Patent · US Expired

Adjustable clearance control for rotor blade tips in a gas turbine engine

US5344284A · kind A · utility

48Cited by
14References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 29, 1993
Grant dateSep 6, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 29, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF01D11/22
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In a gas turbine engine having rotor blades which rotate with the blade tips in proximity with a surrounding rub strip in the engine shroud, an improvement is provided in the form of a radially adjustable rub strip-air bladder assembly. That is, an air bladder is mounted between the rub strip and the shroud and compressed air is fed to or withdrawn from the bladder to radially displace the rub strip so it can follow changes in the rotor blade length and maintain a close clearance with the tips of such blades under varying engine conditions, e.g. accels and decels, while minimizing contact of blade tips and rub-strip. The rub strip-bladder assembly is flexible and can react automatically to radially withdraw in advance of extending rotor blades as a pressure surge suddenly backs through such blades.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.