Turbine blade and damper retention

1. A gas turbine engine rotor assembly comprising:

a plurality of blades spaced apart from each other for rotation about an axis, each of the blades including a platform having an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the inner surfaces of adjacent platforms define a pocket having a radially outer wall, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall, and wherein the pocket includes a leading edge wall portion and a trailing edge wall portion, and including a first shelf extending in a tangential direction relative to the axis from the pressure side of the pocket, the first shelf being spaced apart from the radially outer wall, and including a second shelf extending axially inward from the leading edge wall portion on a suction side of the pocket.

2. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first shelf is adjacent the leading edge wall portion.

3. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the first shelf is spaced apart from the leading edge wall portion by a gap.

4. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second shelves are configured to restrict radial, axial and tangential movement of a damper seal positioned within the pocket.

5. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first shelf is positioned adjacent the leading edge wall portion and spaced apart from the radially outer wall by a first gap, and wherein the first shelf is spaced apart from the leading edge wall portion by a second gap, and including a damper seal positioned within the pocket and supported by the shelf.

6. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the second shelf extends axially inward from the leading edge wall portion to a distal end that overlaps, in a radial direction, a leading edge of an airfoil associated with the platform, and wherein the first and second shelves are configured to restrict radial, axial and tangential movement of the damper seal within the pocket.

7. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the damper seal comprises an axially elongated body having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, and a suction side, and wherein the elongated body includes a tab that extends axially outward from the leading edge.

8. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the damper seal is defined by a length and a width that continuously varies between the leading edge and trailing edge, and wherein the width is at a maximum near the leading edge and is at a minimum at the tab.

9. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of blades are mounted for rotation with a disk about the axis, and wherein the tab is visible at each damper seal location when the blades are finally mounted to the disk to indicate that the damper seals are correctly mounted within the pockets.

10. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a width of the damper seal is greater at the leading edge than the trailing edge, and wherein the trailing edge at each damper seal location is flush or below an aft face of the blades and disk when the blades are finally mounted to the disk to indicate that the damper seals are correctly mounted within the pockets.

11. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the damper seal includes a first enlarged portion formed on the pressure side of the leading edge and a second enlarged portion formed on the suction side adjacent the trailing edge.

12. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second enlarged portions comprise added mass portions with the first enlarged portion having a greater mass than the second enlarged portion.

13. A method of assembling a rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising the following steps:

(a) partially installing a blade within a disk;

(b) inserting a damper seal into a pocket defined by the blade, wherein the damper seal has an axially elongated body having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, and a suction side, and wherein the elongated body includes a tab that extends axially outward from the leading edge, wherein the tab defines a minimum width of the elongated body;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until all blades and damper seals are installed into the disk;

(d) simultaneously seating all of the blades in the disk as a unit to a final installation position; and

(e) inspecting the tab of each damper seal to determine that the damper seals are correctly engaged in the pockets.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein step (e) includes determining that the damper seal is correctly installed when the tab is visible from a leading edge end face of the disk.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein step (e) further includes verifying that the trailing edge of each damper seal is flush or below an aft face of the blades and disk.

16. The method according to claim 15 , including installing a cover plate to an aft end of the disk.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the blades rotate about an axis, and wherein the pocket has a radially outer wall, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall, and wherein the pocket includes a leading edge wall portion and a trailing edge wall portion, and including providing a first shelf extending in a tangential direction relative to the axis from the pressure side of the pocket, the first shelf being spaced apart from the radially outer wall, and including a second shelf extending axially inward from the leading edge wall portion on a suction side of the pocket, and including supporting the damper seal on the first and second shelves to restrict radial, axial and tangential movement of the damper seal within the pocket.