US 5,672,047 AGranted

Adjustable stator vanes for turbomachinery

AssigneeDresser-Rand Company

InventorDietrich Birkholz

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Abstract

An adjustable stator vane assembly disposed in a fluid conduit of a turbomachine includes an annular outer shroud and an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to the outer shroud to form an annular fluid flow path. A plurality of rotatable stator vanes are positioned between the outer shroud and the inner shroud and spaced apart about the circumference of the inner shroud. Each rotatable stator vane has a vane shaft attached to one end thereof and a pivot pin supporting the other end thereof. A plurality of vane stem bushings are mounted in one of the inner shroud and the outer shroud, with each bushing receiving a respective vane shaft. The distal end of each vane shaft is connected through an individual linkage to a synchronizing ring. An actuator provide arcuate movement of the ring so as to simultaneously rotate each of the rotatable stator vanes.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An adjustable stator vane assembly comprising:

an annular outer shroud;
an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to said annular outer shroud so as to form an annular flow path therebetween;
a plurality of vane shaft bushings;
a plurality of rotatable stator vanes, each of said rotatable stator vanes being positioned between said inner shroud and said outer shroud and spaced apart from each other about the circumference of said inner shroud, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a first end and a second end, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a vane shaft attached to the first end of the respective rotatable stator vane, each vane shaft being mounted in a respective one of said vane shaft bushings for rotational movement of the associated rotatable stator vane about a longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable stator vane;
a synchronizing ring;
an actuator for providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
a plurality of actuation linkages, one end of each actuation linkage being attached to a respective one of said vane shafts and the other end of each actuation linkage being attached to said synchronizing ring;
whereby each of said plurality of rotatable stator vanes can be simultaneously rotated about its longitudinal axis by said actuator providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
a clearance being established between the second end of the rotatable stator vanes and one of said shrouds, the clearance being maintained at approximately 0.01 inch wherein the second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes has a spherical tip surface and the shroud which is juxtaposed to said second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes has a mating spherical surface so that a clearance between said second end and said mating spherical surface does not change appreciably when the rotatable stator vanes are rotated.

6 more elements

An adjustable stator vane assembly comprising:

an annular outer shroud;
an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to said annular outer shroud so as to form an annular flow path therebetween;
a plurality of vane shaft bushings;
a plurality of rotatable stator vanes, each of said rotatable stator vanes being positioned between said inner shroud and said outer shroud and spaced apart from each other about the circumference of said inner shroud, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a first end and a second end, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a vane shaft attached to the first end of the respective rotatable stator vane, each vane shaft being mounted in a respective one of said vane shaft bushings for rotational movement of the associated rotatable stator vane about a longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable stator vane;
a synchronizing ring;
an actuator for providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
a plurality of actuation linkages, one end of each actuation linkage being attached to a respective one of said vane shafts and the other end of each actuation linkage being attached to said synchronizing ring;
whereby each of said plurality of rotatable stator vanes can be simultaneously rotated about its longitudinal axis by said actuator providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
each of said vane shaft bushings being mounted in a first one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud;
each second end of a rotatable stator vane having a pivot pin extending therefrom into a second one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud;
the second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes having a spherical tip surface centered on the longitudinal axis of said rotatable stator vane and the shroud which is juxtaposed to said second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes having a mating spherical surface so that a clearance between said second end and said mating spherical surface does not change appreciably when the rotatable stator vanes are rotated.

8 more elements

An adjustable stator vane assembly comprising:

