# US 2018/0023404 A1 · Ring segment system for gas turbine engines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023404 A1 - Document ID: US20180023404A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/546,675 - Filed: 2015-02-16 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-16 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Marco Claudio Pio Brunelli; Sameer Ahmed Khan; Matthew J. LaGrow; William W. Pankey; Walter H. Marussich; Beatriz Suarez-Crosse; Kenneth K. Landis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023404A1 ## CPC - F01D 9/04: forming ring or sector - F01D 11/08: for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator (specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20) - F05D 2240/11: Shroud seal segments - F05D 2260/201: by impingement of a fluid - F05D 2260/205: Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A ring segment system (100) for a gas turbine engine (10) is disclosed. The ring segment system (100) may be formed from ring segments (50) that circumferentially surround a rotor assembly (40). The ring segments (50) may each include a carrier portion (34) that is coupled to a vane carrier (28), and a heat shielding portion (38) that is detachably coupled to the carrier portion (34). The detachable coupling may allow the heat shielding portion (38) to be uncoupled from the carrier portion (34) and removed from the gas turbine engine (10) axially. The ring segments (50) may further include cooling fluid supply channels (72) that allow cooling fluid to flow from a radially outward facing backside (42) of the ring segments (50) to a radially inward facing front side (46). Additionally, the ring segments (50) may also include ingestion prevention channels (76) that allow cooling fluid to create a barrier over the gap (80) between the ring segments (50) and the adjacent vane (18). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turbine engine (10), characterized in that: a rotor assembly (40) having at least one circumferentially aligned row of turbine blades (20) extending radially outward therefrom; a vane carrier (28) positioned circumferentially around at least a portion of the rotor assembly (40), the vane carrier (28) having at least one circumferentially aligned row of vanes (18) extending radially inward therefrom; and one or more ring segments (50) positioned radially outward from the circumferentially aligned row of turbine blades (20) and further positioned radially inward from at least a portion of the vane carrier (28), each of the one or more ring segments (50) characterized in that: a carrier portion (34) coupled to the vane carrier (28); and a heat shielding portion (38) positioned radially inward from the carrier portion (34), the heat shielding portion (38) being detachably coupled to the carrier portion (34), characterized in that the detachable coupling is configured to allow the heat shielding portion (38) to be uncoupled from the carrier portion (34) and removed from the turbine engine (10) axially. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The turbine engine (10) of claim 1, characterized in that: the heat shielding portion (38) comprises a radially outward facing backside (42) that includes a plurality of rails (64) forming at least a portion of the detachable coupling; a first of the plurality of rails (64) includes at least one coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially upstream; and a second of the plurality of rails (64) includes at least one coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially downstream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The turbine engine (10) of claim 2, characterized in that: a third of the plurality of rails (64) includes at least one coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially downstream, the third of the plurality of rails (64) being positioned between the first of the plurality of rails (64) and the second of the plurality of rails (64); and a fourth of the plurality of rails (64) includes at least one coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially downstream, the fourth of the plurality of rails (64) being positioned between the third of the plurality of rails (64) and the second of the plurality of rails (64). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The turbine engine (10) of claim 3, characterized in that: the radially outward facing backside (42) further includes at least three impingement cavities (70) formed by the plurality of rails (64); each of the impingement cavities (70) have a pressure inside of the impingement cavity (70); and the pressure inside of the third impingement cavity (70) is different from the pressures inside of the first and second impingement cavities (70). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The turbine engine (10) of claim 4, characterized in that the pressure inside of the second impingement cavity (70) is different from the pressure inside of the first impingement cavity (70). ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The turbine engine (10) of claim 3, characterized in that: the at least one coupling protrusion (68) of the first of the plurality of rails (64) comprises a plurality of coupling protrusions (68) oriented to face axially upstream, each of the plurality of coupling protrusions (68) of the first of the plurality of rails (64) being circumferentially spaced from another of the plurality of coupling protrusions (68) of the first of the plurality of rails (64) so as to form a first interrupted rail (64); and the at least one coupling protrusion (68) of the second of the plurality of rails (64) comprises a single coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially downstream, the single coupling protrusion (68) of the second of the plurality of rails (64) extending along an entire length of the second of the plurality of rails (64) so as to form a first uninterrupted rail (64). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The turbine engine (10) of claim 6, characterized in that: the at least one coupling protrusion (68) of the third of the plurality of rails (64) comprises a plurality of coupling protrusions (68) oriented to face axially downstream, each of the plurality of coupling protrusions (68) of the third of the plurality of rails (64) being circumferentially spaced from another of the plurality of coupling protrusions (68) of the third of the plurality of rails (64) so as to form a second interrupted rail (64); and the at least one coupling protrusion (68) of the fourth of the plurality of rails (64) comprises a single coupling protrusion (68) oriented to face axially downstream, the single coupling protrusion (68) of the fourth of the plurality of rails (64) extending along an entire length of the fourth of the plurality of rails (64) so as to form a second uninterrupted rail (64). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The turbine engine (10) of claim 1, characterized in that: the carrier portion (34) includes at least two isolation rings (36) configured to couple the carrier portion (34) to the vane carrier (28); and the at least two isolation rings (36) are configured to allow the carrier portion (34) to be uncoupled from the vane carrier (28) and removed from the turbine engine (10) circumferentially. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The turbine engine (10) of claim 1, characterized in that the one or more ring segments (50) comprise a plurality of ring segments (50) coupled to each other and positioned to circumferentially surround the rotor assembly (40). ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The turbine engine (10) of claim 2, characterized in that the heat shielding portion (38) includes one or more channels (76) formed underneath the second of the plurality of rails (64), each of the one more channels (76) including an inlet formed in the radially outward facing backside (42) and an outlet formed in a downstream facing edge (48) of the heat shielding portion (38), characterized in that the inlet of the each of the one more channels (76) is in fluid communication with the outlet of the each of the one more channels (76). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The turbine engine (10) of claim 10, characterized in that the one or more channels (76) are configured to prevent at least a portion of hot gas ingestion in a gap (80) between the one or more ring segments (50) and the at least one circumferentially aligned row of vanes (18). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The turbine engine (10) of claim 1, characterized in that the heat shielding portion (38) includes a radially outward facing backside (42) and a radially inward facing front side (46), the heat shielding portion (38) further including one or more channels (72) formed in the heat shielding portion (38), each of the one or more channels (72) having an inlet formed in the radially outward facing backside (42) and an outlet formed in the radially inward facing front side (46), characterized in that the inlet of the each of the one more channels (72) is in fluid communication with the outlet of the each of the one more channels (72). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The turbine engine (10) of claim 12, characterized in that the one or more channels (72) comprise a plurality of channels (72) arranged in each of a plurality of axially spaced rows (73). ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The turbine engine (10) of claim 3, characterized in that: the radially outward facing backside (42) further includes at least three impingement cavities (70) formed by the plurality of rails (64); and the heat shielding portion (38) further includes a radially inward facing front side (46) and one or more channels (72) formed in the heat shielding portion (38), each of the one or more channels (72) having an inlet formed in the radially outward facing backside (42) and an outlet formed in the radially inward facing front side (46), characterized in that the inlet of the each of the one more channels (72) is in fluid communication with the outlet of the each of the one more channels (72). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The turbine engine (10) of claim 14, characterized in that: the one or more channels (72) comprise a plurality of channels (72) arranged in each of a plurality of axially spaced rows (73); the first impingement cavity (70) includes a first set of one or more of the plurality of axially spaced rows (73); the second impingement cavity (70) includes a second set of one or more of the plurality of axially spaced rows (73); and the third impingement cavity (70) includes a third set of one or more of the plurality of axially spaced rows (73).