IP Library Granted Patent US 8,376,710
Granted Patent B2
US 8,376,710 · App. 12/775,804 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Airfoils with vibration damping system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,376,710
App. No.
12/775,804
Granted
Feb 19, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to adjacently mounted circumferentially distributed turbo machine airfoils with a vibration damping system. Each adjacent pair of airfoils includes a fixing and receiving portion, extending between the paired adjacent airfoils, each with a face that are proximal (e.g., in contact with) each other. Vibration can be suppressed by the fixing and receiving portions each having a received magnet fixingly installed therein and a non-magnetic conducting plate therebetween. Each magnet has a pole that faces the pole of the other magnet in between which the non-magnetic conducting plate is located and in which eddy currents can be induced by the relative movement of the magnets due to vibration.

Claims (26)

1. A vibration damping system for adjacently mounted circumferential distributed turbo machine airfoils, the system comprising:

a first fixing and receiving portion, configured to extend from a first airfoil to an end defining a first face;

a second fixing and receiving portion configured to extend towards the first fixing and receiving portion to establish an end defining a second face proximal with the first face of the first fixing and receiving portion;

a first magnet, fixed in the first fixing and receiving portion and arranged such that a pole faces towards the first face of the first fixing and receiving portion;

a first non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the first face and the first magnet; and

a second magnet, fixed in the second fixing and receiving portion and arranged such that a pole which faces the second face is aligned with, and separated by a separation distance from the pole of the first magnet.

2. The vibration damping system of claim 1 wherein the poles of the first and second magnets which face one another have opposite polarities.

3. The vibration damping system of claim 2 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are separated by a distance of between 1 mm and 5 mm.

4. The vibration damping system of claim 3 , wherein the second fixing and receiving portion has a second non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the second magnet and the second face, wherein the first non-magnetic conducting plate and the second non-magnetic conducting plate are made of a material with an electrical conductivity of greater than 35×10 6 S·m −1 measured at 20° C.

5. The vibration damping system of claim 2 , wherein the second fixing and receiving portion has a second non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the second magnet and the second face, wherein the first non-magnetic conducting plate and the second non-magnetic conducting plate are made of a material with an electrical conductivity of greater than 35×10 6 S·m −1 measured at 20° C.

6. The vibration damping system of claim 1 wherein the second fixing and receiving portion has a second non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the second magnet and the second face.

7. The vibration damping system of claim 6 , wherein the first non-magnetic conducting plate and the second non-magnetic conducting plate are made of a material with an electrical conductivity of greater than 35×10 6 S·m −1 measured at 20° C.

8. The vibration damping system of claim 6 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are separated by a distance of between 1 mm and 5 mm.

9. The vibration damping system of claim 6 , wherein the first non-magnetic conducting plate and the second non-magnetic conducting plate are made of a material with an electrical conductivity of greater than 35×10 6 S·m −1 measured at 20° C.

10. The vibration damping system of claim 1 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are separated by a distance of between 1 mm and 5 mm.

11. The vibration damping system of claim 10 , wherein the second fixing and receiving portion has a second non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the second magnet and the second face, wherein the first non-magnetic conducting plate and the second non-magnetic conducting plate are made of a material with an electrical conductivity of greater than 35×10 6 S·m −1 measured at 20° C.

12. The vibration damping system of claim 1 , wherein the first face and the second face are in contact with one another.

13. A turbo machine comprising:

a first airfoil and a second airfoil; and

a vibration damping system which includes:

a first fixing and receiving portion, configured to extend from within the first airfoil to an end defining a first face;

a second fixing and receiving portion configured to extend from within the second airfoil towards the first fixing and receiving portion to establish an end defining a second face proximal with the first face of the first fixing and receiving portion;

a first magnet, fixed in the first fixing and receiving portion and arranged such that a pole faces towards the first face of the first fixing and receiving portion;

a first non-magnetic conducting plate mounted between the first face and the first magnet; and

a second magnet, fixed in the second fixing and receiving portion and arranged such that a pole which faces the second face is aligned with, and separated by a separation distance from the pole of the first magnet.

14. The vibration damping system of claim 13 , wherein the first face and the second face are in contact with one another.

Assignments (2)
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 Jun 18, 2010
From: GERBER, CHRISTOPH; DENK, MARKUS; MASSEREY, PIERRE-ALAIN; LABORENZ, JACOB; SIEWERT, CHRISTIAN
To: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Reel/Frame 024559/0468 →