an annular outer shroud;
an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to said annular outer shroud so as to form an annular flow path therebetween;
a plurality of vane shaft bushings;
a plurality of rotatable stator vanes, each of said rotatable stator vanes being positioned between said inner shroud and said outer shroud and spaced apart from each other about the circumference of said inner shroud, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a first end and a second end, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a vane shaft attached to the first end of the respective rotatable stator vane, each vane shaft being mounted in a respective one of said vane shaft bushings for rotational movement of the associated rotatable stator vane about a longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable stator vane;
a synchronizing ring;
an actuator for providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring:
a plurality of actuation linkages, one end of each actuation linkage being attached to a respective one of said vane shafts and the other end of each actuation linkage being attached to said synchronizing ring;
whereby each of said plurality of rotatable stator vanes can be simultaneously rotated about its longitudinal axis by said actuator providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
each of said vane shaft bushings being mounted in a first one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud;
each second end of a rotatable stator vane having a pivot pin extending therefrom into a second one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud;
said outer shroud being a single annular piece which is continuous about its circumferential periphery;
said inner shroud being a single annular piece which is continuous about its circumferential periphery;
said inner shroud being formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is larger than that of the material of the outer shroud so that, upon heating by exposure to hot fluid passing through said annular flow path, a clearance between the second end of each rotatable stator vane and the inner shroud does not appreciably change from a temperature of approximately 70.degree. F. to a temperature of approximately 1300.degree. F.

10 more elements

A turbomachine comprising:

a rotor shaft;
a rotor mounted on said rotor shaft;
a plurality of rotor blades mounted on said rotor;
an annular outer shroud;
an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to said annular outer shroud so as to form an annular flow path therebetween for fluid passing toward said rotor blades;
a plurality of vane shaft bushings;
a plurality of rotatable stator vanes, each of said rotatable stator vanes being positioned between said inner shroud and said outer shroud and spaced apart from each other about the circumference of said inner shroud, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a first end and a second end, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a vane shaft attached to the first end of the respective rotatable stator vane, each vane shaft being mounted in a respective one of said vane shaft bushings for rotational movement of the associated rotatable stator vane about a longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable stator vane;
a synchronizing ring;
an actuator for providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
a plurality of actuation linkages, one end of each actuation linkage being attached to a respective one of said vane shafts and the other end of each actuation linkage being attached to said synchronizing ring;
whereby each of said plurality of rotatable stator vanes can be simultaneously rotated about its longitudinal axis by said actuator providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
each of said vane shaft bushings being mounted in a first one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud, and each second end of a rotatable stator vane having a pivot pin extending therefrom into a second one of said inner shroud and said outer shroud;
the second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes having a spherical tip surface centered on the longitudinal axis of said rotatable stator vane and the shroud which is juxtaposed to said second end of each of said rotatable stator vanes having a mating spherical surface so that a clearance between said second end and said mating spherical surface does not change appreciably when the rotatable stator vanes are rotated.

10 more elements

A turbomachine comprising:

a rotor shaft;
a rotor mounted on said rotor shaft;
plurality of rotor blades mounted on said rotor;
an annular outer shroud;
an annular inner shroud positioned within and concentric to said annular outer shroud so as to form an annular flow path therebetween for fluid passing toward said rotor blades;
a plurality of vane shaft bushings;
a plurality of rotatable stator vanes, each of said rotatable stator vanes being positioned between said inner shroud and said outer shroud and spaced apart from each other about the circumference of said inner shroud, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a first end and a second end, each of said rotatable stator vanes having a vane shaft attached to the first end of the respective rotatable stator vane, each vane shaft being mounted in a respective one of said vane shaft bushings for rotational movement of the associated rotatable stator vane about a longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable stator vane;
a synchronizing ring;
an actuator for providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
a plurality of actuation linkages, one end of each actuation linkage being attached to a respective one of said vane shafts and the other end of each actuation linkage being attached to said synchronizing ring;
whereby each of said plurality of rotatable stator vanes can be simultaneously rotated about its longitudinal axis by said actuator providing arcuate motion of said synchronizing ring;
the outer shroud being a single annular piece which is continuous about its circumferential periphery, said outer shroud being formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is smaller than that of the material of the inner shroud so that, upon heating by exposure to hot fluid passing through said annular flow path, a radial distance between the inner shroud and the outer shroud increases at substantially the same rate as the length of the rotatable stator vane increases;
said inner shroud being a single annular piece which is continuous about its circumferential periphery, and wherein said inner shroud is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is larger than that of the material of the outer shroud so that, upon heating by exposure to hot fluid passing through said annular flow path, a clearance between the second end of each rotatable stator vane and the inner shroud does not appreciably change from a temperature of approximately 70.degree. F. to a temperature of approximately 1300.degree. F.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.