Rotor of a turbomachine including a tie bolt and a method of assembling the rotor
The rotor assembly method using a tie bolt with a shaft engagement member and seal rings simplifies the assembly of high-speed rotors with stacked disks, enhancing installation ease and cooling fluid control.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO KG
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Manufacturing high-speed rotors with stacked disks is complicated, and controlling cooling fluid flow within the rotor or disks is difficult.
A rotor assembly method using a tie bolt with a shaft engagement member, clamp member, and locking portion, allowing for preassembly of disks with seal rings to control cooling fluid flow and secure disk attachment to a shaft.
Facilitates easier installation and precise control of cooling fluid flow, ensuring robust disk attachment and efficient operation of high-speed rotors.
Smart Images
Figure US2025012638_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Docket No. 2024PF00060ROTOR INCLUDING A TIE BOLT AND A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE ROTORBACKGROUND
[0001] High speed rotors are sometimes manufactured using stacked disks rather than a one-piece rotor body. It can be a complicated and difficult process to properly assemble a rotor including disks.
[0002] Additionally, it is sometimes desirable to cool the disks or the interior of the rotor. However, controlling the flow of cooling fluid within the rotor or the disks can be difficult.SUMMARY
[0003] In one aspect, a rotor includes a shaft having a first end with a disk engagement member and a central aperture, the central aperture including a bolt engagement member. A first disk includes a first central opening, a rotor engagement member, and a first outboard end disk engagement member, an intermediate disk includes a second central opening, a first inboard end disk engagement member, and a second outboard end disk engagement member, and a locking disk includes a third central opening and a second inboard end disk engagement member. A tie bolt includes a shaft engagement member, a first seal ring, and a locking portion, the shaft engagement member is removably engaged with the bolt engagement member to position the first seal ring in the first central opening to define a first annular gap. The locking portion biases the second inboard end disk engagement member into engagement with the second outboard end disk engagement member to connect the locking disk to the intermediate disk. The tie bolt further biases the first inboard end disk engagement member into engagement with the first outboard end disk engagement member to connect the intermediate disk to the first disk, and the rotor engagement member into engagement with the disk engagement member to connect the first disk to the shaft.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0004] In another aspect, a rotor includes a shaft including a first end having a disk engagement member and a central aperture that includes a bolt engagement member. The rotor also includes a plurality of disks with each disk of the plurality of disks including a central opening and engaged with an adjacent disk of the plurality of disks. A tie bolt includes a shaft engagement member, a clamp member, and a locking portion, with the tie bolt movable to an assembly condition in which the clamp member contacts a first disk of the plurality of disks and the shaft engagement member is not engaged with the bolt engagement member. A locking member is coupled to the locking portion and movable to an assembled position in which the locking member is engaged with the locking portion and in contact with an intermediate disk of the plurality of disks, each of the plurality of disks sandwiched between the locking member and the clamp member such that the plurality of disks, the tie bolt, and the locking member are fixedly attached to one another to define a disk assembly.
[0005] In yet another aspect, a method of assembling a rotor includes positioning a first disk of a plurality of disks to define a disk axis, abutting a clamp member of a tie bolt against the first disk with the tie bolt having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial to the disk axis, the tie bolt extending along the longitudinal axis between a shaft engagement member and a locking portion, the first disk defining a portion of a stack of disks. The method further includes engaging a last disk of the plurality of disks with the stack of disks to define the complete stack of disks, the locking portion of the tie bolt extending through the last disk. The method also includes connecting a locking member to the locking portion of the tie bolt, the locking member and the clamp member cooperating to fixedly retain the plurality of disks, the tie bolt, and the locking member in an assembly condition to define a disk assembly. The method also includes engaging the disk assembly with a shaft to inhibit rotation of the plurality of disks about the longitudinal axis with respect to the shaft, rotating the tie bolt to engage the shaft engagement member with a bolt engagement member of the shaft while also rotating the locking member to disconnect it from the locking portion, and connecting a locking nut to the locking portion, the locking nut abutting the last disk to fixedly attach the plurality of disks and the tie bolt to the shaft.Docket No. 2024PF00060BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a rotor including a plurality of disks attached to one another using a tie bolt.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the rotor of FIG. 1 illustrating the disks and the tie bolt in an operating arrangement.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the rotor of FIG. 1 illustrating the disks and the tie bolt in an assembly condition.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in this description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0011] Various technologies that pertain to systems and methods will now be described with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like elements throughout. The drawings discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged apparatus. It is to be understood that functionality that is described as being carried out by certain system elements may be performed by multiple elements. Similarly, for instance, an element may be configured to perform functionality that is described as beingDocket No. 2024PF00060 carried out by multiple elements. The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with reference to exemplary non-limiting embodiments.
