US 8,011,883 B2Granted

Gas turbine engine blade tip clearance apparatus and method

AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation

InventorsFrederick M. Schwarz, J. Walter Smith

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for controlling blade tip clearance within a gas turbine engine includes a compressor having at least one first rotor assembly, wherein the blade tips in each of at least one first rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between the blade tips and the blade seal surfaces; a turbine having at least one second rotor assembly, wherein the blade tips in each of at least one second rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between the blade tips and the blade seal surfaces; providing an actuator selectively operable to move at least one rotor assembly relative to the shroud; providing an electronic engine controller having a control logic for operating the actuator; and moving at least one first rotor assemblies and at least one second rotor assembly relative to the shroud using the actuator at a response rate according to the control logic to alter the clearance distance.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A zero running clearance system for gas turbine engines, comprising:

at least one first rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine compressor rotatable around a rotational axis, each first rotor assembly having a plurality of blades with each blade having a tip;
at least one first stator assembly of said gas turbine engine compressor disposed adjacent said at least one first rotor assembly;
at least one first shroud segment having blade seal surfaces disposed radially outside of said at least one first rotor assembly;
at least one second rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine turbine rotatable around said rotational axis, each second rotor assembly having a plurality of blades with each blade having a tip;
at least one second stator assembly of said gas turbine engine turbine disposed adjacent said at least one second rotor assembly;
at least one second shroud segment having blade seal surfaces disposed radially outside of said at least one second rotor assembly, wherein said blade tips and said blade seal surfaces have mating geometries and a clearance distance extending between said blade tips and said blade seal surfaces;
an actuator selectively operable to move said at least one first rotor assembly and said at least one second rotor assembly to alter said clearance distance;
and
means for controlling said actuator at a response rate sufficient to alter said clearance distance.

6 more elements

A method for controlling blade tip clearance within a gas turbine engine, comprising:

providing a compressor having at least one first rotor assembly, each first rotor assembly having a plurality of blades with each blade having a blade tip, at least one first stator assembly disposed adjacent said at least one first rotor assembly, and a shroud having at least one blade seal surfaces disposed radially outside of said at least one first rotor assembly, wherein said blade tips in each of said at least one first rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of said at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between said blade tips and said blade seal surfaces;
providing a turbine having at least one second rotor assembly, each second rotor assembly having a plurality of blades with each blade having a blade tip, at least one second stator assembly disposed adjacent said at least one second rotor assembly, and said shroud having at least one blade seal surfaces disposed radially outside of said at least one second rotor assembly, wherein said blade tips in each of said at least one second rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of said at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between said blade tips and said blade seal surfaces;
providing an actuator selectively operable to move said at least one rotor assembly relative to said shroud;
providing an electronic engine controller having a control logic for operating said actuator;
and
moving said at least one first rotor assemblies and at least one second rotor assembly relative to said shroud using said actuator at a response rate according to said control logic to alter said clearance distance.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/166,720Filed 2 Jul 2008 · continuation in part
Priority: 29 Dec 2004
Published: US 2008/0267769 A130 Oct 2008
Granted: 6 Sep 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F01D 11/22
Actively adjusting tip-clearance: by mechanically actuating the stator or rotor components, e.g. moving shroud sections relative to the rotor
F01D 11/20
Adjusting or regulating tip-clearance, i.e. distance between rotor-blade tips and stator casing: actively adjusting tip-clearance
F01D 11/24
Actively adjusting tip-clearance: by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components
F04D 29/052
Shafts or bearings, or assemblies thereof, specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps: axially shiftable rotors

Family

Application11/025,435Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Dec 2004
Application11/253,235Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Oct 2005
US 7,341,426 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Mar 2008
US 2008/0267769 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Oct 2008
US 7,407,369 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2006/0140755 A1Published application
US 2006/0140756 A1Published application
US 8,011,883 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.