Gas turbine engine variable geometry flow component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9617868-B2
Application number	US-201314090953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A variable geometry mechanism suitable for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed in which movable vane segments which are coupled to a rotatable ring, or rings, are used to change an aerodynamic property of a working fluid flowing through the gas turbine engine. The movable vane segments can be rotated through the ring, or rings, between a first position associated with the first vane and a second position associated with a second vane to place the movable vane segments in proximity to one or the other of the first and second vanes of the gas turbine engine. The movable vane segments can be used to alter, among other things, camber, exit flow area, and can be used to influence and/or accommodate such properties as incidence angle, and swirl angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a gas turbine engine component having a plurality of fixed airfoil members distributed circumferentially about a reference axis;
at least one movable airfoil extension structured for use in a flow path of a gas turbine engine and positioned intermediate a first one of the plurality of fixed airfoil members and a second one of the plurality of fixed airfoil members, the at least one movable airfoil extension configured to be moved between a first operating position adjacent the first one of the plurality of fixed airfoil members and a second operating position adjacent the second fixed airfoil member, wherein at transition positions intermediate the first operating position and the second operating position the at least one movable airfoil extension is free of interfacing contact with the first and second one of the plurality of airfoil members; and
wherein movement of the at least one movable airfoil extension between the first operating position and the second operating position alters a flow path characteristic of both the first one of the plurality of fixed airfoil members and the second one of the plurality of fixed airfoil members;
wherein the flow path characteristic is at least one of inlet incidence, exit swirl, effective throat area, and camber;
wherein the at least one movable airfoil extension is a leading edge addition, which further includes another airfoil extension located at a trailing edge, and wherein the plurality of fixed airfoil members includes cooling apertures that are exposed in the first operating position and covered in the second operating position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fixed airfoil members are gas turbine engine vanes and the gas turbine engine component is a turbine, and which further includes the gas turbine engine having a compressor and a combustor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , which further includes a plurality of airfoil extensions which includes the at least one airfoil extension and the plurality of airfoil extensions are positioned intermediate neighboring fixed airfoil members, wherein the plurality of airfoil extensions include cooling holes through which a cooling fluid exits during operation in the first operating position of the movable airfoil extensions, and wherein the cooling holes are exposed in the first operating position and closed in the second operating position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of airfoil extensions are connected to rotate with a ring structure, and wherein the plurality of airfoil extensions includes flow control passages that permit working fluid to flow from respective pressure sides to respective suction sides in the first operating position, and wherein the flow control passages are covered in the second operating position to discourage a flow of working fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the leading edge addition is coupled to a first ring structure for movement therewith and the another airfoil extension located at the trailing edge is coupled to a second ring structure for movement therewith.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first ring structure is configured to be adjusted circumferentially to selectively alter the position of the leading edge addition between the first operating position and the second operating position and the second ring structure is configured to be adjusted circumferentially to selectively alter the position of the another airfoil extension between the first operating position and the second operating position.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a gas turbine engine flow path component having a plurality of airflow members disposed circumferentially about the flow path component;
a ring disposed with the flow path component having a plurality of radially projecting arms extending therefrom, the radially projecting arms including partial airflow member components structured to interact with the plurality of airflow members along a span of each of the plurality of airflow members, the partial airflow member components of the plurality of radially projecting arms interlaced with the plurality of airflow members such that a repeating pattern of projecting arm and airflow member is created around the ring;
wherein in a first mode of operation the ring is positioned in a first circumferential orientation to place the partial airflow member components in effective contact with a first one of the plurality of airflow members to create a first collective orientation; and
wherein in a second mode of operation the ring is positioned in a second circumferential orientation offset from the first circumferential orientation to place the partial airflow member components in effective contact with a second one of the plurality of airflow members to create a second collective orientation;
wherein the partial airflow member components extend the entirety of the span of each of the plurality of airflow members that are exposed to working fluid during operation of a gas turbine engine;
wherein the partial airflow member components include a flow control passage that permits passage of working fluid from a high pressure region to a low pressure region of the partial airflow member components when in the first circumferential orientation, and wherein the second circumferential orientation discourages passage of working fluid through the flow control passage.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of airflow members are vanes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , which further includes a gas turbine engine having a plurality of turbomachinery components and a combustor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of radially projecting arms effect at least one of a camber, an incidence angle, a swirl angle, and a throat area.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow members includes a cooling hole that exits into a space formed between the plurality of airflow members and the partial airflow member components in the first circumferential orientation, and wherein the second circumferential orientation permits a cooling film to exit through the cooling hole and through a cooling hole formed in the partial airflow member components.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the partial airflow member components includes a leading edge vane segment and a trailing edge vane segment that is spaced apart from the leading edge vane segment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the flow control passage is formed in the leading edge vane segment.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each trailing edge vane segment extends past the corresponding airflow member when the ring is positioned in the first circumferential orientation.

15. A method comprising:
operating a gas turbine engine by compressing a working fluid and combusting a mixture of fuel and compressed working fluid;
flowing working fluid through a component that includes a circumferentially offset pair of first and second neighboring airfoil members;
rotating a ring in a circumferential direction that includes a secondary airfoil component structured to cooperate in a first orientation with the first neighboring airfoil member and to cooperate in a second orientation with the second neighboring airfoil member;
as a result of the rotating the ring in the circumferential direction:
swapping neighboring airfoils to which the secondary airfoil component is placed in proximity;
changing one of incidence angle, exit swirl angle, exit throat area, and camber of both the first and second neighboring airfoil members; and
flowing a workin

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bloxham Matthew J
• Heathco Craig E
• Ford Adam D
• Duge Robert T
• Gorman Thomas I

Classifications

• F01D5/146 Primary

  of blades with tandem configuration, split blades or slotted blades · CPC title

• F01D5/186

  Film cooling (F01D5/187 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D17/14 Primary

  varying effective cross-sectional area of nozzles or guide conduits · CPC title

• Y02T50/673

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/60

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