Two-Piece Wear Liner for Gas Turbine Engine Vane Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wear liner designs for gas turbine engines are single-piece, making it difficult to install vanes with the wear liner due to clearance fits that allow relative thermal growth and movement, leading to wear and undesired leaks.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece wear liner assembly that protects both ID and OD surfaces of a case J-groove, allowing independent movement of the liner pieces for easier circumferential stator installation and providing a tighter fit by eliminating tolerance stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-piece wear liner design is used, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to install vanes with the wear liner due to clearance fits allowing relative movement
Solution Approach 1:
The wear liner is divided into multiple segments (typically three radial segments) that can be independently positioned and installed. This segmentation allows the vanes to be installed between the segments without requiring removal of the entire liner, thereby simplifying the installation process while maintaining structural integrity through the segments' ability to move independently to accommodate thermal growth.
2Adaptability or versatility
If clearance fit is used for vane foot within case, then thermal growth is accommodated, but relative movement causes wear and undesired leak paths
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the liner into segments with gaps between them, the design accommodates thermal growth through independent movement of each segment while the gaps are positioned to minimize leak paths. The segments can expand and contract independently, reducing wear on the vane feet while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented liner structure acts as an intermediary between the fixed case and the moving vane feet, absorbing relative movement through the gaps between segments. This intermediary structure protects the vane feet and case from direct wear contact while the gaps are designed to minimize fluid leakage.
3Ease of manufacture
If single-piece liner is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but tolerance stacking occurs reducing fit precision
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the liner into multiple segments eliminates tolerance stacking by allowing each segment to be manufactured and assembled independently. The gaps between segments provide clearance that compensates for manufacturing tolerances, enabling a tighter overall fit between the vane feet and case without requiring extremely tight tolerances on each individual component.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
The present invention is related to a wear liner assembly (42A) for placement between a mounting foot (40) of a platform (36) and a case (30) of a gas turbine engine including first and second annular liner segments (44A,46A). First and second segments (44A,46A) are mounted on a portion of a radially outward and a radially inward surface (58,60) of the mounting foot (40) respectively . The first segment (44A) includes a first flat portion (70) and a first curved portion (72) extending from a first end (68) of the first segment (44A). The second segment (46A) includes a second flat portion (76) and a second curved portion (78) extending from a first end (74) of the second segment (46A). A split (82) is provided between first and second segments (44A,46A). Thus, the segments (44A,46A) may move independently allowing a tighter fit and reducing mounting complexity.