Blade Seal Damper System for Gas Turbine Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine blades experience vibration due to turbulent airflow, leading to fatigue cracking, and existing solutions like hooks and posts add mass and stress concentrations, increasing centrifugal pull undesirably.
Innovation Solution
A seal and detachable damper system comprising a blade assembly seal with a central recess and a damper with arms and protrusions that clip onto the seal, allowing for sliding engagement to reduce vibration without additional mass, using high-performance materials like nickel-based superalloys for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hooks and posts are added to attach blade-to-blade dampers, then vibration reduction is achieved, but mass increases and stress concentrations are created
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is merged with the blade seal assembly into a single integrated component. The seal assembly includes a retainer with arms that engage the blade platform, eliminating the need for separate hooks and posts. This integration reduces the overall mass while maintaining vibration damping functionality through the combined seal-damper structure.
2Reliability
If hooks and posts are added to attach blade-to-blade dampers, then vibration reduction is achieved, but stress concentrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damper function is merged into the seal assembly structure, distributing stress across the entire seal assembly rather than concentrating it at discrete hook and post attachment points. The retainer arms and engagement features are designed to spread load distribution across the blade platform, reducing stress concentrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly includes flexible or resilient elements that allow dynamic movement and absorption of stress. The retainer arms can flex and the engagement features can accommodate thermal expansion and mechanical deformation, reducing stress concentrations while maintaining vibration damping effectiveness.
3Reliability
If a traditional damper attachment system is used, then vibration damping is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly and damper are merged into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate attachment hardware. The retainer arms, engagement features, and damping elements are all part of one unified structure, reducing device complexity while maintaining vibration damping functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly serves multiple functions: sealing the blade platform, providing vibration damping through integrated retainer arms, and eliminating the need for separate attachment systems. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by consolidating multiple components into one.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively dampens blade vibrations while minimizing centrifugal force and stress concentrations, reducing the risk of fatigue cracking without the need for external fasteners, thus enhancing the operational stability of gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
The protrusion of the damper may slide relative to blade seal assembly with the range of sliding limited by the recess defined by the blade assembly seal
Implementation Method 2
a damper comprising a center body and an arm extending from the center body and configured to engage the depression
Data Source
AI summary
A seal and damper system is provided. The system comprises a blade assembly seal with a central portion defining a recess and a depression. The system also includes a damper comprising a center body and an arm extending from the center body and configured to engage the depression. A blade assembly is also provided comprising a blade platform, a seal configured to press against the blade platform, and a damper clipped onto the seal.