IP Library Granted Patent US 11,525,363
Granted Patent B2
US 11,525,363 · App. 17/160,895 · Granted Dec 13, 2022

Turbine wheel and wire retention pin fixation method for turbine wheel

Inventors: Yoshiki Sakamoto (Yokohama, JP); Yasuyuki Watanabe (Yokohama, JP); Yoshitaka Sato (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
F01D5/323F05D2220/32F05D2240/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,525,363
App. No.
17/160,895
Granted
Dec 13, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbine wheel that retains a fixation wire to inhibit the movement of turbine rotor blades along mating grooves includes: multiple tab sections that form housing sections that house part of the fixation wire; and a wire retention pin to retain the fixation wire in the housing sections. The tab section has a pin slot extending from the radially inner end toward the radially outward side. The wire retention pin has a first pin section having a width smaller than the pin slot and a second pin section having a width larger than the pin slot. The first pin section has multiple divided pieces. The wire retention pin is arranged such that the first pin section is positioned in the pin slot and the second pin section is positioned in the housing section, and is fixed to the tab section with the divided pieces bent outward.

Claims (47)

1. A turbine wheel having attachment sections that are spaced apart at an outer peripheral portion and form mating grooves into which turbine rotor blades are inserted in an axial direction to be fit, the turbine wheel being configured to retain, at the outer peripheral portion, an annular fixation wire to inhibit movement of the turbine rotor blades along the mating grooves, the turbine wheel comprising:

a plurality of tab sections that are provided on one side of the attachment sections in the axial direction and form housing sections together with the attachment sections, the housing sections being opened on both sides in a circumferential direction and on a radially inner side and being capable of housing part of the fixation wire; and

at least one wire retention pin for retaining the fixation wire in the housing sections, wherein

some tab sections of the plurality of tab sections each have a pin slot into which the at least one wire retention pin is capable of being inserted, the pin slot extending from a radially inner end toward a radially outward side of each of the some tab sections, and

the at least one wire retention pin includes:

a first pin section having a width smaller than a slot width of the pin slot, and

a second pin section that is provided on one side of the first pin section in an axial direction of the at least one wire retention pin and has a width larger than the slot width of the pin slot,

the first pin section has, at a tip portion, a plurality of divided pieces that are capable of being brought away from each other, and

the at least one wire retention pin is arranged such that the first pin section is positioned in the pin slot and the second pin section is positioned in one of the housing sections, and

the at least one wire retention pin is fixed to one of the some tab sections by being crimped such that the plurality of divided pieces of the first pin section are bent outward and pressed against an outer wall surface, on one side of the axial direction, of the one of the some tab sections.

2. The turbine wheel according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one wire retention pin is a pin with a stepped structure having a step surface, and is configured such that the step surface is pressed against a wall surface of the one of the some tab sections on a housing section side.

3. The turbine wheel according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one tab section among the some tab sections having the pin slot has a countersunk portion located at an opening edge portion, on an outer surface side of the at least one tab section, of an end portion of the pin slot on the radially outward side, and

the plurality of divided pieces of the first pin section are crimped to the pressed against the countersunk portion.

4. The turbine wheel according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one wire retention pin has a hollow portion into which a tool is capable of being inserted, and

the plurality of divided pieces of the first pin section are configured to form a circumferential wall of the hollow portion and to be bent outward by an insertion of the tool into the hollow portion.

5. The turbine wheel according to claim 4 , wherein

the at least one wire retention pin has a chamfered portion at an opening edge portion of the hollow portion in the first pin section.

6. The turbine wheel according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pin section has two divided pieces, and

the at least one wire retention pin is arranged such that an array direction of the two divided pieces is perpendicular to an extending direction of the pin slot.

7. A turbine wheel having attachment sections that are spaced apart at an outer peripheral portion and form mating grooves into which turbine rotor blades are inserted in an axial direction to be fit, the turbine wheel being configured to retain, at the outer peripheral portion, an annular fixation wire to inhibit movement of the turbine rotor blades along the mating grooves, the turbine wheel comprising;

a plurality of tab sections that are provided on one side of the attachment sections in the axial direction and form housing sections together with the attachment sections, the housing sections being opened on both sides in a circumferential direction and on a radially inner side and being capable of housing a part of the fixation wire; and

at least one wire retention pin for retaining the fixation wire in the housing sections, wherein

some tab sections of the plurality of tab sections each have a pin slot into which the at least one wire retention pin is capable of being inserted, the pin slot extending from a radially inner end toward a radially outward side of each of the some tab sections,

the at least one wire retention pin includes:

a first pin section having a width smaller than a slot width of the pin slot, and

a second pin section that is provided on one side of the first pin section in an axial direction of the at least one wire retention pin and has a width larger than the slot width of the pin slot,

the first pin section has, at a tip portion, a plurality of divided pieces that are capable of being brought away from each other,

the at least one wire retention pin is arranged such that the first pin section is positioned in the pin slot and the second pin section is positioned in one of the housing sections,

the at least one wire retention pin is fixed to one of the some tab sections with the plurality of divided pieces of the first pin section bent outward, and

the first pin section has three or more divided pieces.

8. A wire retention pin fixation method for a turbine wheel having, at an outer peripheral portion, attachment sections that form mating grooves into which turbine rotor blades are inserted in an axial direction to be fit, and tab sections that are provided on one side of the attachment sections in the axial direction such that the tab sections form, together with the attachment sections, housing sections that are capable of housing part of a fixation wire to inhibit movement of the turbine rotor blades along the mating grooves, the wire retention pin fixation method comprising steps of:

inserting a first pin section of a wire retention pin into a pin slot extending from a radially inner end toward a radially outward side of one of the tab sections, in a state in which a second pin section of the wire retention pin is positioned on a side where one of the housing sections is located, the first pin section having a width smaller than a slot width of the pin slot, the second pin section having a width larger than the slot width of the pin slot;

moving the wire retention pin along the pin slot, and causing the wire retention pin to abut on an end portion of the pin slot on the radially outward side; and

crimping the wire retention pin such that a plurality of divided pieces at a tip portion of the first pin section of the wire retention pin are bent outward and pressed against an outer wall surface, on one side of the axial direction, of the one of the tab sections, thereby fixing the wire retention pin to the one of the tab sections.

9. The wire retention pin fixation method for the turbine wheel according to claim 8 , wherein

the plurality of divided pieces of the wire retention pin comprise two divided pieces, and

the wire retention pin is arranged such that an array direction of the two divided pieces is perpendicular to an extending direction of the pin slot when the wire retention pin is inserted into the pin slot.

10. The wire retention pin fixation method for the turbine wheel according to claim 8 , further comprising steps of:

arranging a shim in a gap between the second pin section of the wire retention pin and one of the attachment sections after the wire retention pin is caused to abut on the end portion of the pin slot on the radially outward side; and

taking out the shim after the wire retention pin is fixed to the one of the tab sections.

11. The wire retention pin fixation method for the turbine wheel according to claim 8 , wherein

the wire retention pin has a hollow portion, a circumferential wall of the hollow portion being formed by the plurality of divided pieces, and

the crimping of the wire retention pin such that the plurality of divided pieces are bent outward is conducted by inserting a tool into the hollow portion of the wire retention pin.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059540/0704 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2021
From: SAKAMOTO, YOSHIKI; WATANABE, YASUYUKI; SATO, YOSHITAKA
To: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056130/0945 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,631,118