US6375429B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Turbomachine blade-to-rotor sealing arrangement
Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 2001-02-05
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Granted: 2002-04-23
•
Expires: 2021-02-05
Abstract
Abstract A turbomachine rotor blade having a dovetail-type base member, a platform carried by the base member, and an airfoil extending longitudinally from the platform in a direction opposite to that of the base member. The platform includes a forward seal wire groove and an aft seal wire groove, each of which is on opposite sides of the blade longitudinal axis and on the side of the platform facing the base member. The blade platform has a pair of recesses that each include a concave portion and an adjacent inclined ramp portion for urging a seal wire into surface-to-surface contact with the concave portions of the respective recesses. Wear of the blade platform caused by seal wire movement relative to the blade platform is significantly reduced.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert Halila
- 👤 Douglas Paul Beneteau
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:39
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01D; F01D5/00; F01D5/30; F01D5/3023; F01D5/303; F01D5/3038; F01D11/00; F01D11/005; F01D11/006; F01D5/12; F01D5/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A turbomachine rotor blade comprising: a base member having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis; a platform carried by the base member and extending generally transversely relative to the longitudinal axis; and an airfoil extending in a longitudinal direction from the platform and on a side of the platform opposite from the base member; wherein the platform includes at least one seal wire recess adjacent the base member and defined by a concave section for receiving a peripheral surface of a seal wire, and a ramp section extending from the concave section and inclined relative to the base member transverse axis to guide movement of a seal wire toward the concave section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
A turbomachine rotor blade comprising: a base member having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis; a platform carried by the base member and extending generally transversely relative to the longitudinal axis; and an airfoil extending in a longitudinal direction from the platform and on a side of the platform opposite from the base member; wherein the platform includes at least one seal wire recess adjacent the base member and defined by a concave section for receiving a peripheral surface of a seal wire, and a ramp section extending from the concave section and inclined relative to the base member transverse axis to guide movement of a seal wire toward the concave section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination of the ramp section relative to the transverse axis is from about 15° to about 45°.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the ramp section faces in a direction opposite from the airfoil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the ramp section faces away from the base member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the ramp section lies inwardly of the concave section, relative to the longitudinal axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the ramp section faces toward the base member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the ramp section lies outwardly of the concave section, relative to the longitudinal axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the ramp section faces in an upstream direction relative to a principal direction of gas flow over the airfoil.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
95 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the rotor blade includes a pair of seal wire recesses that are carried on respective opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, wherein each of a first seal wire recess and a second seal wire recess includes a ramp section having an angle of inclination of from about 20° to about 40° relative to the transverse axis, and wherein the first seal wire recess ramp section faces away from the base member and the second seal wire recess ramp section faces toward the base member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the seal wire grooves are substantially parallel to each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first seal wire recess is on an upstream side of the blade and the second seal wire recess is on the downstream side of the blade.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination of the ramp section relative to the transverse axis is about 32°.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the ramp section faces in a direction opposite from the airfoil.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination of the ramp section relative to the transverse axis is about 25°.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the ramp section faces in a direction opposite from the airfoil.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the concave section subtends an arc from about 10° to about 135°.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the concave section subtends an arc of about 20°.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the concave section subtends an arc of about 90°.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the concave section is defined by a substantially circular arc having a predetermined radius.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A turbomachine rotor blade in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the concave section has a depth less than the predetermined radius.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-04-22 | 2005-10-22 | 2006-04-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-04-22 | 2009-10-22 | 2010-04-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-04-22 | 2013-10-22 | 2014-04-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |