Rotor tip shroud damper including damper wires
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsChristopher H. Lenhardt, Carl Grant, Chellappa Balan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotor includes a disc having a plurality of blades extending therefrom. The blades include tip shrouds, each having first and second axial ends, and first and second circumferential faces. The first and second faces of adjacent tip shrouds are spaced from each other to define gaps therebetween. The first and second ends each include U-shaped slots, each having an arcuate damper wire disposed therein. The slots are aligned generally parallel to an axial centerline axis of the rotor for allowing ease of manufacture and assembly while providing effective frictional damping by the damper wires urged by centrifugal force against the slots.
Claims8
A rotor comprising:
- a disc having a perimeter and an axial centerline axis;
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades extending outwardly from said disc perimeter;
- a plurality of tip shrouds, each tip shroud being joined to a respective one of said blades and including:
- a first axial end having a U-shaped first slot disposed therein and extending generally parallel to said axial centerline axis;
- a second axial end having a U-shaped second slot disposed therein and extending generally parallel to said axial centerline axis;
- each of said first and second slots including:
- a radially outer surface;
- a radially inner surface;
- an axially facing entrance defined at first ends of said outer and inner surfaces;
- and
- a base joining second ends of said outer and inner surfaces;
- a first circumferential face extending between said first and second axial ends;
- a second circumferential face extending between said first and second axial ends;
- and
- respective ones of said first and second circumferential faces of adjacent tip shrouds being circumferentially spaced from each other to define an axially extending gap;
- first and second arcuate damper wires disposed in said first and second slots, respectively, and having outer diameters less than radial widths of said first and second slots for damping vibration of said rotor by friction between said wires and said slots;
- and
- wherein each of said radially outer surfaces of said first and second slots is axially straight and inclined at an acute angle relative to said axial centerline axis so that centrifugal force acting on said damper wires urges said wires against said outer surfaces and said base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.