Sideplate for turbine blade

Claim 2

In a rotor for an axial flow fluid machine, the rotor comprising at least one rotor disc with a plurality of spaced channels provided in the periphery thereof for receiving the root portions of a plurality of rotor blades having radial cooling bores extending from the root portions through the tips of the blades, a passageway extending axially and disposed radially inwards of each of the root portions, said passageways communicating with the cooling bores and being capable of conducting a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, a steeple between adjacent channels on the periphery of the disc, a chamBer disposed radially outwards of the steeples between adjacent blades, and sealing means closing the downstream end of the passageways, the improvement comprising: a side plate associated with each pair of adjacent blades and disposed on one side of said pair of blades for sealing one end of said chamber between adjacent blades; said sideplate having a generally T-shaped configuration with a body portion and arms extending from the body portion; a platform extension on said rotor blades having means disposed thereon for defining a groove, one side of which on one rotor blade is complementary in shape to the other side thereof on another rotor blade positioned adjacent said one rotor blade, whereby when said rotor blades are positioned adjacent, the groove defined, has a generally U-shaped section and a generally circumferentially extending radially inward section, said U-shaped section being shaped to slidably receive said sideplate, and locking means for securing said sideplate against unlimited radial inward movement with respect to said rotor disc.

Claim 3

The structure recited in claim 1 in which said arms of said sideplate are sized and shaped to engage said groove defining means during rotation of said rotor disc in such a manner that the centrifugal force acting on the sideplate is borne by said arms with said body of said sideplate radially outward of said arms being in tension.

Claim 4

The structure as recited in claim 1 in which said radially inward circumferentially extending sections of said groove are bevelled in a radially divergent direction, and said arms of said sideplate are provided with bevelled radially outward edges complementary in shape to the bevelling of said radially inward circumferentially extending sections of said groove.

Claim 5

The structure recited in claim 2 in which said body portion of said sideplate is sized such that during rotation of said rotor disc a clearance will exist between the radially outward edge of said body portion and the opposite face of said U-shaped section of said groove.

Claim 6

The structure recited in claim 1 in which said locking means comprises a removable member extending through an intermediate portion of said body portion of said sideplate in a position to engage the radially outward portion of the rotor disc steeple located between said pair of adjacent blades.

Claim 7

The structure recited in claim 5 in which said removable member is a lock rivet.

Claim 8

In a rotor for an axial flow fluid machine, the rotor comprising at least one rotor disc with a plurality of side entry channels provided in the periphery thereof for receiving the root portions of a plurality of side entry rotor blades having radial cooling bores extending from the root portions through the vane portions of the blades, a passageway extending axially and disposed radially inwards of each of the root portions, said passageways communicating with the cooling bores and being capable of conducting a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, steeples between adjacent channels on the periphery of the disc, a chamber disposed radially outwards of the steeples and between adjacent blades, and sealing means closing the downstream end of the passageways, the improvement comprising: a sideplate associated with each pair of adjacent blades and disposed on one side of said pair of blades for sealing one end of said chambers between adjacent blades; each rotor blade being provided with an extended blade neck portion, a blade platform portion, said platform having a ledge on its downstream side defining a generally radially inwardly directed groove, a portion of each groove being more radially inward and said radially inward sections defining a generally circumferentially extending section of the groove; said groove sections at one side of any of said rotor blades, being complementary to the groove sections at the other side of another rotor blade whereby when two rotor blades are positioned adjacent each other a continuous generally U-shapEd groove is defined for securing each side plate on the downstream side of two respective adjacent blades; said sideplate having a body portion having edges to slidably fit within the radially outer groove sections of said U-shaped groove configuration between adjacent rotor blades, and arms extending generally circumferentially from a radially inward portion of said body and having radially outer edges of said arms shaped to snugly fit within the radially inward groove section of said U-shaped groove; and locking means for securing said sideplate against unlimited radial inward movement with respect to said disc.

Claim 9

In a rotor for an axial flow fluid machine, the rotor comprising at least one rotor disc with a plurality of side entry channels provided in the periphery thereof for receiving the root portions of a plurality of side entry rotor blades having radial cooling bores extending from the root portions through the vane portions of the blades, a passageway extending axially and disposed radially inwards of each of the root portions, said passageways communicating with the cooling bores and being capable of conducting a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, steeples between adjacent channels on the periphery of the disc, a chamber disposed radially outwards of the steeples and between adjacent blades, and sealing means closing the downstream end of the passageways, the improvement comprising: a sideplate associated with each pair of adjacent blades and disposed on one side of said pair of blades for sealing one end of said chambers between adjacent blades; each rotor blade being provided with an extended blade neck portion, a blade platform portion, said platform having a ledge on its downstream side defining a generally radially inwardly directed groove, a portion of each groove being more radially inward and said radially inward sections defining a generally circumferentially extending section of the groove; said groove sections at one side of any of said rotor blades, being complementary to the groove sections at the other side of another rotor blade whereby when two rotor blades are positioned adjacent each other a continuous generally U-shapEd groove is defined for securing each side plate on the downstream side of two respective adjacent blades; said sideplate having a body portion having edges to slidably fit within the radially outer groove sections of said U-shaped groove configuration between adjacent rotor blades, and arms extending generally circumferentially from a radially inward portion of said body and having radially outer edges of said arms shaped to snugly fit within the radially inward groove section of said U-shaped groove; and locking means for securing said sideplate against unlimited radial inward movement with respect to said disc.

Claim 10

The structure recited in claim 7 in which said arms of said sideplate are sized and shaped to engage said side sections of said blade neck during rotation of said rotor disc in such a manner that the centrifugal force acting on the sideplate is borne by said arms with said body of said sideplate radially outward of said arms being in tension.

Claim 11

The structure recited in claim 7 in which said radially inward groove sections are bevelled in a radially divergent direction, and said arms of said sideplate are provided with bevelled radially outward edges complementary in shape to the bevelling of said radially inward generally circumferentially extending groove sections.

Claim 12

The structure recited in claim 7 in which said locking means is a removable member extending through an intermediate portion of said body of said sideplate in a position to engage the top of the rotor disc steeple between said pair of adjacent blades when said rotor disc is at rest or at low speed rotation.

Claim 13

The structure recited in claim 8 in which said body portion of said sideplate is sized such that during high speed rotation of said rotor disc a clearance will exist between the radially outward edge of said body and the opposite face of said U-shaped section of said groove.

Claim 14

The structure recited in claim 10 in which said removable member is a lock rivet.