Segmented Stator Vane Mounting for Gas Turbine Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stator vane mounting systems in gas turbine engines are complex and heavy due to material usage in interlocking surfaces and connectors, necessitating a reduction in weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A stator vane segment design featuring axially extending joints and releasable mounting to an outer engine casing, with each segment having vane airfoils spanning between inner and outer platforms, and a method of assembly allowing for thermal growth differences, using mating lateral joint edges and casing mounting fasteners to form a circumferential array.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ring structures with hooks or tongue-and-groove surfaces are used for mounting stator vane assemblies, then the stator vane assembly can be securely mounted to the engine casing, but the weight and complexity of the assembly increase significantly due to the amount of material used for interlocking surfaces and connectors
Solution Approach 1:
The stator vane assembly is divided into multiple segments that can be mounted separately to the engine casing. Each segment has its own simplified mounting features (protrusions fitting into recesses), eliminating the need for heavy continuous ring structures. This segmentation reduces overall material usage while maintaining mounting security through distributed attachment points.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using heavy interlocking surfaces and connectors throughout the entire circumference, the invention applies mounting features only at specific localized positions where stator vane segments attach to the casing. This localized approach reduces material usage significantly while providing sufficient mounting security at the critical attachment points.
2Reliability
If conventional ring structures with hooks or tongue-and-groove surfaces are used for mounting stator vane assemblies, then the stator vane assembly can be securely mounted to the engine casing, but the complexity of the overall stator vane assembly increases due to the amount of material used for interlocking surfaces and connectors
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is segmented into modular units that can be manufactured and assembled independently. Each segment has simple protrusion-recess mounting features rather than complex continuous interlocking structures. This modular segmentation simplifies the overall design while maintaining secure mounting through multiple discrete attachment points.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the heavy ring structures and complex connectors from the design, retaining only the essential mounting functionality through simple protrusions and recesses. This extraction of unnecessary material reduces complexity while preserving the core mounting security function.
3Device complexity
If stator vane segments are rigidly mounted to the engine casing, then the mounting structure is simplified, but the ability to accommodate thermal growth differences between the casing and vane segments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing controlled movement between the stator vane segments and the engine casing. The protrusion-recess interface is designed to permit thermal expansion and contraction while maintaining connection, enabling the assembly to adapt to thermal growth differences without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting design accommodates parameter changes (thermal expansion) by providing clearance and movement capability in the protrusion-recess interface. This allows the physical dimensions of the segments to change with temperature while maintaining proper mounting, without requiring the mounting structure itself to be complex or adjustable.
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 solution reduces weight and complexity while allowing for thermal growth accommodation, enhancing the assembly process and operational stability of the stator vane assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the vane segments being free to grow relative to the casing due to thermal growth difference between the casing and the vane segments
Data Source
AI summary
A stator vane segment, for constructing a circumferential array of like segments in a gas turbine engine, each segment in the array being separated by an axially extending joint from an adjacent segment and being releasably mounted to an outer engine casing. Each stator vane segment has: a number of vane airfoils spanning radially between an inner platform and an outer platform, and the outer platform includes: a casing mounting fastener on an outer surface and mating lateral joint edges extending between forward and aft edges.