Adjustable position impeller shroud for centrifugal compressors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345162-B2
Application number	US-202318512672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2023
Priority date	Nov 17, 2023
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A compressor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud assembly, an outer case assembly, and a plurality of locating bolt assemblies. The shroud assembly extends circumferentially around the engine axis. The outer case assembly includes an outer case that extends circumferentially around the axis and a plurality of fasteners that couple the shroud assembly with the outer case. The plurality of locating bolt assemblies extend into the outer case and abut the shroud assembly at a predetermined axial location to axially locate the shroud assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the compressor assembly comprising
an impeller arranged around an axis and configured to rotate about the axis to provide compressed air,
a shroud assembly that extends circumferentially around the impeller to direct the compressed air through the impeller, the shroud assembly includes a case mount that couples the shroud assembly to the outer case assembly, an impeller shroud which confronts the impeller, and a shroud body that extends between and interconnects the impeller shroud and the case mount,
an outer case assembly configured to support the shroud assembly at a desired axial location relative to the impeller, the outer case assembly having an outer case that extends circumferentially around the axis and a plurality of fasteners that extend into the outer case and the shroud assembly to couple the shroud assembly with the outer case, and
a plurality of locating bolt assemblies that allow adjustment of the axial location of the shroud assembly relative to the outer case and the impeller, the plurality of locating bolt assemblies extend axially into the outer case and have terminal ends that terminate at a predetermined axial location relative to the impeller and abut the shroud assembly such that the plurality of fasteners urge the shroud assembly into abutting contact with the terminal ends of the plurality of locating bolt assemblies at an axial locating surface to axially locate the shroud assembly relative to the impeller to provide a desired size of a gap between the shroud assembly and the impeller at cold build of the compressor assembly,
wherein the shroud body includes an air piston formed to define a chamber adapted to receive actuation air to selectively move the impeller shroud axially relative to the impeller to adjust the size of the gap between the shroud assembly and the impeller during use of the compressor assembly.

2. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of locating bolt assemblies include: a locating bolt that extends axially through the outer case and defines the terminal end of the locating bolt assembly that abuts the shroud assembly and at least one shim that is located axially between the locating bolt and the outer case to cause the terminal end of the locating bolt to terminate at the predetermined axial location.

3. The compressor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the terminal end of each locating bolt terminates at an axial location forward of an axial location of a terminating end of each fastener included in the plurality of fasteners.

4. The compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the terminal end of each of at least three locating bolts of the plurality of locating bolts abut an axial facing and radially extending positioning surface of the shroud assembly without coupling with the shroud assembly.

5. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer case assembly further includes a plurality of seals that engage the shroud assembly and the outer case to prevent the compressed air from passing between the shroud assembly and the outer case, wherein the plurality of seals includes a first seal located radially outward of the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of locating bolt assemblies and a second seal located radially inward of the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of locating bolt assemblies.

6. The compressor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first seal abuts the shroud assembly at a first sealing surface and the second seal abuts the shroud assembly at a second sealing surface wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are not coplanar with the axial locating surface of the shroud assembly.

7. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer case and the shroud assembly comprise a pilot interface, the pilot interface comprising a first surface of the outer case that faces radially inward and extends circumferentially about the axis and a second surface of the shroud assembly that faces radially outward and extends circumferentially about the axis, wherein the first surface engages the second surface to position the shroud assembly radially relative to the impeller.

8. A compressor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the compressor assembly comprising
an impeller arranged around an axis and configured to rotate about the axis to provide compressed air,
a shroud assembly that extends circumferentially around the impeller to direct the compressed air through the impeller, the shroud assembly includes a case mount that couples the shroud assembly to the outer case assembly, an impeller shroud which confronts the impeller, and a shroud body that extends between and interconnects the impeller shroud and the case mount,
an outer case assembly configured to support the shroud assembly at a desired axial location relative to the impeller, the outer case assembly having an outer case that extends circumferentially around the axis and a plurality of fasteners that extend into the outer case and the shroud assembly to couple the shroud assembly with the outer case, and
a plurality of locating bolt assemblies that allow adjustment of the axial location of the shroud assembly relative to the outer case and the impeller, the plurality of locating bolt assemblies extend axially into the outer case and have terminal ends that terminate at a predetermined axial location relative to the impeller and abut the shroud assembly such that the plurality of fasteners urge the shroud assembly into abutting contact with the terminal ends of the plurality of locating bolt assemblies at an axial locating surface to axially locate the shroud assembly relative to the impeller to provide a desired size of a sap between the shroud assembly and the impeller at cold build of the compressor assembly,
wherein the shroud body is shaped to define a U-shaped cross section when viewed normal to the axis, the U-shaped cross section includes a concave surface exposed to a first pressure and a convex surface exposed to a second pressure wherein changes to the first and second pressures cause the shroud body to flex and move the impeller shroud axially during use of the compressor assembly.

9. The compressor assembly of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of locating bolt assemblies include: a locating bolt that extends axially through the outer case and defines the terminal end of the locating bolt assembly that abuts the shroud assembly and at least one shim that is located axially between the locating bolt and the outer case to cause the terminal end of the locating bolt to terminate at the predetermined axial location.

10. The compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the terminal end of each locating bolt terminates at an axial location forward of an axial location of a terminating end of each fastener included in the plurality of fasteners.

11. The compressor assembly of claim 10 , wherein the terminal end of each of at least three locating bolts of the plurality of locating bolts abut an axial facing and radially extending positioning surface of the shroud assembly without coupling with the shroud assembly.

12. The compressor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the outer case assembly further includes a plurality of seals that engage the shroud assembly and the outer case to prevent the compressed air from passing between the shroud assembly and the outer case, wherein the plurality of seals includes a first seal located radially outward of the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of locating bolt assemblies and a second seal located radially inward of the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of locating bolt assemblies.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Nesteroff Michael
• Whitlock Mark E
• Cooper Nathanael
• Acker Jonathan

Classifications

• F04D29/464

  adjusting flow cross-section, otherwise than by using adjustable stator blades · CPC title

• F01D11/16 Primary

  by self-adjusting means (F01D11/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/4206

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F01D17/12

  arranged in stator parts · CPC title