[0012] It should be understood that the words or phrases used herein should be construed broadly, unless expressly limited in some examples. For example, the terms “including,” “having,” and “comprising,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms (i.e., one or more) as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Furthermore, while multiple embodiments or constructions may be described herein, any features, methods, steps, components, etc. described with regard to one embodiment are equally applicable to other embodiments absent a specific statement to the contrary.
[0013] Also, terms such as “first”, “second”, “third” and so forth may be used herein to refer to various elements, information, functions, or acts, but should not be considered as limiting in any way. Rather these numeral adjectives are used to distinguish different elements, information, functions or acts from each other. For example, a first element, information, function, or act could be termed a second element, information, function, or act, and, similarly, a second element, information, function, or act could be termed a first element, information, function, or act, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0014] In addition, the term “adjacent to” may mean that an element is relatively near to but not in contact with a further element or that the element is in contact with the further portion unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Terms “about” or “substantially” or like terms are intended to cover variations in a value that are within normal industry manufacturing tolerances for that dimension. If no industry standard is available, aDocket No. 2024PF00060 variation of twenty percent would fall within the meaning of these terms unless otherwise stated.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement of a rotor 100 that includes a shaft 102 connected to a disk assembly 104 and supported by two or more bearings 114 for rotation about a longitudinal axis 116. The rotor 100 could be for a number of purposes including to generate power or to compress a fluid. In the power generation arrangement, the disk assembly 104 may include one or more rows of turbine blades that power the shaft 102 which may include a generator rotor.
[0016] In another arrangement, the rotor 100 is part of a compressor with the disk assembly 104 including multiple compressor stages. The compressor stages could include a multi-stage axial or radial flow compressor or could include multiple parallel compressors that cooperate to perform a single stage of compression. In the case of a compressor, the shaft 102 may include the rotor of a motor that powers the compressor.
[0017] The disk assembly 104 includes a plurality of disks 118 with a first disk 106 of the plurality of disks 118 arranged to connect the disk assembly 104 to the shaft 102. A last disk 108, sometimes referred to as a locking disk is positioned at the opposite end of the disk assembly 104 as the first disk 106 with zero or more disks positioned between the first disk 106 and the last disk 108.
[0018] The disk assembly 104 also includes a tie bolt 110 that extends through the plurality of disks 118 and engages the shaft 102. A locking nut 112 engages the tie bolt 110 and sandwiches the plurality of disks 118 between the shaft 102 and the locking nut 112 such that they are coupled to the shaft 102 for co-rotation about the longitudinal axis 116.
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of the disk assembly 104 and a portion of the shaft 102. The shaft 102 includes a central aperture 204 that extends inward from an end of the shaft 102. The central aperture 204 includes a large opening at the end of the shaft 102 that tapers inward to a bolt engagement member 206. In the illustrated construction, the bolt engagement member 206 includes a threaded bore formed in a blind portion of the central aperture 204.
[0020] The central aperture 204 defines an annular end of the shaft 102 on which a disk engagement member 202 is formed. In the illustrated construction, the disk engagementDocket No. 2024PF00060 member 202 includes a plurality of teeth 226 that extend around the annular end of the shaft 102. The teeth 226 cooperate to define one half of a Hirth coupling 230. “Hirth coupling,” also known as Hirth joints, are a type of mechanical coupling used to connect and precisely position shafts, wheels, disks, and cranks in various engineering applications. They are characterized by their unique design, which features radial grooves or teeth milled into the end faces of the components being joined. This design allows for a compact, self-centering connection with high torque capacity and minimal backlash. Other constructions may use other components or features as the disk engagement member 202 as may be required by the particular application.
[0021] The disk assembly 104 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes three disks with more or fewer disks being possible, depending upon the particular application and need. The first disk 106 is positioned adjacent to the shaft 102, at a most inboard position with the last disk 108, sometimes referred to as a locking disk being positioned on the most outboard end of the rotor 100. An intermediate disk 234 is positioned between the first disk 106 and the last disk 108 to complete a disk assembly.
[0022] The first disk 106 includes a central opening 208, an inboard end disk engagement member 212, sometimes referred to as a rotor engagement member 210, an outboard end disk engagement member 214, and an operating component on the outer portion of the disk. The operating component may include a row of compressor or turbine blades, a compressor or turbine impeller or any other component that may be needed for the application.
