Method and apparatus for reducing rotor assembly circumferential rim stress
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMark Joseph Mielke, John Jared Decker
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Abstract
A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine operates with reduced circumferential rim stress. The rotor assembly includes a rotor including a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from an annular rim. A root fillet extends circumferentially around each blade between the blades and rim. The rim includes an outer surface including a plurality of concave indentations extending between adjacent rotor blades and forming a compound radius. Each indentation extends from a leading edge of the rotor blades towards a trailing edge of the rotor blades.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a rotor assembly to facilitate reducing circumferential rim stress concentration in a gas turbine engine, the rotor assembly including a rotor that includes a radially outer rim and a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from the outer rim, the outer rim including an outer surface, each rotor blade including a leading edge and a trailing edge, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a plurality of circumferentially concave indentations into the outer rim between adjacent rotor blades, wherein each indentation includes a compound radius that extends circumferentially between adjacent blades;
- and
- extending the indentations from the rotor blade leading edge towards the rotor blade trailing edge, such that the indentations do not extend to the trailing edge.
A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor comprising a radially outer rim and a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from said radially outer rim, said outer rim comprising an outer surface, each said rotor blade comprising a leading edge, and a trailing edge, said outer rim outer surface comprising a circumferentially concave shape including a compound radius, said concave shape extending over a portion of said outer surface from said rotor blade leading edge towards said rotor blade trailing edge between adjacent said rotor blades such that said concave shape does not extend to said rotor blade trailing edge, said concave shape extending circumferentially between adjacent rotor blades and configured to reduce circumferential rim stress concentration between said rotor blades and said radially outer rim.
A gas turbine engine comprising a rotor assembly comprising a rotor comprising a radially outer rim and a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from said radially outer rim, said outer rim comprising an outer surface, each said plurality of rotor blades comprising a leading edge and a trailing edge, said outer rim outer surface comprising a compound radius, a concave shape extending over a portion of said outer surface from said rotor blade leading edge towards said rotor blade trailing edge between adjacent said rotor blades such that said concave shape does not extend to said rotor blade trailing edge, said concave shape configured to reduce circumferential rim stress concentration between said rotor blades and said radially outer rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.