US 4,378,960 AGranted

Variable geometry turbine inlet nozzle

AssigneeTeledyne Industries, Inc.

InventorHerman N. Lenz

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Abstract

A variable turbine inlet nozzle assembly is provided for use in high temperature environments. The nozzle assembly comprises a plurality of vanes and each vane includes a shaft extending outwardly from it. The shafts in turn are rotatably mounted to an annular mounting member so that the vanes are circumferentially spaced from each other and positioned within a gas stream passageway formed within the turbine housing between the combuster and turbine stages. An actuating assembly includes a ring rotatably mounted to the turbine housing concentrically with the mounting member while actuating arms extending between the ring and each shaft selectively rotates or pivots the vanes in unison with each other. Each vane further includes a hollow interior which is fluidly connected with the turbine engine compressor output to provide cooling to and prevent thermal distortion of the vanes.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A nozzle assembly for a turbine engine, said engine comprising a housing and an annular gas stream passageway formed in the housing immediately upstream from one or more turbine stages, said nozzle assembly comprising:

a plurality of vanes, each vane being secured to a shaft,
means for rotatably mounting said shafts to said engine housing so that said vanes are disposed in said gas stream passageway,
means for rotating said shafts in unison with each other;
means for cooling said vanes,
an annular mounting member secured to said housing, said mounting member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures formed through it through which said shafts are rotatably mounted, and means for cooling said mounting member,
wherein said mounting member apertures are greater in cross sectional area than said shafts thus forming an opening therebetween which is open at one end to said gas stream, and
wherein said means for cooling said mounting member further comprises supplying a source of pressurized fluid to the other side of said openings.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.