[0023] The inboard end disk engagement member 212 or rotor engagement member 210 corresponds to the disk engagement member 202 to which it engages. Thus, the inboard end disk engagement member 212 includes a plurality of teeth 226 that are sized and arranged to engage the plurality of teeth 226 of the disk engagement member 202 to complete the Hirth coupling 230 therebetween. In some constructions, one or more teeth 226 on one or both of the disk engagement member 202 and the rotor engagement member 210 may be removed or omitted to define one or more gaps 228 in the Hirth coupling 230. The gaps 228 are larger than any normal spaces or openings that might normally exist between the teeth 226 with the size and quantity of gaps 228 selected to define a desired cross-sectional area for an opening that passes from the interior of the first disk 106 to the exterior of the first disk 106.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0024] The central opening 208 defines a surface having a desired diameter. The surface can extend the entire axial length of the first disk 106 or may extend along only a portion of the axial length as may be desired. In the illustrated construction, the surface of the central opening 208 extends only along a portion of the length with a larger opening formed on either side of the surface.
[0025] The intermediate disk 234, and any other disks that may be positioned between the first disk 106 and the last disk 108 are similar to the first disk 106. While the intermediate disk 234 will be discussed herein, it should be clear that the description could apply to any disks positioned between the first disk 106 and the last disk 108. The intermediate disk 234 includes a central opening 208, an inboard end disk engagement member 212, an outboard end disk engagement member 214, and an operating component. As discussed, the operating component could be any component desired for the particular application.
[0026] For each intermediate disks 234, the inboard end disk engagement member 212 includes a plurality of teeth 226 that are sized and arranged to engage the plurality of teeth 226 of the outboard end disk engagement member 214 of the adjacent inboard disk to complete a Hirth coupling therebetween. In some constructions, one or more teeth 226 on one or both of the inboard end disk engagement member 212 or the outboard end disk engagement member 214 may be removed or omitted to define one or more gaps 228 in the Hirth coupling 230. The gaps 228 would be similar to those discussed with regard to the first disk 106 with their cross-sectional area selected to define a desired cross-sectional area for a flow path through the Hirth coupling 230.
[0027] The outboard end disk engagement member 214 of each intermediate disk 234 is similar to the inboard end disk engagement member 212 and is arranged to engage an inboard end disk engagement member 212 of an adjacent outboard intermediate disk 234 or last disk 108. As described, each outboard end disk engagement member 214 includes a plurality of teeth 226 arranged to engage the plurality of teeth of the adjacent outboard intermediate disk 234 or last disk 108 to complete a Hirth coupling 230. As discussed, some of the teeth 226 may be omitted or removed to form gaps 228 to form a flow path between the interior of the intermediate disk 234 and the exterior.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0028] The central opening 208 of each intermediate disk 234 defines a surface having a desired diameter. The surface can extend the entire axial length of the intermediate disk 234 or may extend along only a portion of the axial length as may be desired. In the illustrated construction, the surface of the central opening 208 extends only along a portion of the length with a larger opening formed on either side of the surface.
[0029] The last disk 108 or locking disk is similar to the intermediate disk 234 and includes a central opening 208, an inboard end disk engagement member 212, and a locking surface 236. The last disk 108 may include an operating component as discussed or may omit such a component. In addition, the last disk 108 omits the outboard end disk engagement member 214 as there are no disks outboard of the last disk 108 and therefore no need for such a feature.
[0030] The inboard end disk engagement member 212 includes a plurality of teeth 226 that are sized and arranged to engage the plurality of teeth 226 of the outboard end disk engagement member 214 of the adjacent inboard disk to complete a Hirth coupling 230 therebetween. In some constructions, one or more teeth 226 on one or both of the inboard end disk engagement member 212 or the outboard end disk engagement member 214 may be removed or omitted to define one or more gaps 228 in the Hirth coupling 230. The gaps 228 would be similar to those discussed with regard to the first disk 106 with their cross-sectional area selected to define a desired cross-sectional area for a flow path through the Hirth coupling 230.
[0031] The locking surface 236 in the illustrated construction is a frustoconical surface that is angled at about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 116. The locking surface 236 extends from the central opening 208 to an outermost planar surface. In other constructions, the locking surface 236 may resemble a fillet more than a chamfer or may contain other portions or contours. In addition, angles other than 45 degrees could be used to form the locking surface 236 with angles between thirst degrees and 60 degrees being preferred.
