阅读说明：本技术 包括在其中一体形成的喷丸筛网的整体主体式涡轮机护罩及其涡轮系统 (Unitary body turbine shroud including peening screen integrally formed therein and turbine system thereof ) 是由 扎卡里·约翰·斯奈德 埃文·约翰·多齐尔 克莱尔·弗里德乔夫·兰格 于 2020-11-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种涡轮机护罩(100),该涡轮机护罩包括在其中一体形成的喷丸筛网(300)。该护罩可以包括整体式主体(102),整体式主体具有支撑部分(104)、中间部分(134)和密封部分(154)；支撑部分直接联接到涡轮机系统(10)的涡轮机(28)壳体(36)；中间部分与支撑部分(104)成一体并且远离支撑部分延伸；密封部分与中间部分(134)成一体,与支撑部分(104)相对。整体式主体(102)还可以包括入口开口(168、168A、168B)、集气室(200)和冷却通道(202)；入口开口形成在支撑部分(104)中；集气室与入口开口(168、168A、168B)流体连通；冷却通道延伸穿过密封部分(154)并且与集气室(200)流体连通。另外,整体式主体(102)可以包括喷丸筛网(300),喷丸筛网定位在集气室(200)内并且在中间部分(134)内延伸。喷丸筛网(300)可以包括穿过其形成的多个孔隙,并且可以在对整体式主体(102)执行喷丸处理工艺时防止丸粒穿过喷丸筛网(300)。(A turbine shroud (100) includes a shot peening screen (300) integrally formed therein. The shroud may include a unitary body (102) having a support portion (104), an intermediate portion (134), and a sealing portion (154); the support portion is directly coupled to a turbine (28) housing (36) of the turbine system (10); the intermediate portion is integral with and extends away from the support portion (104); the sealing portion is integral with the intermediate portion (134) opposite the support portion (104). The monolithic body (102) may also include an inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B), a plenum (200), and a cooling channel (202); an inlet opening is formed in the support portion (104); the plenum is in fluid communication with an inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B); the cooling channels extend through the seal portion (154) and are in fluid communication with the plenum (200). Additionally, the monolithic body (102) may include a shot-peening screen (300) positioned within the plenum (200) and extending within the intermediate portion (134). The shot peening screen (300) may include a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, and the shot may be prevented from passing through the shot peening screen (300) when the shot peening process is performed on the unitary body (102).)

1. A turbine shroud (100) for a turbine system (10), the turbine shroud (100) comprising:

a monolithic body (102) comprising:

a support portion (104) directly coupled to a turbine (28) housing (36) of the turbine system (10);

a middle portion (134) integral with and extending away from the support portion (104);

a sealing portion (154) integral with the intermediate portion (134) and opposite the support portion (104), the sealing portion (154) including a leading end (106), a trailing end (108) positioned opposite the leading end (106), and a Hot Gas Path (HGP) surface (160) extending between the leading end (106) and the trailing end (108);

at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B) formed in the support portion (104);

at least one plenum (200) in fluid communication with the at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B), the at least one plenum (200) extending through the support portion (104) and the intermediate portion (134);

a cooling channel (202) extending through the sealing portion (154) between the forward end (106) and the aft end (108) of the sealing portion (154), the cooling channel (202) positioned between the at least one plenum (200) and the HGP surface (160) of the sealing portion (154),

wherein the cooling channel (202) is in fluid communication with the at least one plenum (200); and

at least one shot screen (300) positioned within the at least one plenum (200) and extending within the intermediate portion (134), the at least one shot screen (300) including a plurality of apertures (306) formed therethrough,

wherein the at least one shot screen (300) prevents shot from passing through the at least one shot screen (300) when a shot peening process is performed on the monolithic body (102).

2. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 1, wherein the at least one shot peening screen (300) is positioned between the at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B) formed in the support portion (104) and the cooling channel (202).

3. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 2, wherein the at least one shot peening screen (300) is positioned as one of:

equidistant from the at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B) and the cooling channel (202) formed in the support portion (104),

is radially closer to the at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B) than the cooling channel (202), or

Is radially closer to the cooling channel (202) than the at least one inlet opening (168, 168A, 168B).

4. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 1, wherein the monolithic body (102) includes two opposing ramps (122) extending adjacent to and between the support portion (104) and the seal portion (154), and the two opposing ramps (122) are positioned opposite each other, and

wherein the at least one shot-peening screen (300) extends between the two opposing bevels (122).

5. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 4 wherein the middle portion (134) of the monolithic body (102) further comprises:

a rear section (136) extending between the support portion (104) and the seal portion (154), adjacent to the at least one plenum (200), the rear section (136) extending between the two opposing bevels (122); and

a non-linear section (142) extending between the support portion (104) and the seal portion (154), adjacent to the at least one plenum (200) and axially opposite the aft section (136), the non-linear section (142) extending between the two opposing bevels (122).

6. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 5, wherein the at least one shot peening screen (300) is integrally formed within the at least one plenum (200) with and extends between the aft section (136) of the intermediate portion (134) and the non-linear section (142) of the intermediate portion (134).

7. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 4 wherein the at least one plenum (200) further comprises:

a first plenum (200A) extending through the support portion (104) and the intermediate portion (134) adjacent to a first bevel (122) of the two opposing bevels (122); and

a second plenum (200B) extending through the support portion (104) and the intermediate portion (134) adjacent to a second bevel (122) of the two opposing bevels (122), the second plenum (200B) being separated from the first plenum (200A) by a wall (244) extending between the support portion (104) and the sealing portion (154).

8. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 7, wherein the at least one shot peening screen (300) further comprises:

a first shot screen (300A) positioned within the first plenum (200A) and extending within the intermediate portion (134), the first shot screen (300A) extending between the first of the two opposing bevels (122) and the wall (244); and

a second shot screen (300B) positioned within the second plenum (200B) and extending within the intermediate portion (134), the second shot screen (300B) extending between the second of the two opposing bevels (122) and the wall (244).

9. The turbine shroud (100) of claim 1, wherein the monolithic body (102) further comprises:

a rib (210) formed in the sealing portion (154), the rib (210) positioned between and separating the at least one plenum (200) and the cooling channel (202); and

a plurality of impingement openings (212) formed through the rib (210) to fluidly couple the cooling channel (202) to the at least one plenum (200), wherein a size of each of the plurality of apertures (306) of the at least one shot screen (300) is greater than a size of each of the plurality of impingement openings (212) formed through the rib (210).

10. A turbine system (10), comprising:

a turbine (28) housing (36);

a rotor (30) extending axially through the turbine (28) housing (36);

a plurality of turbine blades (38) positioned circumferentially about and extending radially from the rotor (30); and

a plurality of turbine shrouds (100) directly coupled to the turbine (28) housing (36) and radially positioned between the turbine (28) housing (36) and tip portions (48) of the plurality of turbine blades (100), each of the plurality of turbine shrouds (100) being a turbine shroud (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

Background

The present disclosure relates generally to turbine system components and turbine systems thereof, and more particularly, to a unitary body turbine shroud for a turbine system including a shot peening screen integrally formed therein.

Conventional turbines, such as gas turbine systems, produce electrical power for electrical generators. Typically, gas turbine systems generate power by passing a fluid (e.g., hot gas) through turbine components of the gas turbine system. More specifically, inlet air may be drawn into the compressor to be compressed. Once compressed, the inlet air mixes with fuel to form combustion products, which may be reacted by a combustor of the gas turbine system to form an operating fluid (e.g., hot gas) of the gas turbine system. The fluid may then flow through the fluid flow path for rotating the plurality of rotating blades and the rotor or shaft of the turbine component for generating power. The fluid may be directed through the turbine component via a plurality of rotating blades and a plurality of stationary nozzles or vanes positioned between the rotating blades. When the plurality of rotating blades rotates a rotor of the gas turbine system, a generator coupled to the rotor may generate electrical power from the rotation of the rotor.

