantially uniform width along said lengthwise axis from said radially inner end to said radially outer end.

7. A method of fabricating a turbine disc having a radius and a circumference, said method comprising:
forming a central aperture in a turbine disc;
forming a plurality of cooling channels in the turbine disc such that the cooling channels are circumferentially spaced about the central aperture in flow communication with the central aperture, wherein each of the cooling channels has a radially inner end, a radially outer end, and a lengthwise axis that is curved between the radially inner end and the radially outer end; and
forming a shoulder in the turbine disc such that the shoulder extends circumferentially around the central aperture and through the plurality of cooling channels, the shoulder comprises a plurality of first shoulder segments adjacent to the plurality of cooling channels and a plurality of second shoulder segments within the plurality of cooling channels, wherein the plurality of first shoulder segments and the plurality of second shoulder segments each extend from the turbine disc, and wherein the plurality of first shoulder segments are axially displaced from the plurality of second shoulder segments.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising forming each of the cooling channels such that the lengthwise axis is oriented substantially tangential to the central aperture at the radially inner end.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising forming a plenum segment in the turbine disc such that the plenum segment extends circumferentially about the central aperture.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising forming the turbine disc as a spacer disc.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising forming each of the cooling channels with an edge having a substantially straight segment extending across the shoulder.

12. A method in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising forming each of the cooling channels with a substantially uniform width along the lengthwise axis from the radially inner end to the radially outer end.

13. A gas turbine assembly comprising:
a rotor disc; and
a spacer disc coupled to said rotor disc, wherein said spacer disc has a radius and a circumference, said spacer disc comprising:
a central aperture;
a plurality of cooling channels circumferentially spaced about said central aperture such that said cooling channels are in flow communication with said central aperture, wherein each of said cooling channels has a radially inner end, a radially outer end, and a lengthwise axis that is curved between said radially inner end and said radially outer end; and
a shoulder extending circumferentially around said central aperture and through said plurality of cooling channels, said shoulder comprises a plurality of first shoulder segments adjacent to said plurality of cooling channels and a plurality of second shoulder segments within said plurality of cooling channels, wherein said plurality of first shoulder segments and said plurality of second shoulder segments each extend from said turbine disc, and wherein said plurality of first shoulder segments are axially displaced from said plurality of second shoulder segments.

14. A gas turbine assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said lengthwise axis is oriented substantially tangential to said central aperture at said radially inner end.

15. A gas turbine assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said spacer disc further comprises a plenum segment extending circumferentially about said central aperture.

16. A gas turbine assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein each of said cooling channels has an edge including a substantially straight segment extending across said shoulder.

17. A gas turbine assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein each of said cooling channels has a substantially uniform width along said lengthwise axis from said radially inner end to said radially outer end.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Neeli Sudhakar
• Eldrid Sacheverel Quentin
• Young Robert Cormack
• Pulanecki Mariusz Robert

Classifications

• F05D2230/00

  Manufacture · CPC title

• F05D2250/71

  curved · CPC title

• F01D5/187 Primary

  Convection cooling · CPC title

• F01D5/087 Primary

  in the radial passages of the rotor disc · CPC title

• F01D5/066

  Connecting means for joining rotor-discs or rotor-elements together, e.g. by a central bolt, by clamps · CPC title