# US 10,502,086 B2 · System and method for actuating gas turbine engine components using integrated jamming devices

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- Number: US 10,502,086 B2
- Document ID: US10502086B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/071,264
- Filed: 2016-03-16
- Published: 2017-09-21
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-16
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Aaron Todd Sellinger; Nicholas Joseph Kray; Wendy Wenling Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502086B2

## CPC

- F01D 17/141: {by means of shiftable members or valves obturating part of the flow path}
- F01D 5/148: {Blades with variable camber, e.g. by ejection of fluid}
- F01D 17/10: Final actuators (valves in general F16K {; blades with variable camber F01D5/148})
- F02C 7/042: having variable geometry
- F02C 9/18: by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)}
- F04D 27/0215: {Arrangements therefor, e.g. bleed or by-pass valves}
- F04D 27/023: {Details or means for fluid extraction}
- F04D 29/563: {specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines
- F05D 2250/90: Variable geometry
- F05D 2270/20: to optimize the performance of a machine
- F05D 2270/60: Control system actuates means
- F05D 2270/64: Hydraulic actuators
- F05D 2270/65: Pneumatic actuators
- F05D 2300/501: Elasticity
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A system for actuating components of a gas turbine engine may generally include a turbine component incorporating a jamming device. The jamming device may include a bladder and a jammable media contained within the bladder. The jammable media may be jammable within the bladder from an unjammed state, wherein a fluid is contained within the bladder, to a jammed state, wherein the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder. The system may also include a fluid coupling in fluid communication with the bladder. A portion of the turbine component may be located at a first position when the jammable media is in the unjammed state. Additionally, such portion of the turbine component may be located at a second position when the jammable media is in the jammed state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for actuating components of a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
a turbine component incorporating a jamming device, the jamming device including a bladder and a jammable media contained within the bladder, the jammable media being jammable within the bladder from an unjammed state, wherein a fluid is contained within the bladder, to a jammed state, wherein the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder, the jamming device forms a portion of a side of the turbine component; and
a fluid coupling in fluid communication with the bladder,
wherein at least a portion of the turbine component is located at a first position when the jammable media is in the unjammed state, and wherein the at least a portion of the turbine component is located at a second position when the jammable media is in the jammed state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the turbine component is actuated from the first position to the second position as the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder to transition the jammable media from the unjammed state to the jammed state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the bladder is formed from a fiber-reinforced composite, the fiber-reinforced composite including an elastic matrix material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a negative pressure source in fluid communication with the fluid coupling, the negative pressure source being configured to apply a vacuum to the fluid coupling such that the fluid contained within the bladder is at least partially evacuated to transition the jammable media to the jammed state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the jammable media is transitioned from the unjammed state to the jammed state to maintain the at least a portion of the turbine component at the second position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turbine component corresponds to an airfoil of the gas turbine engine, the airfoil including a first side and a second side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the jamming device being positioned on one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein, when the at least a portion of the airfoil is actuated from the first position to the second position, one of the trailing edge or the leading edge is moved relative to the other of the trailing edge or the leading edge.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the jamming device is positioned on the first side of the airfoil, the airfoil further comprising a flexible joint extending from the jamming device to the second side of the airfoil.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turbine component corresponds to a flow splitter positioned adjacent to a compressor inlet of the gas turbine engine.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the at least a portion of the flow splitter is actuated from the first position to the second position to vary an airflow through the compressor inlet.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turbine component corresponds to a valve actuator coupled to a valve of the gas turbine engine, the valve actuator including an actuator arm, the actuator arm being moved to the first position to actuate the valve to one of an opened position or a closed position, the actuator arm being moved to the second position to actuate valve to the other of the opened position or the closed position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the valve actuator further includes a fixed jamming surface, the actuator arm being configured to be jammed against the fixed jamming surface when the jammable media is transitioned to the jammed state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the valve corresponds to a variable bleed valve of the gas turbine engine.

### Claim 14

A turbine component for a gas turbine engine, the turbine component comprising:
a body;
a jamming device provided in operative association with the body, the jamming device including a bladder and a jammable media contained within the bladder, the jammable media being jammable within the bladder from an unjammed state, wherein a fluid is contained within the bladder, to a jammed state, wherein the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder, the jamming device forms a portion of a side of the body; and
wherein at least a portion of the body is located at a first position when the jammable media is in the unjammed state, and wherein the at least a portion of the body is located at a second position when the jammable media is in the jammed state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The turbine component of claim 14, wherein the at least a portion of the body is actuated from the first position to the second position as the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder to transition the jammable media from the unjammed state to the jammed state.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The turbine component of claim 14, wherein the body forms all or part of one of an airfoil, a flow splitter or a valve actuator of the gas turbine engine.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The turbine component of claim 14, wherein the jammable media is transitioned from the unjammed state to the jammed state to maintain the at least a portion of the turbine component at the second position.

### Claim 18

A method for actuating a turbine component of a gas turbine engine, the turbine component incorporating a jamming device including a bladder and a jammable media contained within the bladder, the method comprising:
directing fluid into the bladder such that the jammable media is placed in an unjammed state, at least a portion of the turbine component being located at a first position when the jammable media is in the unjammed state, the jamming device forms a portion of a side of the turbine component; and
adjusting a pressure being applied to the jamming device such that the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder to actuate the at least a portion of the turbine component from the first position to a second position as the jammable media transitions from the unjammed state to a jammed state.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the pressure being applied to the jamming device comprises applying a negative pressure to the jamming device via a fluid coupling provided in fluid communication with the bladder.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising increasing the pressure being applied to the jamming device such that the evacuated fluid is redirected back into the bladder to actuate the at least a portion of the turbine component from the second position back to the first position as the jammable media transitions from the jammed state to the unjammed state.