[0032] The tie bolt 110 extends along the longitudinal axis 116 and includes a shaft engagement member 216, a clamp member 222, one or more seal rings 218, and a locking portion 220. All the components, with the exception of the clamp member 222 have an outside diameter that is smaller than the outside diameter of each of the central openings 208. In some constructions, the shaft engagement member 216 could have a diameter that is larger than the central openings 208.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0033] The shaft engagement member 216 includes a threaded region having threads sized and arranged to threadably engage and disengage the bolt engagement member 206. In the construction of FIG. 2, the shaft engagement member 216 and the central opening 208 are threadably engaged such that the disk assembly 104 and the shaft 102 are in an operating arrangement. FIG. 3, in contrast shows an assembly condition in which the shaft engagement member 216 and the bolt engagement member 206 are not engaged with one another.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, in the operating arrangement the clamp member 222 has an outer diameter that is larger than the central opening 208 of the first disk 106 but small enough to fit within the central aperture 204 but not contact the surfaces of the central aperture 204. The clamp member 222 includes a contact surface 238 that is arranged to selectively engage the first disk 106 as will be discussed with regard to FIG. 3. In the construction of FIG. 2, the contact surface 238 is angled at about one-hundred twenty degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 116 with other angles and arrangements being possible.
[0035] Each seal ring 218 includes a tip that defines an outside diameter that is smaller than the smallest inside diameter of the central opening 208 to which the seal ring 218 is associated. In the operating arrangement of FIG. 2, each seal ring 218 is positioned in one of the central openings 208 of one of the disks. Each seal ring 218 cooperates with its associated central opening 208 to define an annular gap 224. The diameters of the seal ring 218 and the central opening 208 are selected to define an area of the annular gap 224. The area is selected to provide a desired flow rate of cooling fluid through each annular gap 224 as will be discussed in greater detail.
[0036] The locking portion 220 of the tie bolt 110 includes a threaded region that extends at least partially beyond the last disk 108. In the operating arrangement of FIG. 2, a locking nut 112 is threadably engaged with the locking portion 220 to compress the plurality of disks 118 into the shaft 102 to form a rigid assembly that is suitable for rotation. The locking nut 112 includes a contact surface that engages a locking surface 236 of the last disk 108 to bias the disks of the plurality of disks 118 into contact with one another and to maintain that contact. In the operating arrangement, the locking nut 112 is tightened to achieve a desired stretch of the tie bolt 110 to assure that sufficient force is applied to compress or sandwich the plurality of disks 118 between the locking nut 112 and the shaft 102. Other locking arrangements, such as a cam-actuated locking portion 220 and locking nut 112 could be employed if desired.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates the portion of the rotor 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 in an assembly condition rather than in the operating arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2. In the assembly condition, the shaft engagement member 216 is disengaged from and spaced outboard of the bolt engagement member 206. The clamp member 222 is positioned outside of the central aperture 204 and is engaged with the first disk 106. Specifically, the contact surface 238 is in direct contact with the first disk 106 near the central opening 208. In this position, each of the seal rings 218 are displaced from their operating positions such that they do not cooperate with adjacent central openings 208 to define annular gaps 224.
[0038] In the assembly condition, the locking portion 220 extends outside of the last disk 108.A locking member 302 is threadably engaged with the locking portion 220 and is arranged to contact the locking surface 236 of the last disk 108 to bias the last disk 108 into contact with any intermediate disks 234 and the first disk 106. Thus, with the locking member 302 in the assembled position as shown in FIG. 3, the disks, the tie bolt 110, and the locking member 302 form the complete disk assembly 104. The disk assembly 104 is a unitary component that is movable as a unit to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 before completing the assembly such that the disk assembly 104 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0039] To assemble the rotor 100, the tie bolt 110 is positioned in an assembly position.Preferably, the tie bolt 110 is arranged with the longitudinal axis 116 in a vertical orientation and the shaft engagement member 216 at the lowermost point. The first disk 106 is positioned with the tie bolt 110 passing through the central opening 208 of the first disk 106 and the contact surface 238 of the clamp member 222 in contact with and supporting the first disk 106.
[0040] The next intermediate disk 234 is then positioned with its inboard end disk engagement member 212 engaged with the outboard end disk engagement member 214 to define the Hirth coupling 230. Any additional intermediate disks 234 are then positioned like the first intermediate disk to engage and cooperate with the adjacent inboard disk to define additional Hirth couplings 230.
