Balance ring for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9957799-B2
Application number	US-201213622652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2012
Priority date	Sep 19, 2012
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A ring has a ring body with a central portion surrounding an axis and extending to first and second opposing ends separated by a split. The central portion has a first axial thickness. At least one retaining feature is formed on the ring body, the at least one retaining feature having a second axial thickness greater than the first axial thickness. An assembly and a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a component having a front face and a rear face;
at least one hole extending entirely through the component from the front face to the rear face; and
a ring having a central portion received within the at least one hole such that the central portion does not extend beyond the front and rear faces, the central portion surrounding an axis and extending to first and second opposing ends separated by a split, and wherein the ring includes at least one retaining feature that grips the front and rear face of the component to retain the ring within the at least one hole.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the component comprises a rotating component and wherein the ring comprises a balance ring received within the hole to provide a desired balance characteristic during rotation.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ring comprises a metering ring received within the hole to control an amount of flow through the hole.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the at least one retaining feature comprises at least first and second retaining features formed respectively on the first and second opposing ends of the ring.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ring has a central portion with a fore face and an aft face that are separated by a first axial thickness, and wherein the at least one retaining feature is defined by a second axial thickness greater than the first axial thickness.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 wherein the retaining feature includes a first portion defining the second axial thickness, the first portion extending across an outer periphery of the ring to a forward edge that extends axially beyond the front face of the component and a rearward edge that extends axially beyond the rear face of the component.

7. The assembly according to claim 6 wherein the retaining feature includes a second portion that extends radially outwardly from each of the forward and rearward edges to grip the front and rear faces of the component.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 wherein the balance ring is moveable between an initial installation position where the first and second opposing ends are compressed toward each other and a subsequent assembled position where the first and second opposing ends are resiliently biased away from each other such that an outer peripheral surface of the ring is biased against a circumferential surface that defines the hole.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein the ring includes a pair of radially inwardly extending lugs that are configured to receive a tool to move the first and second opposing ends to the initial installation position.

10. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ring has a predetermined radial thickness selected from a plurality of rings having different radial thicknesses to define at least one of a desired balancing characteristic or a desired flow metering characteristic through the at least one hole.

11. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ring comprises one of a metering ring to control cooling flow through the hole or a balance ring to balance the component, and wherein the central portion is received within the at least one hole such that the central portion does not extend beyond the front and rear faces of the component.

12. The assembly according to claim 11 wherein the ring has a ring front face and a ring rear face with a first axial thickness being defined as a distance between the ring front face and the ring rear face, and wherein the at least one retaining feature comprises an axial portion extending across an outer peripheral surface of the ring and axially beyond the ring front and ring rear faces to define a second axial thickness greater than the first axial thickness.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 wherein the at least one retaining feature is formed at each of the first and second opposing ends of the ring with a remaining portion of the ring having the first axial thickness.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a non-rotating engine structure;
a first shaft rotating about an engine axis relative to the non-rotating engine structure;
at least a first compressor section connected to the first shaft;
at least a first turbine section connected to the first shaft, the first turbine section including a cover plate with a plurality of cooling holes extending though the cover plate from a front face to a rear face; and
a ring installed within at least one of the cooling holes, the ring having a central portion surrounding an axis and extending to first and second opposing ends separated by a split, and wherein the ring includes at least one retaining feature that grips the front and rear face of the cover plate to retain the ring within the at least one hole.

15. The gas turbine engine according to claim 14 wherein the at least one retaining feature comprises at least first and second retaining features formed respectively on the first and second opposing ends of the ring.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15 wherein each retaining feature includes a first axial portion extending across an outer periphery of the ring to a forward edge that extends axially beyond the front face of the cover plate and a rearward edge that extends axially beyond the rear face of the cover plate, and wherein the retaining feature includes a second radial portion that extends radially outwardly from each of the forward and rearward edges to grip the front and rear faces of the cover plate.

17. The gas turbine engine according to claim 14 wherein the ring comprises one of a metering ring to control flow through the cooling hole or a balance ring to balance the cover plate, and wherein the at least one cooling hole is defined by a smooth circumferential surface that extends about the axis, and wherein the one of the metering or balance ring is moveable between an initial installation position where the first and second opposing ends are compressed toward each other and a subsequent assembled position where the first and second opposing ends are resiliently biased away from each other such that an outer peripheral surface of the one of the metering or balance ring is biased against the smooth circumferential surface of the cooling hole.

18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 14 wherein the central portion is received within the at least one cooling hole such that the central portion does not extend beyond the front and rear faces of the cover plate.

19. The gas turbine engine according to claim 14 wherein the ring has a ring front face and a ring rear face with a first axial thickness being defined as a distance between the ring front face and the ring rear face, and wherein the at least one retaining feature comprises an axial portion extending across an outer peripheral surface of the ring and axially beyond the ring front and ring rear faces to define a second axial thickness greater than the first axial thickness.

20. The gas turbine engine according to claim 19 wherein the at least one retaining feature is formed at each of the first and second opposing ends of the ring with a remaining portion of the ring having the first axial thickness.

21. A ring comprising:
a ring body having a central portion surrounding an axis and extending to first and second opposing ends separated by a split, the central portion having a first axial thickness; and
at least one retaining feature formed on the ring body, the at least on

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Arnold Jason

Classifications

• F16F15/322

  the rotating body being a shaft (F16F15/34, F16F15/36 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F16F15/34

  Fastening arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F01D5/027 Primary

  Arrangements for balancing (for balancing rotating bodies in general F16F15/32; for compensating imbalance G01M1/36) · CPC title

• Y10T74/2132

  Structural detail, e.g., fiber, held by magnet, etc. · CPC title