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US 8,790,067 B2Granted
Blade clearance control using high-CTE and low-CTE ring members
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael G. McCaffrey, Eric A. Hudson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine has a blade stage and a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments. A support ring carries the blade outer air seal segments. The support ring has a low-CTE member and a high-CTE member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the low-CTE member.
Claims26
An engine comprising:
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full hoop non-metallic member;
- and
- a metallic member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the non-metallic member.
4 more elements
An engine comprising:
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a non-metallic member;
- a metallic member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the non-metallic member;
- and
- a radially compliant member between the metallic member and the non-metallic member.
5 more elements
An engine comprising:
- an engine case;
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carried by the engine case and carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full annulus member;
- and
- a segmented member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the full annulus member,
- wherein the segmented member and full annulus member have dimensions and physical properties so that:
- in a first portion of an operational temperature range, an edge-to-edge clearance between segments of the segmented member decreases with temperature and the full annulus member essentially dictates the thermal expansion;
- and
- in the second portion of the operational temperature range, the edge-to-edge clearance is closed and a radial gap between the segmented member and full annulus member decreases with increasing temperature.
9 more elements
An engine comprising:
- an engine case;
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carried by the engine case and carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full annulus member;
- and
- a segmented member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the full annulus wherein the segmented member and full annulus member have dimensions and physical properties so that:
- over an operational temperature range there are distinct stages in which the circumferential thermal expansion of one member versus the other dictate radial expansion of the circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- over a portion of the operational temperature range, a radial gap between the segmented member and full annulus member decreases with increasing temperature.
8 more elements
An engine comprising:
- an engine case;
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carried by the engine case and carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full annulus member;
- a segmented member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the full annulus member;
- and
- a radially compliant member between the segmented member and the full annulus and biasing open a radial gap between the segmented member and the full annulus member.
6 more elements
An engine comprising:
- an engine case;
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carried by the engine case and carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full annulus member;
- and
- a segmented member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the full annulus member and supported by the engine case to, in turn, support the full annulus member.
5 more elements
An engine comprising:
- an engine case;
- a blade stage;
- a circumferential array of blade outer air seal segments;
- and
- a support ring carried by the engine case and carrying the blade outer air seal segments and comprising:
- a full annulus member expandably and contractably supported relative to the engine case;
- and
- a segmented member intervening between the blade outer air seal segments and the full annulus member, wherein there is a radial gap between the segmented member and the full annulus member.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.