[0041] The last disk 108, or locking disk is then positioned with its inboard end disk engagement member 212 engaged with the outboard end disk engagement member 214 of the last of the intermediate disks 234. To complete the assembly of the disk assembly 104, the locking member 302 threadably engages the locking portion 220 and is threaded into positionDocket No. 2024PF00060 such that all the disks of the disk assembly 104 are engaged with at least one adjacent disk and are sandwiched between the clamp member 222 and the locking member 302.
[0042] The completed disk assembly 104 is then moved into the position illustrated in FIG. 3. In this position, the shaft engagement member 216 is not engaged with or is just engaged with the bolt engagement member 206 and the inboard end disk engagement member 212 or rotor engagement member 210 is aligned with or engaged with the disk engagement member 202.
[0043] Next, the tie bolt 110 is rotated to threadably engage the bolt engagement member 206 and the shaft engagement member 216 which moves the tie bolt 110 in the inboard direction with respect to the plurality of disks 118. To facilitate this movement, the locking member 302 is rotated to loosen or partially remove the locking member 302 from the locking portion 220. As the tie bolt 110 moves in the inboard direction, the clamp member 222 disengages from the first disk 106 such that the plurality of disks 118 are sandwiched between the locking member 302 and the disk engagement member 202 rather than between the locking member 302 and the clamp member 222. Further engagement of the shaft engagement member 216 into the bolt engagement member 206 requires additional removal of the locking member 302 as the tie bolt 110 continues to move inboard. Once the shaft engagement member 216 is in its operation position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the locking member 302 can be completely removed. The locking member 302 is then replaced with the locking nut 112. The tie bolt 110 is stretched or the desired torque is applied to the locking nut 112 to provide the level of compressive force desired on the plurality of disks 118 to complete the assembly and place the rotor 100 in the operating arrangement of FIG. 2.
[0044] With reference to FIG. 2, during operation of the rotor 100, a cooling flow 232 may be provided to cool the interior of the plurality of disks 118. In the construction of FIG. 2, the cooling flow 232 enters the central aperture 204 via an external source. The cooling flow 232 cools the shaft 102 near the central aperture 204 with a portion of the cooling flow 232 able to escape via the gap 228 or gaps 228 in the Hirth coupling 230 between the shaft 102 and the first disk 106. The remaining flow passes through the annular gap 224 between the seal ring 218 and the central opening 208 of the first disk 106. The annular gap 224 is sized to control the amount of flow that exits via the gaps versus how much of the cooling flow 232 passes to the outboard space of the first disk 106. A similar arrangement is provided with the intermediate disk 234 and may be provided with any additional intermediate disks 234.Docket No. 2024PF00060
[0045] The construction illustrated herein allows for preassembly of the disk assembly 104 which allows for easier installation or connection to the shaft 102. In addition, the use of seal rings 218 on the tie bolt 110 allows for precise control of the quantity of cooling flow 232 that passes into each space.
[0046] Although an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, variations, and improvements disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure in its broadest form.
[0047] None of the description in the present application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, act, or function is an essential element, which must be included in the claim scope: the scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowedclaims. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke a means plus function claim construction unless the exact words "means for" are followed by a participle.
Claims
Docket No. 2024PF00060CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:
1. A rotor comprising:a shaft including a first end having a disk engagement member and a central aperture, the central aperture including a bolt engagement member;a first disk including a first central opening, a rotor engagement member, and a first outboard end disk engagement member;an intermediate disk including a second central opening, a first inboard end disk engagement member, and a second outboard end disk engagement member;a locking disk having a third central opening and a second inboard end disk engagement member; anda tie bolt including a shaft engagement member, a first seal ring, and a locking portion, the shaft engagement member removably engaged with the bolt engagement member to position the first seal ring in the first central opening to define a first annular gap, the locking portion biasing the second inboard end disk engagement member into engagement with the second outboard end disk engagement member to connect the locking disk to the intermediate disk, the tie bolt further biasing the first inboard end disk engagement member into engagement with the first outboard end disk engagement member to connect the intermediate disk to the first disk, the tie bolt further biasing the rotor engagement member into engagement with the disk engagement member to connect the first disk to the shaft.
2. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the first seal ring and the first central opening are sized to define a first annular gap having a preselected area, the preselected area selected to provide for a desired cooling flow rate through the first annular gap.
3. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the bolt engagement member and the shaft engagement member are threadably engageable with one another.
4. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the disk engagement member and the rotor engagement member include a plurality of teeth that cooperate to define a Hirth coupling.Docket No. 2024PF00060 5. The rotor of claim 4, wherein a portion of the teeth of the plurality of teeth are removed to define a flow opening within the Hirth coupling, the flow opening allowing for flow between the first central opening and an exterior of the first disk.
6. The rotor of claim 1, wherein each of the disk engagement member, rotor engagement member, inboard end disk engagement members, and outboard end disk engagement members includes a plurality of teeth that partially define a Hirth coupling.
7. The rotor of claim 1, further comprising a locking member that threadably engages the locking portion.
8. The rotor of claim 1, further comprising a second seal ring formed as part of the tie bolt, the second seal ring movably positioned within the second central opening when the shaft engagement member is engaged with the bolt engagement member.
9. The rotor of claim 8, wherein the first seal ring and the second seal ring are sized to define the first annular gap and a second annular gap, the first annular gap metering a quantity of cooling flow that passes from an inboard side of the first disk to an outboard side of the first disk, the second annular gap metering a quantity of cooling flow that passes from an inboard side of the intermediate disk to an outboard side of the intermediate disk.
10. A rotor comprising:a shaft including a first end having a disk engagement member and a central aperture that includes a bolt engagement member;a plurality of disks with each disk of the plurality of disks including a central opening and engaged with an adjacent disk of the plurality of disks;a tie bolt including a shaft engagement member, a clamp member, and a locking portion, the tie bolt movable to an assembly condition in which the clamp member contacts a first disk of the plurality of disks and the shaft engagement member is not engaged with the bolt engagement member;a locking member coupled to the locking portion and movable to an assembled position in which the locking member is engaged with the locking portion and in contact with an intermediate disk of the plurality of disks, each of the plurality of disks sandwiched between the locking member and the clamp member such that the plurality of disks, the tie bolt, and the locking member are fixedly attached to one another to define a disk assembly.Docket No. 2024PF00060 11. The rotor of claim 10, wherein the bolt engagement member and the shaft engagement member are threadably engageable with one another.
12. The rotor of claim 10, wherein each disk of the plurality of disks includes an inboard end disk engagement member and an outboard end disk engagement member and wherein each of the inboard end disk engagement members and outboard end disk engagement members includes a plurality of teeth arranged to define a portion of a Hirth coupling.
13. The rotor of claim 12, wherein the inboard end disk engagement member of the first disk of the plurality of disks engages the disk engagement member to inhibit rotation about a longitudinal axis between the disk assembly and the shaft.
14. The rotor of claim 13, wherein the clamp member has an outside diameter that is larger than the central opening to inhibit passage of the clamp member through the center opening of the first disk.
15. The rotor of claim 12, wherein one of the inboard end disk engagement member and the outboard end disk engagement member includes a gap formed between two adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth, the gap sized to allow for a flow of cooling gas from the central opening to an exterior of the plurality of disks.
16. The rotor of claim 12, wherein the locking member and the locking portion are threadably engageable with one another.
17. The rotor of claim 12, wherein the tie bolt includes a seal ring that cooperates with the central opening of the first disk to define an annular gap therebetween.Docket No. 2024PF00060 18. A method of assembling a rotor, the method comprising:positioning a first disk of a plurality of disks to define a disk axis;abutting a clamp member of a tie bolt against the first disk with the tie bolt having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial to the disk axis, the tie bolt extending along the longitudinal axis between a shaft engagement member and a locking portion, the first disk defining a portion of a stack of disks;engaging a last disk of the plurality of disks with the stack of disks to define the complete stack of disks, the locking portion of the tie bolt extending through the last disk; connecting a locking member to the locking portion of the tie bolt, the locking member and the clamp member cooperating to fixedly retain the plurality of disks, the tie bolt, and the locking member in an assembly condition to define a disk assembly;engaging the disk assembly with a shaft to inhibit rotation of the plurality of disks about the longitudinal axis with respect to the shaft;rotating the tie bolt to engage the shaft engagement member with a bolt engagement member of the shaft while also rotating the locking member to disconnect it from the locking portion; andconnecting a locking nut to the locking portion, the locking nut abutting the last disk to fixedly attach the plurality of disks and the tie bolt to the shaft.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein rotating the tie bolt moves the tie bolt axially along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first disk to disengage the clamp member and the first disk.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein rotating the tie bolt moves the tie bolt axially along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first disk to move a seal ring into a central opening of the first disk, the seal ring formed as part of the tie bolt and cooperating with the central opening to define an annular gap.