IP Library Granted Patent US 8,636,475
Granted Patent B2
US 8,636,475 · App. 12/627,514 · Granted Jan 28, 2014

Turbomachine, especially steam turbine

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,636,475
App. No.
12/627,514
Granted
Jan 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbomachine includes a turbine stage having a plurality of blades including a first and a second blade disposed adjacent to each other, each blade having a radial longitudinal axis and a blade tip and configured to twist around the radial longitudinal axis in an operating state in a twist direction, wherein the first and the second blades are pretwisted in a direction of twist in a non-operating state, and wherein a connecting element interconnects the first and the second blades to each other in a circumferential direction in a region of the respective blade tip so as to maintain the pretwisting.

Claims (27)

1. A turbomachine comprising:

a turbine stage having a plurality of blades including a first and a second blade disposed adjacent to each other, each blade having a radial longitudinal axis and a blade tip capable of twisting around the radial longitudinal axis in an operating state in a twist direction,

wherein the first and the second blades are pretwisted in the twist direction in a non-operating state, and

wherein a connecting element interconnects the first and the second blades to each other in a circumferential direction in a region of the respective blade tip so as to maintain the pretwisting, and

wherein the connecting element includes a friction/damping element engaging the first and the second blades.

2. The turbomachine as described in claim 1 , wherein the first blade overlaps the second blade in the circumferential direction.

3. The turbomachine as described in claim 2 , wherein the connecting element includes a coupling element disposed in an overlapping region between the first and the second blades.

4. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first blade includes a first recess and the second blade includes a second recess, and

wherein a first side of the friction damping element engages the first recess and a second side of the friction damping element engages the second recess.

5. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is moveably supported in the first and the second recesses by the friction damping element.

6. The turbomachine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the coupling element has a cuboid shape.

7. The turbomachine as recited in claim 6 , wherein the coupling element is adapted to an adjoining region of the first and the second blades.

8. The turbomachine as recited in claim 7 , wherein the connecting element includes a friction/damping element, the friction/damping element being a pin and having one of a circular and an elliptical cross section.

9. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is H-shaped.

10. The turbomachine as recited in claim 9 , wherein the H-shaped connecting element includes a center piece formed as a coupling element.

11. The turbomachine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the H-shaped connecting element includes cross-pieces formed as a friction/damping element.

12. The turbomachine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the H-shaped connecting element includes cross-pieces in a form of a slot configured to encompass a spring arranged at the blade tip.

13. The turbomachine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the coupling element is clamped in an overlapping region between the first and the second blades.

14. The turbomachine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the connecting element is elastic.

15. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is formed as one piece.

16. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is assembled in each case from a coupling element and a friction/damping element.

17. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the turbine stage is a turbine end stage.

18. The turbomachine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and the second blades each include a sealing element at the blade tip.

19. A method for connecting a first and a second blade adjacent to the first blade of a turbine stage of a turbomachine comprising:

twisting the first and the second blades around a radial longitudinal axis of each blade, so that a blade tip of each of the first and the second blades is rotated to a first twist angle relative to a base of the first and the second blade; and

using a connection element to couple the first and the second blades to each other in a circumferential direction in a region of the blade tip of each of the first and the second blades so as to maintain each blade tip at the first twist angle,

wherein the connecting element includes a friction/damping element engaging the first and the second blades.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Mar 21, 2025
From: ARABELLE TECHNOLOGIES
To: ARABELLE SOLUTIONS FRANCE
Reel/Frame 070587/0348 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 26, 2024
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
To: POWER SOLUTIONS GAMMA FRANCE
Reel/Frame 069450/0966 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 26, 2024
From: POWER SOLUTIONS GAMMA FRANCE
To: ARABELLE TECHNOLOGIES
Reel/Frame 069451/0916 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 17, 2016
From: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 039714/0578 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2010
From: MASSEREY, PIERRE-ALAIN; HUNZIKER, ROLF; WANNER, BENEDIKT; GERBER, CHRISTOPH
To: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
Reel/Frame 023936/0782 →