Patent ID: 7575416
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: F01D

Abstract:
1. A rotor assembly for a rotary machine having a rotor disk which extends circumferentially about an axis of rotation (Ar) and which includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots in the rotor disk that adapt the rotor disk to receive an array of rotor blades, each rotor blade having a root section, a platform section, and an airfoil section extending outwardly with respect to the root section, the root section having a blade root for engaging an associated slot in the rotor disk, and a neck extending radially outwardly with respect to the blade root toward the airfoil section, which comprises: a pair of said adjacent rotor blades which are spaced apart leaving an interblade chamber therebetween which is bounded in part by the root section of each rotor blade, each rotor blade having a pressure side and a suction side, a first surface which extends in the neck and which faces circumferentially on one of said sides, and a second surface on the other of said sides which extends in the neck and which faces circumferentially, the first surface of at least one of said pair of rotor blades being spaced from the associated second surface on the adjacent rotor blade leaving a circumferential gap (G) therebetween which is adjacent to the interblade chamber over at least a portion of the radial extent of the root section, at least one of the pair of rotor blades having a deformable seal member which is resilient, which is disposed in the seal channel and which is trapped by the segments of the second sidewall against the first sidewall, the seal member extending across the gap (G) between the root sections of the adjacent rotor blades and engaging the seal surface of the first sidewall of the first rotor blade and the second surface of the adjacent rotor blade in the installed condition by being held in place by the segments of the second sidewall as the seal member is resiliently compressed by the adjacent surface of the second rotor blade; the seal member being formed of a high temperature material and having a circumferential width (Wu) in the uninstalled condition of the adjacent rotor blade that is greater than circumferential width (Wi) in the installed condition of the adjacent rotor blade such that the seal member extends circumferentially past the adjacent portion of the first surface of the rotor blade by a distance (G′) prior to installation of the adjacent rotor blade, the distance (G′) being greater than the distance (G); wherein compression of the resilient seal member between the pair of rotor blades causes the seal member to exert a sealing force against each of the first rotor blades which damps vibrations in the rotor blades while circumferentially urging the first rotor blades away from each other; and, wherein the engagement of the first sidewall and the second surface of the adjacent second rotor blade by the seal member with sealing force blocks leakage of the working medium gases between the necks under operative conditions.