To improve operating efficiency, the turbine components may include hot gas path components (such as a turbine shroud and/or nozzle band) to further define the flow path of the operating fluid. For example, the turbine shroud may be radially positioned adjacent the rotating blades of the turbine component and may direct the operating fluid within the turbine component and/or define an outer boundary of a flow path for the operating fluid. During operation, the turbine shroud may be exposed to high temperature operating fluids flowing through the turbine components. Over time and/or during exposure, the turbine shroud may experience undesirable thermal expansion. Thermal expansion of the turbine shroud may cause damage to the shroud and/or may not allow the shroud to maintain a seal within the turbine components. When the turbine shroud becomes damaged or no longer forms a satisfactory seal within the turbine component, operating fluid may leak from the flow path, which in turn reduces the operating efficiency of the turbine component and the overall turbine system.

To minimize thermal expansion, the turbine shroud is typically cooled. Conventional processes for cooling turbine shrouds include impingement cooling. Impingement cooling utilizes holes or apertures formed through the turbine shroud to provide cooling air to various portions of the turbine shroud during operation. As additive manufacturing advances, shrouds may be additively manufactured to form complex impingement cooling circuits therein to improve cooling and/or further minimize thermal expansion. However, additively manufactured shrouds are typically subjected to additional or post-construction treatments to improve and/or increase the operating life of the shroud. These post-build treatments include, for example, shot and/or grit blasting the additively manufactured shroud.

However, by performing, for example, a shot peening process on the shroud, the risk of pellets being undesirably embedded, adhered, and/or trapped within the complex geometry of the shroud is increased. For example, pellets may be embedded or trapped within openings, conduits, and/or channels utilized in impingement cooling of the shroud. These trapped pellets block or obstruct the openings, conduits, and/or channels and thus reduce the impact of impingement cooling within the shroud. While certain holes or features of the shroud may be covered with a plug and/or tape prior to performing the peening process, the plug may become uncoupled during the peening process and may no longer prevent one or more pellets from entering the holes or features. Additionally, while the tacky holes or features may prevent the pellets from undesirably entering the holes or features, they may also block and/or clog the surfaces that should receive the shot. Furthermore, plugging or gluing each hole or feature is very time consuming and often requires adjustment by a shot peening process.

Disclosure of Invention

A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a turbine shroud for a turbine system. The turbine shroud includes: a monolithic body comprising: a support portion directly coupled to a turbine housing of the turbine system; a middle portion integral with and extending away from the support portion; a sealing portion integral with the intermediate portion and opposite the support portion, the sealing portion including a leading end, a trailing end positioned opposite the leading end, and a Hot Gas Path (HGP) surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end; at least one inlet opening formed in the support portion; at least one plenum in fluid communication with the at least one inlet opening, the at least one plenum extending through the support portion and the intermediate portion; a cooling channel extending through the seal portion between the forward end and the aft end of the seal portion, the cooling channel positioned between the at least one plenum and the HGP surface of the seal portion, wherein the cooling channel is in fluid communication with the at least one plenum; and at least one peening screen positioned within the at least one plenum and extending within the intermediate portion, the at least one peening screen including a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, wherein the at least one peening screen prevents shot from passing through the at least one peening screen when the peening process is performed on the unitary body.

A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a turbine system comprising: a turbine housing; a rotor extending axially through the turbine housing; a plurality of turbine blades positioned circumferentially about and extending radially from the rotor; and a plurality of turbine shrouds directly coupled to the turbine casing and positioned radially between the turbine casing and the tip portions of the plurality of turbine blades, each of the plurality of turbine shrouds comprising: a monolithic body comprising: a support portion directly coupled to a turbine housing of the turbine system; a middle portion integral with and extending away from the support portion; a sealing portion integral with the intermediate portion and opposite the support portion, the sealing portion including a leading end, a trailing end positioned opposite the leading end, and a Hot Gas Path (HGP) surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end; at least one inlet opening formed in the support portion; at least one plenum in fluid communication with the at least one inlet opening, the at least one plenum extending through the support portion and the intermediate portion; a cooling channel extending through the seal portion between the forward end and the aft end of the seal portion, the cooling channel positioned between the at least one plenum and the HGP surface of the seal portion, wherein the cooling channel is in fluid communication with the at least one plenum; and at least one peening screen positioned within the at least one plenum and extending within the intermediate portion, the at least one peening screen including a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, wherein the at least one peening screen prevents shot from passing through the at least one peening screen when the peening process is performed on the unitary body.

Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems herein described and/or other problems not discussed.

Drawings

These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various embodiments of the disclosure, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a gas turbine system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a portion of a turbine of the gas turbine system of FIG. 1 including turbine blades, stator vanes, a rotor, a turbine housing, and a turbine shroud, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first side view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a second side view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 7 taken along line CS1-CS1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 8, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 7 taken along line CS1-CS1, according to additional embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 7 taken along line CS1-CS1, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of the turbine shroud of FIG. 3 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 illustrates a block diagram of an additive manufacturing process including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing code representing a turbine shroud, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings.

Detailed Description

First, in order to clearly describe the present disclosure, it will be necessary to select certain terms when referring to and describing the relevant machine components within the scope of the present disclosure. In so doing, if possible, common industry terminology will be used and employed in a manner consistent with its accepted meaning. Unless otherwise indicated, such terms should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of the application and the scope of the appended claims. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that often several different or overlapping terms may be used to refer to a particular component. An object that may be described herein as a single part may comprise multiple components and in another context be referred to as being made up of multiple components. Alternatively, an object that may be described herein as comprising a plurality of components may be referred to elsewhere as a single part.

Furthermore, several descriptive terms may be used regularly herein, and it should prove helpful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. Unless otherwise indicated, these terms and their definitions are as follows. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms that indicate a direction relative to a fluid flow, such as a working fluid through a turbine engine, or, for example, an air flow through a combustor or a coolant through one of the component systems of the turbine. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term "upstream" refers to the direction opposite to flow. Without any additional specificity, the terms "forward" and "aft" refer to directions, where "forward" refers to the forward or compressor end of the engine and "aft" refers to the aft or turbine end of the engine. Alternatively, the terms "front" and "rear" may be used and/or understood to be similar in description to the terms "front" and "rear," respectively. In general, it is desirable to describe components at different radial, axial, and/or circumferential positions. The "a" axis represents an axial orientation. As used herein, the terms "axial" and/or "axially" refer to the relative position/orientation of an object along an axis a that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the turbine system (particularly the rotor portion). As further used herein, the terms "radial" and/or "radially" refer to the relative position/direction of an object along direction "R" (see fig. 1 and 2) that is substantially perpendicular to axis a and intersects axis a at only one location. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position about axis a (e.g., direction "C").

As indicated above, the present disclosure relates generally to turbine system components and turbine systems thereof, and more particularly, to a unitary body turbine shroud for a turbine system including a shot peening screen integrally formed therein.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to fig. 1-13. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary gas turbine system 10. The gas turbine system 10 may include a compressor 12. The compressor 12 compresses an incoming flow of air 18. The compressor 12 delivers a flow of compressed air 20 to a combustor 22. The combustor 22 mixes the compressed flow of air 20 with a flow of pressurized fuel 24 and ignites the mixture to generate a flow of combustion gases 26. Although only a single combustor 22 is shown, the gas turbine system 10 may include any number of combustors 22. The combustion gas stream 26 is, in turn, delivered to a turbine 28, which typically includes a plurality of turbine blades, including airfoils (see FIG. 2) and stator vanes (see FIG. 2). The flow of combustion gases 26 drives a turbine 28, and more specifically, a plurality of turbine blades of the turbine 28, to produce mechanical work. The mechanical work produced in the turbine 28 drives the compressor 12 via a rotor 30 extending through the turbine 28 and may be used to drive an external load 32 (such as an electrical generator or the like).

