Multiple section rotor disc
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames Smith, Richard Paul Johnston
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A design technique, method and apparatus for containing failure of the rotors of axial flow fluid machines. A rotor disk is constructed of at least three disk sections. Each disk section is shaped such that the loading on that section will be distributed in an optimum manner from the rim to the hub of the disk. To prevent crack propagation from one disk section to another, and to minimize structural weaknesses in the disk sections, the live disk sections are bolted together in a single bolt circle. In order to reduce overall disk weight while maintaining a maximum level of failure containment, the inner disc sections are made thicker than the outer disk sections. Embodiments for the fan, compressor and turbine rotor sections of a gas turbine engine are disclosed.
Claims22
A rotor disk for turbomachinery comprising at least three discrete sections the innermost sections being progressively thicker than the outermost sections and all sections being of such a thickness that the stress created within an inner section upon failure of an adjacent outer section is substantially equal to the stress created in an outer section upon failure of the adjacent inner section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.