Balancing apparatus for rotor assembly
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsJoseph Daniel Lecuyer, Bruno Chatelois
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A balancing assembly for a rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a flange engaging portion defining a flange receiving opening for mating with the flange in a slidable manner. A hole extends through at least part of the flange engaging portion, the hole corresponding in size to a recess and adapted to receive a rivet or other suitable fastener to fix the balancing weight with respect to the disc.
Claims20
A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a disc adapted for mounting to an engine shaft defining a longitudinal axis, the disc having two opposed faces;
- a flange extending axially from one of the two opposed faces of the disc along a circumference thereof, an edge of the flange having at least one positioning recess and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart fastener recesses, the at least one positioning recess being larger than the fastener recesses;
- a projection extending circumferentially along a radially facing surface of the flange;
- at least one balancing weight comprising a flange engaging portion and a hook portion, the flange engaging portion defining a flange receiving opening for mating with the flange of the disc, the hook portion extending from one end of the flange engaging portion and defining a projection receiving opening for mating with the projection, at least part of the flange engaging portion being sized to fit through the positioning recess when engaging the hook portion with the projection to lock the balancing weight in an axial direction with respect to the disc, the balancing weight having a fastener hole extending through at least part of the flange engaging portion, the fastener hole being aligned with one of the fastener recesses when the balancing weight is secured to the disc;
- and
- a fastener inserted through the fastener hole and the one of the fastener recesses to lock the balancing weight in a circumferential direction with respect to the disc.
A rotor disc balancing weight system comprising:
- a disc, the disc having a flange extending axially from a face of the disc around a circumference thereof, an edge of the flange having at least one positioning recess and at least one rivet recess, the at least one positioning recess being larger than the at least one rivet recess, the flange having a projection extending circumferentially along a surface thereof;
- and
- at least one balancing weight having:
- a flange engaging portion defining a flange receiving opening for mating with the flange, a rivet hole extending through at least part of the flange engaging portion, the rivet hole corresponding in size to the rivet recess and adapted to receive a rivet to lock the balancing weight in a circumferential direction with respect to the disc;
- and
- a hook portion extending from one end of the flange engaging portion and defining a projection receiving opening for mating with the projection, at least part of the flange engaging portion being sized to fit through the positioning recess when engaging the hook portion with the projection to lock the balancing weight in an axial direction with respect to the disc.
A method for attaching a balancing weight to a rotor disc, the disc having a flange extending axially from a face of the disc around a circumference thereof, an edge of the flange having at least one positioning recess and at least one rivet recess, the at least one positioning recess being larger than the at least one rivet recess, the flange having a projection extending circumferentially along a surface thereof, the method comprising:
- radially inserting at least one balancing weight into one of the at least one positioning recess, the at least one balancing weight having a flange engaging portion defining a flange receiving opening for mating with the flange, a rivet hole extending through at least part of the flange engaging portion, and a hook portion extending from one end of the flange engaging portion and defining a projection receiving opening for mating with the projection, at least part of the flange engaging portion being sized to fit through the positioning recess;
- engaging the hook portion with the projection to lock the at least one balancing weight in an axial direction with respect to the disc;
- sliding the at least one balancing weight along the circumference of the flange such that the rivet hole is aligned with one of the at least one rivet recesses;
- and
- inserting a rivet through the aligned rivet hole and rivet recess to lock the at least one balancing weight in a circumferential direction with respect to the disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.