The gas turbine system 10 may also include an exhaust frame 34. As shown in FIG. 1, exhaust frame 34 may be positioned adjacent to turbine 28 of gas turbine system 10. More specifically, the exhaust frame 34 may be positioned adjacent to the turbine 28, and may be positioned substantially downstream of the turbine 28 and/or the flow of combustion gases 26 flowing from the combustor 22 to the turbine 28. As discussed herein, a portion of the exhaust frame 34 (e.g., an outer casing) may be directly coupled to an outer casing, shell, or casing 36 of the turbine 28.

After the combustion gases 26 flow through and drive the turbine 28, the combustion gases 26 may be exhausted, flowed through, and/or discharged through the exhaust frame 34 in a flow direction (D). In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 1, the combustion gases 26 may flow through the exhaust frame 34 in a flow direction (D) and may be exhausted from the gas turbine system 10 (e.g., to the atmosphere). In another non-limiting example where the gas turbine system 10 is part of a combined cycle power plant (e.g., including a gas turbine system and a steam turbine system), the combustion gases 26 may be discharged from the exhaust frame 34 and may flow in a flow direction (D) into a heat recovery steam generator of the combined cycle power plant.

Turning to FIG. 2, a portion of the turbine 28 is shown. Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a portion of the turbine 28, including stages of turbine blades 38 (one shown), and stages of stator vanes 40 (one shown) positioned within the casing 36 of the turbine 28. As discussed herein, each stage of turbine blades 38 (e.g., first stage, second stage (not shown), third stage (not shown)) may include a plurality of turbine blades 38 that may be coupled to and positioned circumferentially around or around the rotor 30 and may be driven by the combustion gases 26 to rotate the rotor 30. As shown, a plurality of turbine blades 38 may also extend radially from the rotor 30. In addition, each stage (e.g., first stage, second stage (not shown), third stage (not shown)) of the stator vanes 40 may include a plurality of stator vanes, which may be coupled to and positioned circumferentially about the casing 36 of the turbine 28. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2, stator blade 40 may include a plurality of Hot Gas Path (HGP) components including and/or formed as an outer platform 42 and an inner platform 44 positioned opposite outer platform 42. The stator blades 40 of the turbine 28 may also include an airfoil 45 positioned between the outer platform 42 and the inner platform 44. Outer and inner platforms 42, 44 of stator vanes 40 may define a Flow Path (FP) for combustion gases 26 flowing through stator vanes 40. As discussed herein, the stator blades 40 may be coupled to adjacent and/or surrounding turbine shrouds of the turbine 28.

Each turbine blade 38 of the turbine 28 may include an airfoil 46 extending radially from the rotor 30 and positioned within a Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28. Each airfoil 46 may include a tip portion 48 positioned radially adjacent rotor 30. The turbine blade 38 may also include a platform 50 positioned opposite the tip portion 48 of the airfoil 46. In a non-limiting example, the platform 50 may partially define a flow path for the combustion gases 26 of the turbine blades 38. The turbine blades 38 and stator vanes 40 may also be axially positioned adjacent one another within the casing 36. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2, the stator vanes 40 may be axially positioned adjacent to and downstream of the turbine blades 38. For clarity, not all of the turbine blades 38, stator vanes 40, and/or all of the rotor 30 of the turbine 28 are shown. Additionally, although only a portion of a single stage of turbine blades 38 and stator vanes 40 of the turbine 28 is shown in FIG. 2, the turbine 28 may include multiple stages of turbine blades and stator vanes positioned axially across the housing 36 of the turbine 28.

