Stator assembly with retention clip for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767503-B2
Application number	US-201715618903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A stator assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first shroud that extends about an axis to bound a flow path. The first shroud defines a first shroud opening. An airfoil has an airfoil body that extends from a first end portion. The first end portion is received in the first shroud opening and defines a retention aperture. A retention clip includes a body and at least one locking feature. The body extends between opposed clip end portions. The at least one locking feature is compressibly received through the retention aperture, and the least one locking feature is decompressible from the body to define a ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions to limit movement of the airfoil relative to the first shroud when in the installed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stator assembly for 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 a retention aperture; and
a retention clip including a body and at least one locking feature extending from the body, the body extending between opposed clip end portions and between opposed sidewalls that cooperate to establish a perimeter of the body, the at least one locking feature compressibly received through the retention aperture, and the at least one locking feature decompressible from the body to define a ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions to limit movement of the airfoil relative to the first shroud when in the installed position; and
wherein the at least one locking feature is an elongated tab having a terminal end that abuts against an external wall of the first end portion to oppose withdraw of the retention clip from the retention aperture when located in the installed position; and
wherein the body a reference plane extending through the clip end portions and through the sidewalls of the body, wherein the at least one locking feature extends along the reference plane in a first, compressed state, but extends outwardly from the reference plane in a second, decompressed state to define the ramp, and wherein the reference plane has an arcuate profile establishing opposed concave and convex sides of the body.

2. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the retention aperture is an elongated slot having a width that is greater than a width defined between the sidewalls of the body.

3. The stator assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein the retention aperture is dimensioned to cause the at least one locking feature to deflect toward the body when the retention clip is slideably received through the retention aperture.

4. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking feature is aligned with a respective one of the sidewalls of the body.

5. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking feature is spaced apart from the sidewalls of the body.

6. The stator assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking feature includes a first locking feature and a second locking feature, and the terminal end of the first locking feature faces toward the terminal end of the second locking feature.

7. The stator assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second locking features decompresses in a direction away from the airfoil body when in the installed position.

8. The stator assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the retention clip is symmetrical relative to a second reference plane, the second reference plane extends through the sidewalls and is spaced apart from the clip end portions, and the first and second locking features are located on opposite sides of the second reference plane.

9. The stator assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein:
the first and second locking features are spaced apart by the body; and
the first and second locking features are independently deflectable relative to the body.

10. The stator assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein the first and second locking features are received in respective openings defined in the body in response to respectively deflecting the first and second locking features toward the body.

11. The stator assembly as recited in claim 8 , wherein the elongated tab extends outwardly from the concave side in the second, decompressed state.

12. 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
a plurality of retention clips each including an elongated body and at least one locking feature, the body extending between opposed clip end portions and between opposed sidewalls that cooperate to establish a perimeter of the body, the at least one locking feature extending inwardly from a respective one of the clip end portions of the body, and the at least one locking feature of each of the plurality of retention clips compressibly received through a respective one of the first end portions to limit movement of the plurality of airfoils;

wherein the body defines a reference plane extending through the clip end portions and through the sidewalls of the body, and wherein the at least one locking feature extends along the reference plane in a first, compressed state, but extends outwardly from the reference plane in a second, decompressed state to define the ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions, and wherein the reference plane has an arcuate profile establishing opposed concave and convex sides of the body; and
wherein the at least one locking feature is an elongated tab having a terminal end that abuts against an external wall of the first end portion in the second, decompressed state to oppose withdraw of a respective one of the plurality of retention clips from a retention aperture of the first end portion when located in the installed position.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the stator assembly is situated in a bypass flow path aft of the fan section.

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

15. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first shroud bounds a radially inner portion of a flow path, and the second shroud bounds a radially outer portion of the flow path.

16. A method of assembling a stator assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
providing a shroud defining a shroud opening;
moving an end portion of an airfoil into the shroud opening, the end portion defining a retention aperture; and
moving a retention clip relative to the retention aperture, wherein the retention clip includes a body and at least one locking feature extending from the body, the body extends between opposed clip end portions and between opposed sidewalls that cooperate to establish a perimeter of the body, the at least one looking feature is decompressible from the body to define a ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions, and including moving one of the clip end portions into the retention aperture to cause the at least one locking feature to compress such that the at least one locking feature deflects inward and then through the retention aperture to cause the at least one locking feature to decompress such that the retention clip limits movement of the airfoil relative to the shroud; and
wherein the at least one locking feature is an elongated tab having a terminal end that abuts against an external wall of the end portion of the airfoil to oppose withdraw of the retention clip from the retention aperture; and
wherein the body defines a reference plane extending through the cli

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Barainca Brian
• Fowler Gary F

Classifications

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F05D2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title

• F01D9/042 Primary

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

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F01D9/041

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title