Inner shroud assembly for gas turbine engine variable vane system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549388-B2
Application number	US-202117151425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2021
Priority date	Jan 18, 2021
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An inner shroud assembly of a variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud assembly comprising a multiple of forward shroud segments and a respective multiple of aft shroud segments. A multiple of variable vanes are rotationally retained at an inboard trunion between the forward and aft shroud segments of the shroud assembly. A retainer assembly includes a multiple of retainer ring segments that retain the forward and aft shroud segments together. The inner shroud assembly is assembled into an engine case with an inboard extending feature that engages with an outer diameter feature of each of the multiple of retainer ring segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inner shroud assembly of a variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a shroud assembly comprising a multiple of forward shroud segments and a respective multiple of aft shroud segments;
a multiple of variable vanes rotationally retained at an inboard trunion between the forward and aft shroud segments of the shroud assembly;
a retainer assembly comprising a multiple of retainer ring segments that retain the forward and aft shroud segments together; and
an anti-rotation lug on at least two of the aft shroud segments and extending into a recess defined along end sections of two retainer ring segments to secure the multiple of retainer ring segments against relative rotation with respect to the shroud assembly.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of retainer ring segments slide over the shroud assembly.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of retainer ring segments are each 90 degree segments.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of forward shroud segments and a respective multiple of aft shroud segments are 60 degree segments.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation lug extends from a central portion of the aft shroud segments, and wherein the recess is defined in a central portion of the retainer assembly and is defined by a cutout in at least one end surface of a retainer ring segment.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an axial interface feature that extends from an outer diameter of each of the multiple of retainer ring segments.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the axial interface feature comprises a ramped surface.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the axial interface feature is engageable with a corresponding ramped surface on a feature of an intermediate case (IMC) of the gas turbine engine.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein each pair of forward and aft shroud segments are aligned via two or more alignment pins that are arranged within respective apertures that are axially parallel to the engine central longitudinal axis.

10. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
an engine case with a ramped surface on an inboard extending feature; and
an inner shroud assembly of a variable vane actuation system, the inner shroud assembly comprises an axial interface feature that extends from an outer diameter of each of a multiple of retainer ring segments, the axial interface feature comprises a ramped surface that engages with the ramped surface on the inboard extending feature;
a multiple of forward shroud segments and a respective multiple of aft shroud segments, the multiple of retainer ring segments operable to retain the forward and aft shroud segments together; and
an anti-rotation lug on at least two of the aft shroud segments and extending into a recess defined along end sections of two retainer ring segments to secure the multiple of retainer ring segments against relative rotation with respect to the shroud assembly.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the multiple of retainer ring segments are each 90 degree segments.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the anti-rotation lug extends from a central portion of the aft shroud segments, and wherein the recess is defined in a central portion of the retainer assembly and is defined by a cutout in at least one end surface of a retainer ring segment.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the multiple of forward shroud segments and a respective multiple of aft shroud segments are 60 degree segments.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 13 , wherein the multiple of forward shroud segments and the respective multiple of the aft shroud segments are manufactured of a non-metallic material.

15. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a multiple of variable vanes rotationally retained at an inboard trunion between the forward and aft shroud segments of the shroud assembly.

16. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the engine case is an intermediate case (IMC) of the gas turbine engine.

17. A method of assembling a variable vane actuation system, comprising:
assembling a multiple of variable vanes between a respective forward and aft shroud segment of a shroud assembly, the shroud assembly comprising a multiple of shroud segments;
sliding at least one of a multiple of forward and aft shroud segments of the shroud assembly at least partially into a retainer ring segment, a multiple of retainer ring segments forming a retaining ring assembly of an inner shroud assembly, the inner shroud assembly comprises an axial interface feature with a ramped surface that extends from an outer diameter of each of a multiple of retainer ring segments, wherein an anti-rotation lug on at least two of the aft shroud segments extends into a recess defined along end sections of two retainer ring segments to secure the multiple of retainer ring segments against relative rotation with respect to the shroud assembly; and
assembling the inner shroud assembly into an engine case with a ramped surface on an inboard extending feature that engages with the ramped surface that extends from the outer diameter of each of the multiple of retainer ring segments.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the engine case is a split case.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the engine case is an intermediate case (IMC) of the gas turbine engine.

20. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the inner shroud assembly is retained within the engine case without fasteners between the retaining ring assembly and the engine case.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Faisal Mohammad G
• Maliniak David

Classifications

• F01D11/001

  for sealing space between stator blade and rotor · CPC title

• F05D2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F01D17/162 Primary

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/563

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D25/26

  Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings · CPC title