Turbine blade damper and seal

A damping and sealing apparatus for use with two adjacent turbine blades, each blade having an airfoil, a platform a neck, and a root, the blade platforms each having a radially outer surface supporting the airfoil, and a radially inner surface connected by the blade neck to the blade root, the radially inner surface having a damping portion, a sealing portion, and a transition portion located between the damping and the sealing portions, the apparatus comprising:

• a flexible seal, having at least one sealing portion extending from a supported portion, said at least one sealing portion adapted to provide sealing in combination with the sealing portion of the adjacent blade platform radially inner surfaces;
• and
• a rigid damper, having at least one end extending from a main body, said at least one extended end and said main body disposed between the adjacent blade platform radially inner surfaces and said supported portion of said seal, said main body having a damping surface in contact with the damping portion of the radially inner surfaces and adapted to provide a friction force on the damping portions, said at least one extended end being of a length sufficient to clear the adjacent platform radially inner surfaces, and said main body and said at least one extended end each having a support surface in contact with said supported portion of said seal and adapted to provide support therefor.

An apparatus for two adjacent turbine blades in a gas turbine engine, each blade having an airfoil, a platform, a neck, and a root, the blade platforms each having a radially outer surface supporting the airfoil, and a radially inner surface connected by the blade neck to the blade root, the radially inner surface itself having a damping portion, a sealing portion, and a transition portion located between the damping and sealing portions, the damping portion generally facing the disk, the apparatus comprising:

• a flexible seal, having at least one sealing portion joined to a supported portion, said at least one sealing portion adapted to provide sealing in combination with the sealing portion of the adjacent blade platform radially inner surfaces, said seal further having a projection joined to said supported portion;
• a rigid damper, disposed between the adjacent blade platform radially inner surfaces and said supported portion of said seal, said damper having a damping surface in contact with the damping portion of the radially inner surfaces and adapted to provide a friction force on the damping portions, said damper having a support surface in contact with said supported portion of said seal and adapted to provide support for the seal, and said projection of said seal providing an interference with one of the blades when said damper and said seal are installed in improper relation to each other.

A flexible seal for use with two adjacent turbine rotor blades in a gas turbine engine, each blade having an airfoil, a platform a neck, and a root the blade platforms each hawk a radially outer surface supporting the airfoil and a radially inner surface connected by the blade neck to the blade root, the radially inner surface itself having a sealing portion one of the blades having a catch on its neck, the flexible seal comprising:

• a supported portion adapted to receive radial support for the seal, said supported portion having a locator which interfaces with the catch when the flexible seal is installed in the adjacent blades to positively position and maintain the flexible seal in an axial position with respect to the radially inner surfaces of the blade platforms:
• and
• at least one sealing portion joined to said, supported portion and adapted to provide sealing in combination with the sealing portion of the adjacent blade platform radially inner surfaces;
• wherein the catch includes a standoff.