Gas Turbine Blade Retainer Assembly for Concentric Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engines experience inefficiencies due to non-concentric rotation of blade assemblies and high frictional losses, particularly in counter-rotating designs where windage and vibration losses are significant, leading to reduced overall efficiency and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A rotating blade assembly with a disc operably coupled to the drive shaft and a retainer assembly that secures the blade assembly, utilizing a hollow tubular element and pin configuration to ensure concentric rotation and reduce frictional losses, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing material costs through differential retention forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional blade assemblies are used without a retainer assembly, then the structure is simpler, but the blade assembly experiences non-concentric rotation and high frictional losses
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer assembly acts as an intermediary component between the blade assembly and the disc, providing a mediating structure that ensures concentric rotation and reduces frictional losses. The retainer assembly includes a retainer plate and retaining elements that connect the blade assembly to the disc, creating a stable interface that eliminates the non-concentric rotation problem while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform retention forces are applied to all blade assemblies, then the structural integrity is maintained, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer assembly implements local quality by providing differential retention forces to different blade assemblies based on their specific requirements. The retainer plate can apply different magnitudes of retention force to different blades, allowing optimized material usage where high retention is needed only at critical locations rather than uniformly across all blades, thereby reducing overall material costs while maintaining structural integrity.
3Power
If counter-rotating design is implemented, then power output increases, but windage and vibration losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The counter-rotating design uses the principle of counterweight by having two blade assemblies rotate in opposite directions. The retainer assembly ensures that both blade assemblies are properly constrained to maintain concentric rotation. The opposing rotation creates counterbalancing effects that can reduce net vibration and windage losses while maintaining the power output benefits of the counter-rotating configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating blade assembly for a turbine engine having a drive shaft, the rotating blade assembly comprising a disc, at least one blade assembly, and a retainer. The disc being operably coupled to the drive shaft and including a seat having at least a portion of a first through hole. The at least one blade assembly having an upper platform, a lower platform, a dovetail extending from the lower platform, and a blade extending between the upper platform and the lower platform. The retainer assembly securing the disc to the at least one blade assembly and comprising a hollow tubular element, a pin, and a fastener.