Resilient Finger Tool for Gas Turbine Rotor Blade Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of rotor blade assemblies in gas turbine engines is challenging due to the need to install seal or damper members between rotor blades and the rotor disc, which requires precise alignment and can be difficult to manage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A rotor blade assembly tool with circumferentially spaced resilient fingers is used to abut seal members against the rotor disc platforms, allowing simultaneous seating of rotor blades and seal members, facilitating the assembly process by providing a base ring with fingers that can be withdrawn after assembly, ensuring proper alignment and secure placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seal members are installed between rotor blades and rotor disc, then sealing function is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A tool with resilient fingers acts as an intermediary device during assembly. The fingers engage with the seal members and simultaneously push multiple seal members into their final positions between the rotor blades and rotor disc, coordinating the installation of multiple components in a single operation rather than requiring separate manual installation of each seal member
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient fingers are pre-positioned on the tool to engage with the seal members before assembly. The tool is designed with fingers that automatically align with and contact the seal members, preparing them for simultaneous insertion into the gaps between rotor blades and the rotor disc platform
2Productivity
If multiple seal members are installed simultaneously, then assembly time is reduced, but alignment precision becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into multiple circumferentially spaced resilient fingers, with each finger responsible for positioning a specific seal member. This segmentation allows simultaneous independent action on multiple seal members while maintaining individual control over each one's placement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient fingers are designed with specific elastic properties and dimensions (thickness smaller than radial clearance) that allow them to flex and adapt to slight variations in positioning while still achieving precise final placement of seal members. The elasticity parameter enables the fingers to maintain contact pressure for accurate positioning while accommodating manufacturing tolerances
3Strength
If a rigid tool is used for assembly, then structural strength is improved, but ease of operation decreases due to inability to withdraw fingers from tight clearances
Solution Approach 1:
The tool transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic one with resilient fingers that can flex and deform. The fingers are made of elastic material that allows them to be compressed during assembly and then expand to withdraw from the tight radial clearances between the rotor disc and rotor blade platforms after assembly is complete
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the tool's fingers changes from rigid to elastic, allowing them to compress under load during assembly operations and then rebound to withdraw from tight clearances. The elastic parameter enables the fingers to maintain structural integrity during use while providing the flexibility needed for easy removal
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
This method simplifies the assembly process by enabling simultaneous installation of rotor blades and seal members, ensuring accurate alignment and secure sealing, while allowing for easy removal of the tool, thus improving the efficiency and accuracy of rotor assembly in gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
an array of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers supported on the base ring, the fingers extending in a substantially axial direction and being configured to radially abut the components against a radially inner facing surface of the platforms
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor blade assembly tool for coupling a plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor blades to a rotor disc of a turbine rotor assembly, includes a base ring with an array of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers axially extending from the base ring. The resilient fingers are configured each to radially abut a blade seal, damper or other engine component against radially inner facing surfaces of platforms of the respective blades when the blades are being seated onto the disc during an assembly procedure.