Spring-tensioned stator restraining strap
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsDavid Harold Menheere, Richard Ivakitch, Andreas Eleftheriou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vane assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending radially between an outer case and an inner case. A spring-tensioned stator restraining strap is provided around the outer case and surrounding outer ends of the respective vanes. The outer ends of the vanes are received in corresponding openings defined in the outer case and project radially outwardly from the outer case. The spring-tensioned strap compresses the respective vanes radially and inwardly in position.
Claims17
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- an annular casing having a series of circumferentially spaced openings defined therethrough;
- a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly through respective casing openings, an outer end of the vanes projecting radially outwardly from the casing through the respective openings, and an inner end of the vanes being mounted to an inner portion of the casing;
- a strap extending around the annular casing, surrounding and abutting the projecting outer ends of the vanes;
- and
- a spring including a ring having opposed end sections connected to first and second circumferential locations of the strap, respectively, the ring including two side sections defining therebetween a dimension smaller than a dimension defined between the opposed end sections, the ring thereby being resiliently deformable when pulling forces are applied to the opposed end sections of the ring.
A gas turbine engine having an outer casing surrounding rotating blades of a rotor, the engine further comprising:
- a tubular wall portion of the outer casing located downstream of the rotating blades, the wall portion having a series of circumferentially spaced openings defined therethrough;
- an inner shroud located inwardly and concentrically with the wall portion, the inner shroud and the wall portion in combination defining an annular flow path therebetween;
- a vane corresponding with each of the openings, radially extending between the wall portion and the inner shroud, an inner end of the vane being engaged with the inner shroud and an outer end of the vane being received in a corresponding one of the openings, the outer end of the vane projecting radially outwardly from an outer surface of the wall portion;
- a grommet corresponding to each of the vanes disposed around the outer end of the vane and providing a seal between the outer end of the vane and the tubular wall portion of the outer casing;
- a strap placed around the tubular wall portion of the outer casing, surrounding and abutting the projecting outer ends of the respective vanes;
- and
- a spring ring having opposed end sections connected to respective first and second circumferential locations of the strap, the ring including two side sections extending between the opposed end sections and being bent inwardly towards each other, the ring thereby being resiliently deformable under a tensioned condition to apply tensioning forces to the strap in order to cause the strap to radially and inwardly compress the respective vanes in position.
A method of retaining vanes in a gas turbine engine case, the case having a plurality of slots circumferentially distributed therearound, the vanes extending radially through each slot such that an end of the vane projects outwardly from the slot, the method comprising steps of placing a strap around the case to thereby surround and radially abut the vane ends and connecting a spring with the strap to allow the spring to be substantially in line with the strap, and to tension the strap when the strap is tightened around the case, thereby causing the strap to radially inwardly compress the respective vanes in position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.