Blade disk seal

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for reducing the operating stresses in a disk of a gas turbine engine while providing a seal plate to minimize leakage of a cooling fluid from the blades positioned in the disk. The seal plate is fastened to a tang of one or more of the blades. The seal plate configuration can be utilized with a newly manufactured disk and blades or with a modification to an existing disk and blades. The disk, blade, and seal plate configuration reduce operating stresses in the disk that are caused by mechanical loading on the disk by one or more rotating blades.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to the Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 61 / 012,475 and filed on Dec. 10, 2007.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to gas turbine engines. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for reducing stress in a blade disk while minimizing leakage of cooling fluids directed towards one or more blades.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust. Specifically, land-based gas turbine engines typically have a generator coupled thereto for the purposes of generating electricity. A gas turbine engine comprises a number of components including a compressor section which has a series of rotating compressor blades. The compressor, which receives air from an engine inlet, passes the air through the compressor, where the pressure of the air increases. The compressed air is then directed into one...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and method for, among other things, reducing stress levels in a disk assembly while providing a seal between a portion of the disk and one or more blades for a gas turbine engine.

[0006]The present invention provides embodiments for a disk assembly of a gas turbine engine in which a seal plate is secured thereto in order to prevent leakage of cooling air that is directed to cool a blade installed in the disk. The assembly has a disk with generally axially extending slots for receiving one or more blades. In one embodiment, each blade in the disk has a tang that extends radially inward, and one or more seal plates positioned to receive and engage the tang. The tang of the blade is secured to a seal plate by a fastener.

[0008]In yet another embodiment, a seal plate capable of minimizing cooling fluid leakage between a disk and one or more blades is provided. In one embodiment, the seal plate has generally parallel first and second members that are connected by a leg with the first and second members each having through holes for receiving a fastener. The first and second members are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive a blade tang therebetween.

Problems solved by technology

Such large stress concentrations have been known to exceed material capabilities at the disk operating temperatures and have led to cracking within the disk, failure of the disk, and engine failure.

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