Stator assembly with retention clip for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655502-B2
Application number	US-201715606005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A stator assembly of a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first shroud extending about an axis to bound a flow path. The first shroud defines a first shroud opening. An airfoil has an airfoil body extending from a first end portion. The first end portion is received in the first shroud opening and defines at least one airfoil opening. At least one retention clip has an arcuate portion extending from a first elongated leg portion. The first elongated leg portion and the arcuate portion are received through the at least one airfoil opening such that the at least one retention clip limits movement of the airfoil relative to the first shroud.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stator assembly of a gas turbine engine comprising:
a first shroud extending about an axis to bound a flow path, the first shroud defining a first shroud opening;
an airfoil including an airfoil body extending from a first end portion, the first end portion received in the first shroud opening and defining at least one airfoil opening; and
at least one retention clip including an arcuate portion extending from a first elongated leg portion, the first elongated leg portion and the arcuate portion received through the at least one airfoil opening such that the at least one retention clip limits movement of the airfoil relative to the first shroud; and
wherein the first shroud bounds a radially inner portion of the flow path, and a second shroud bounds a radially outer portion of the flow path.

2. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein a length of the first elongated leg portion tapers toward the arcuate portion.

3. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retention clip includes an intermediate portion connecting the first elongated leg portion and a second elongated leg portion.

4. The stator assembly as recited in claim 3 , wherein the intermediate portion extends a first length and the arcuate portion extends a second, different length such that a free end of the arcuate portion is offset from an axis defined by the second elongated leg portion.

5. The stator assembly as recited in claim 3 , wherein the intermediate portion extends outward from the first and second elongated leg portions.

6. The stator assembly as recited in claim 3 , wherein the at least one airfoil opening includes a pair of airfoil openings, and the intermediate portion spans between the pair of airfoil openings when the at least one retention clip is located in an installed position.

7. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first elongated leg portion includes at least one undulation that abuts against the first end portion of the airfoil when the at least one retention clip is located in an installed position.

8. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , comprising a retention member formed adjacent to the first end portion to trap the at least one retention clip.

9. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly is situated in a bypass duct.

10. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan section including a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an engine axis;
a compressor section in fluid communication with the fan section;
a turbine section driving the fan section; and
a stator assembly comprising:
a first shroud and a second shroud each extending about the engine axis, the first shroud defining an array of first openings, and the second shroud defining an array of second openings;
a plurality of airfoils each including an airfoil body extending between first and second end portions, the first end portion situated in a respective one of the array of first openings, and the second end portion situated in a respective one of the array of second openings, and the first end portion defining at least one airfoil opening; and
a plurality of retention clips each including an arcuate portion extending from a first elongated leg portion, the first elongated leg portion and the arcuate portion of a respective one of the plurality of retention clips received through the at least one airfoil opening of the respective first end portion to limit movement of the plurality of airfoils;
wherein each of the plurality of retention clips includes an intermediate portion connecting the first elongated leg portion and second elongated leg portion; and
wherein the intermediate portion extends outward from the first and second elongated leg portions.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the stator assembly is situated in bypass flow path aft of the fan section.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the stator assembly is an inlet guide vane assembly forward of the compressor section.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , comprising a first retention member formed adjacent to each first end portion to trap the plurality of retention clips.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein each second end portion receives a respective one of the plurality of retention clips to limit movement of the plurality of airfoils.

15. The stator assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein the intermediate portion extends a first length and the arcuate portion extends a second, different length such that a free end of the arcuate portion is offset from an axis defined by the second elongated leg portion.

16. The stator assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein the at least one airfoil opening includes a pair of airfoil openings, and the intermediate portion spans between the pair of airfoil openings when the at least one retention clip is located in an installed position.

17. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein:
the at least one airfoil opening includes first and second airfoil openings;
a free end of the arcuate portion is received through the first airfoil opening, the second elongated leg portion is received through the second airfoil opening, and the intermediate portion spans between the first and second airfoil openings when the respective one of the plurality of retention clips is located in an installed position.

18. A stator assembly of a gas turbine engine comprising:
a first shroud extending about a first axis to bound a flow path, the first shroud defining a first shroud opening;
an airfoil including an airfoil body extending from a first end portion, the first end portion received in the first shroud opening and defining at least one airfoil opening; and
at least one retention clip including an arcuate portion extending from a first elongated leg portion, and including an intermediate portion connecting the first elongated leg portion and a second elongated leg portion, the arcuate portion having a hook-shaped geometry including a first free end, the first free end of the arcuate portion and then the first elongated leg portion receivable through the at least one airfoil opening such that the at least one retention clip limits movement of the airfoil relative to the first shroud.

19. The stator assembly as recited in claim 18 , wherein the at least one airfoil opening includes a pair of airfoil openings, and the intermediate portion spans between the pair of airfoil openings when the at least one retention clip is located in an installed position.

20. The stator assembly as recited in claim 19 , wherein a maximum length of the retention clip is defined between the intermediate portion and the arcuate portion.

21. The stator assembly as recited in claim 19 , wherein the arcuate portion is dimensioned such that the first free end faces in a direction towards the intermediate portion, and the second elongated portion includes a second free end that faces in a direction away from the intermediate portion.

22. The stator assembly as recited in claim 21 , wherein the intermediate portion extends a first length between the first and second elongated leg portions, the second elongated portion extends along a longitudinal axis between the intermediate portion and the second free end, and the arcuate portion extends a second length greater than the first length such that the first free end of the arcuate portion is offset from a pr

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Barainca Brian
• Fowler Gary F

Classifications

• F01D9/042

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

• F01D25/246 Primary

  Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05D2300/43

  Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics; Rubber · CPC title

• F05D2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title