Retaining clip and methods for use in limiting radial movement between sections of a split fairing

#The field of the invention relates generally to turbine assemblies and, more particularly to a retaining clip for aligning shroud overhang of a split turbine fairing.

#At least some known gas turbine engines include a stationary turbine frame that includes a central hub, an outer ring surrounding the central hub, and a plurality of struts that extend radially between the hub and the outer ring. At least some known turbine frames are positioned within the turbine engine such that the frame is exposed to hot gas path fluid flow. As such, turbine frames are generally lined with temperature resistant materials for protection from hot gas path temperatures.

#In at least some known turbine frames, the struts are protected from hot gas path temperatures with a fairing. In these known assemblies, non-destructive installation of the fairing onto the strut requires splitting the fairing into forward and aft sections. The forward and aft sections of these split fairings are positioned on opposite sides of the strut and coupled together to facilitate protecting the strut. At least some known split fairings use metallic buckles to couple forward and aft fairing sections together. Furthermore, as the size of known turbine frames increases, so does the circumferential distance between struts positioned radially about the central hub. As such, to prevent the addition of more fairings to compensate for the increased distance between adjacent struts, shroud overhang of the fairings is increased. However, increasing shroud overhang increases radial motion between forward and aft sections of the split fairing. As such, known metallic buckles are unable to compensate for the increased radial motion, which limits the size and length of shroud overhang that may be implemented.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary turbine frame.

#FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an exemplary split fairing shown in FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the split fairing shown in FIG. 2.

#Embodiments of the present invention are directed to turbine assemblies and, more specifically to a retaining clip for facilitating reducing radial motion of shroud overhang of split fairings. Even more specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a retaining clip coupled to forward and aft sections of a split fairing at a split line such that radial motion of shroud overhang is facilitated to be reduced. For example, the retaining clip described herein replaces one or more known metallic buckles that couple the forward and aft fairing sections together.

#As such, in the exemplary embodiments, replacing one or more metallic buckles with a retaining clip facilitates enabling shroud overhang to be used in turbine engines of increasing size. In some known turbine assemblies, shroud overhang of forward and aft sections of a split fairing becomes separated from each other radially as the overhang length increases. Overhang length must be increased in turbine engines of larger size to enable the use of the same number of turbine frame struts. Increasing strut count and the presence of overhang separation is undesirable due to the creation of gas flow path blockage, which decreases engine performance.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary turbine frame 100. Turbine frame 100 includes a central hub 102 and an outer ring 104 surrounding central hub 102. In the exemplary embodiment, central hub 102 and outer ring 104 are coupled together with struts 106 extending radially therebetween. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, turbine frame 100 includes a plurality of service fairings 110 and a plurality of split fairings 200. Split fairings 200 are assembled around struts 106 such that struts 106 are substantially protected from a hot gas path environment.