Gas Turbine In Situ Inflatable Bladders for On-Wing Repair
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHerbert Chidsey Roberts, David Scott Diwinsky
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Abstract
A method for forming an in situ temporary barrier within a gas turbine engine is provided. The method can include installing a bladder within the gas turbine engine, wherein the bladder defines a bladder body, and inflating the bladder with an inflating fluid such that the bladder body forms a circumferential seal within the gas turbine engine. The bladder body can be positioned between a row of stator vanes and an annular array of rotating blades to form a circumferential seal therebetween. A second bladder may be positioned circumferentially within the gas turbine engine.
Claims20
A method for forming an in situ temporary barrier within a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- installing a bladder within the gas turbine engine, wherein the bladder defines a bladder body;
- inflating the bladder with an inflating fluid such that the bladder body forms a circumferential seal within the gas turbine engine;
- and
- installing a second bladder positioned circumferentially within the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the second bladder is axially spaced apart from the first bladder.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.