Alternating Vane Insertion for Turbine Nozzle Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and weight of gas turbine engines are increased due to the use of separate components for forming nozzle assemblies, leading to challenges in manufacturing and sealing, particularly in forming unitary boundary structures that are both complex and expensive to produce.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle assembly design where an outer wall and an inner wall define mounting openings, allowing vanes to be inserted radially inward through the outer wall and radially outward through the inner wall in an alternating manner, providing a more stable and efficient assembly method that reduces the need for multiple seals and simplifies the integration of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate components are used to form nozzle assemblies, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the outer boundary structure and inner boundary structure into a single integrated nozzle assembly component. This unitary structure eliminates the need for multiple separate parts and interfaces, reducing device complexity and weight while maintaining manufacturing capability through controlled formation processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate components are used to form nozzle assemblies, then assembly flexibility is improved, but the number of seals and interfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the outer and inner boundary structures into one component, the patent eliminates multiple interfaces between separate parts. This reduction in interfaces directly decreases the number of seals required, simplifying the assembly while maintaining adaptability through the integrated design.
3Ease of operation
If nozzle vanes are inserted through boundary structures, then assembly ease is improved, but space limitations make fixturing and sealing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from inserting vanes through the boundary structure to forming vanes as integral portions of the unitary nozzle assembly. This dimensional change in the manufacturing approach eliminates space limitations and fixturing difficulties while maintaining assembly ease through the integrated formation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine and methods for assembling a nozzle assembly are provided. In one example aspect, the nozzle assembly includes an outer wall and an inner wall radially spaced from the outer wall. The outer wall defines a plurality of mounting openings spaced circumferentially from one another. The inner wall defines a plurality of mounting openings spaced circumferentially from one another. The mounting openings defined by the inner wall are positioned circumferentially between adjacent mounting openings defined by the outer wall. The nozzle assembly includes vanes that are inserted through the mounting openings of the outer wall in a radially inward direction and vanes that are inserted through the mounting openings of the inner wall in a radially outward direction in an alternating manner.