Hook nozzle arrangement for supporting airfoil vanes
AssigneeSolar Turbines Incorporated
InventorsJames E. Shaffer, Paul F. Norton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine's nozzle structure includes a nozzle support ring, a plurality of shroud segments, and a plurality of airfoil vanes. The plurality of shroud segments are distributed around the nozzle support ring. Each airfoil vane is connected to a corresponding shroud segment so that the airfoil vanes are also distributed around the nozzle support ring. Each shroud segment has a hook engaging the nozzle support ring so that the shroud segments and corresponding airfoil vanes are supported by the nozzle support ring. The nozzle support ring, the shroud segments, and the airfoil vanes may be ceramic.
Claims28
An annular nozzle arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a ceramic annular nozzle support ring;
- a ceramic annular shroud having a ceramic hook engaging the ceramic annular nozzle support ring so that the ceramic annular shroud is supported by the ceramic annular nozzle support ring and so that slipping i$ permitted between the ceramic annual shroud and the ceramic annular nozzle support ring in response to thermal changes;
- and,
- a ceramic airfoil vane connected to the ceramic annular shroud.
A nozzle arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- flow directing means for directing gas flow from a combustor section of the gas turbine engine to a turbine wheel of the gas turbine engine;
- supporting means for supporting the flow directing means, the supporting means being ceramic;
- and,
- the flow directing means including a ceramic hook engaging the supporting means so that the flow directing means is supported by the supporting means and so that slipping is permitted between the hook and the supporting means due to thermal changes.
A nozzle arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a ceramic nozzle support ring;
- a plurality of ceramic shroud segments distributed around the ceramic nozzle support ring, each of the ceramic shroud segments having a ceramic hook engaging the ceramic nozzle support ring so that each of the ceramic shroud segments is supported by the ceramic nozzle support ring and so that slipping is permitted between the ceramic hooks and the ceramic nozzle support ring due to thermal changes;
- and,
- a plurality of ceramic airfoil vanes, each of the ceramic airfoil vanes having first and second ends, wherein the first end of each ceramic airfoil vane is connected to a corresponding ceramic shroud segment so that the ceramic airfoil vanes are distributed around the ceramic nozzle support ring so as to direct gas flow from a combustor section of a gas turbine engine to a turbine wheel of the gas turbine engine, and wherein the second end of each ceramic airfoil vane is a free end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.