Turbine circumferential dovetail leakage reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11920498-B2
Application number	US-202217956314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a compressor comprising a rotor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the rotor including a slot; a first blade and a second blade disposed in the slot, the first blade including a first platform and a first dovetail, the second blade including a second platform and a second dovetail; and a hollow block disposed circumferentially between the first blade and the second blade in the slot, the hollow block including: a platform interface portion to interface with the first platform and the second platform, the platform interface portion including a central opening defined by a circumferential face of the platform interface portion; and a hollow dovetail interface portion to couple the first dovetail and the second dovetail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor comprising:
a rotor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the rotor including a slot;
a first blade and a second blade disposed in the slot, the first blade including a first platform and a first dovetail, the second blade including a second platform and a second dovetail; and
a hollow block disposed circumferentially between the first blade and the second blade in the slot, the hollow block to move radially outward to contact axial flanges of the slot during operation of the compressor, the hollow block including:
a platform interface portion to interface with the first platform and the second platform, the platform interface portion including a central opening defined by a circumferential face of the platform interface portion; and
a hollow dovetail interface portion to couple the first dovetail and the second dovetail.

2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a high-pressure, multi-stage compressor.

3. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second blades are two blades of a plurality of blades disposed in the slot, the hollow block is a first hollow block of a plurality of hollow blocks disposed in the slot, and wherein a first quantity of the plurality of blades is one greater than a second quantity of the plurality of hollow blocks in the slot.

4. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the platform interface portion is hollow.

5. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the slot includes a neck defining first and second axial flanges, and wherein the hollow block includes a fore face and an aft face, the fore face in contact with a first axial face of the first axial flange and the aft face coupled with a second axial face of the second axial flange.

6. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the platform interface portion includes a radial face that increases in radial length over an interval of the radial face in an axial direction.

7. A gas turbine comprising:
a compressor including a rotor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the rotor including a slot;
a first blade and a second blade disposed in the slot, the first blade including a first platform and a first dovetail, the second blade including a second platform and a second dovetail; and
a hollow block disposed circumferentially between the first blade and the second blade in the slot, the hollow block to move radially outward to contact axial flanges of the slot during operation of the compressor, the hollow block including:
a platform interface portion to interface with the first platform and the second platform, the platform interface portion including a central opening defined by a circumferential face of the platform interface portion; and
a hollow dovetail interface portion to couple the first dovetail and the second dovetail.

8. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the gas turbine is of a propulsion system of an aircraft.

9. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the first and second blades are two blades of a plurality of blades disposed in the slot, the hollow block is a first hollow block of a plurality of hollow blocks disposed in the slot, and wherein a first quantity of the plurality of blades is one greater than a second quantity of the plurality of hollow blocks in the slot.

10. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the platform interface portion is hollow.

11. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the platform interface portion includes a radial face that increases in radial length over an interval of the radial face in an axial direction.

12. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the compressor is a high-pressure, multi-stage compressor.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a compressor including a rotor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the rotor including a slot;
a first blade and a second blade disposed in the slot, the first blade including a first platform and a first dovetail, the second blade including a second platform and a second dovetail; and
a hollow block disposed circumferentially between the first blade and the second blade in the slot, the hollow block to move radially outward to contact axial flanges of the slot during operation of the compressor, the hollow block including:
a platform interface portion to interface with the first platform and the second platform, the platform interface portion including a central opening defined by a circumferential face of the platform interface portion; and
a hollow dovetail interface portion to couple the first dovetail and the second dovetail.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first and second blades are two blades of a plurality of blades disposed in the slot, the hollow block is a first hollow block of a plurality of hollow blocks disposed in the slot, and wherein a first quantity of the plurality of blades is one greater than a second quantity of the plurality of hollow blocks in the slot.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the platform interface portion is hollow.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the slot includes a neck defining first and second axial flanges, and wherein the hollow block includes a fore face and an aft face, the fore face in contact with a first axial face of the first axial flange and the aft face coupled with a second axial face of the second axial flange.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the platform interface portion includes a radial face that increases in radial length over an interval of the radial face in an axial direction.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• N Arvind

Classifications

• F01D5/326 Primary

  Locking of axial insertion type blades by other means · CPC title

• F01D5/3038 Primary

  the slot having inwardly directed abutment faces on both sides · CPC title

• F01D5/32

  Locking, e.g. by final locking blades or keys · CPC title

• F01D11/008

  by spacer elements between the blades, e.g. independent interblade platforms · CPC title

• F04D19/00

  Axial-flow pumps (F04D21/00 takes precedence; {pump comprising axial flow and radial flow stages F04D17/025}) · CPC title