Segmented Blade Track Assembly With Anti-Movement Clips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blade track arrangements for turbomachinery components, such as gas turbine engines, face challenges in providing effective coupling and alignment, particularly in high-temperature and dynamic environments, leading to potential movement and misalignment issues that affect engine efficiency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A unique blade track assembly featuring a ceramic matrix composite construction with segmented hangers and clips that include anti-movement features, such as u-shaped openings and protrusions, along with flexible clips and rib structures to secure and align the blade tracks, ensuring stable positioning and preventing relative movement within the gas turbine engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional blade track arrangements are used, then the structure is simpler, but movement and misalignment occur in high-temperature and dynamic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The blade track assembly is divided into multiple segments or sections that can move independently. Each segment is equipped with its own coupling mechanism featuring u-shaped openings and protrusions, allowing localized adjustment and stabilization without requiring complex mechanisms across the entire assembly. This segmentation enables the system to handle thermal expansion and mechanical loads more effectively while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism employs a nested structure where clips with u-shaped openings fit within or around protrusions on adjacent blade track segments. This nesting arrangement provides multiple levels of constraint and stabilization, ensuring reliable positioning while keeping individual component designs simple and manageable.
2Reliability
If rigid coupling mechanisms are used, then alignment is maintained, but thermal expansion and mechanical loads cause movement and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism transitions from a purely rigid structure to a dynamic system that can adapt to changing conditions. The clips with u-shaped openings and protrusions create a flexible connection that maintains alignment while accommodating thermal expansion and mechanical loads. This dynamic coupling allows the blade track segments to move slightly relative to each other while remaining constrained, ensuring reliable positioning under varying operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism utilizes changes in physical parameters such as the degree of engagement between clips and protrusions, and the flexibility of the u-shaped openings. These parameter changes allow the system to maintain alignment while adapting to thermal expansion and mechanical loads, providing both stability and versatility.
3Device complexity
If simple coupling mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but movement and misalignment occur under mechanical loads
Solution Approach 1:
The clips used in the coupling mechanism are designed as flexible components with u-shaped openings that can deform elastically under mechanical loads. This flexibility allows the clips to maintain continuous contact with the protrusions on adjacent blade track segments, providing strong coupling while keeping the overall mechanism simple. The flexible nature of the clips enables them to absorb and distribute mechanical stresses effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism may employ composite material structures combining rigid and flexible properties. The clips and protrusions are designed to utilize material composites that provide both structural strength for maintaining alignment and flexibility for accommodating thermal expansion and mechanical loads, achieving strong coupling without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A blade track assembly is disclosed having a variety of features. The assembly can have annular or segmented components, or a combination of the two. In one form the assembly includes blade tracks having a forward and aft edge that can be received in an opening of respective hangers. The hangers can include anti-movement features to discourage movement of a blade track. A rib can extend between hangers and in one form can be used as part of a seal assembly. Clips can be used to secure the blade track in openings of the respective hangers, as well as to discourage movement of the blade track.