Device and method for aligning tip shrouds
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMark Andrew Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for aligning tip shrouds includes a platform configured to connect to a blade, a first projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of the platform, and a first complementary alignment feature on the first projection. A method for aligning tip shrouds includes rotating a plurality of tip shrouds, wherein each tip shroud is coupled to a blade, and aligning adjacent tip shrouds by nesting a first alignment feature of a first tip shroud into a second alignment feature of a second tip shroud.
Claims20
A device for aligning tip shrouds, comprising:
- a. a platform connected to a radial tip of an airfoil;
- b. a first projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said platform, said first projection extending radially outwardly from a top surface of said platform, said first projection having an end portion which is perpendicular to said top surface;
- c. a first complementary alignment feature defined on said end portion of said first projection;
- d. a second projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said platform parallel to said first projection, said second projection extending radially outwardly from said top surface of said platform, said second projection having an end portion which is perpendicular to said top surface;
- and
- e. a second complementary alignment feature defined on said end portion of said second projection;
- f. wherein one of said first and second complementary alignment features is defined by a protrusion and the other of said first and second complementary alignment features is defined by a recess.
A device for aligning tip shrouds, comprising:
- a. a first platform connected to a radial tip of a first blade;
- b. a first projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said first platform, said first projection extending radially outwardly from a top surface of said first platform;
- c. a first alignment feature disposed along an end portion of said first projection;
- d. a second platform connected to a radial tip of a second blade adjacent to the first blade;
- e. a second projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said second platform, said second projection extending radially outwardly from a top surface of said second platform;
- f. a second alignment feature disposed along an end portion of said second projection, wherein said end portion of said first projection and said end portion of said second projection are circumferentially adjacent;
- and
- g. wherein said first alignment feature is formed to nest at least partially inside said second alignment feature.
A tip shroud, comprising:
- a. a platform connected to a radial tip of an airfoil;
- b. a first projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said platform, said first projection extending radially inwardly from a bottom surface of said platform;
- c. a first alignment feature defined along an end portion of said first projection;
- d. a second projection that extends circumferentially across at least a portion of said platform parallel to said first projection, said second projection extending radially inwardly from said bottom surface of said platform;
- and
- e. a second alignment feature defined along an end portion of said second projection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.