The turbine 28 (see FIG. 1) of the gas turbine system 10 may also include a plurality of turbine shrouds 100 included within the turbine 28. The turbine 28 may include stages (one shown) of a turbine shroud 100. The turbine shroud 100 may correspond to a stage of the turbine blades 38 and/or a stage of the stator vanes 40. That is, and as discussed herein, the stages of the turbine shroud 100 may be positioned within the turbine 28 adjacent to the stages of the turbine blades 38 and/or the stages of the stator vanes 40 to interact with and provide a seal and/or may define a Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2, a stage of the turbine shroud 100 may be radially positioned adjacent to and/or may substantially surround or encircle a stage of the turbine blades 38. The turbine shroud 100 may be radially positioned adjacent the tip portion 48 of the airfoil 46 of the turbine blade 38. Further, in a non-limiting example, the turbine shroud 100 may also be positioned radially adjacent and/or upstream of the stator blades 40 of the turbine 28. The turbine shroud 100 may be positioned between two adjacent stages of stator vanes that may surround and/or be positioned on either axial side of a single stage of turbine blades.

The stages of the turbine shroud may include a plurality of turbine shrouds 100, which may be directly coupled to and/or positioned circumferentially around the casing 36 of the turbine 28. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2, the turbine shroud 100 may be directly coupled to the casing 36 of the turbine 28 via an extension 52 that extends radially inward (e.g., toward the rotor 30) from the casing 36. The extension 52 may include an opening 54 that may be configured to couple to and/or receive a portion of the turbine shroud 100 to couple, position, and/or secure the turbine shroud 100 to the casing 36 of the turbine 28. By way of non-limiting example, the extension 52 may be coupled and/or secured to the housing 36 of the turbine 28. More specifically, the extensions 52 may be disposed circumferentially about the casing 36 and may be positioned radially adjacent the turbine blades 38. In another non-limiting example, the extension 52 may be integrally formed with the casing 36 for directly coupling, positioning, and/or securing the turbine shroud 100 to the casing 36. Similar to the turbine blades 38 and/or the stator vanes 40, although only a portion of the stages of the turbine shroud 100 of the turbine 28 are shown in FIG. 2, the turbine 28 may include multiple stages of the turbine shroud 100 axially positioned in the casing 36 of the overall turbine 28 and coupled to the casing 26 using the extensions 52.

Fig. 3-7 illustrate various views of a turbine shroud 100 for the turbine 28 of the gas turbine system 10 of fig. 1. Specifically, fig. 3 illustrates an isometric view of the turbine shroud 100, fig. 4 illustrates a front view of the turbine shroud 100, fig. 5 illustrates a first side view of the turbine shroud 100, fig. 6 illustrates a second view of the turbine shroud 100, and fig. 7 illustrates a top view of the turbine shroud 100.

Non-limiting examples of the turbine shroud 100 and its various components may be addressed herein with reference to all of fig. 3-7 to ensure that each of the plurality of components is fully and accurately described and illustrated. Where applicable, reference may be made to the specific figures collectively referring to FIGS. 3-7 in discussing components or features of the turbine shroud 100. In addition, several reference lines or directions shown in fig. 1 and 2 may be used regularly herein with respect to fig. 3 and 7. For example, in each of fig. 3-7, "a" may refer to an axial orientation or axis, "R" may refer to a radial axis substantially perpendicular to axis a, and "C" may refer to a circumferential direction, movement, and/or position along a path centered about axis "a," as discussed herein.

The turbine shroud 100 may include a body 102. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3-7, the turbine shroud 100 may include and/or be formed as a unitary body 102 such that the turbine shroud 100 is a single, continuous and/or non-disjointed component or part. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3-7, because the turbine shroud 100 includes the unitary body 102, the turbine shroud 100 may not require the construction, engagement, coupling, and/or assembly of various parts to completely form the turbine shroud 100, and/or may not require the construction, engagement, coupling, and/or assembly of various parts before the turbine shroud 100 may be installed and/or implemented within the turbine system 10 (see fig. 1). Rather, as discussed herein, once a single, continuous and/or non-disjointed monolithic body 102 for the turbine shroud 100 is constructed, the turbine shroud 100 may be immediately installed within the turbine system 10.

In a non-limiting example, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 and various components and/or features of the turbine shroud 100 may be formed using any suitable additive manufacturing process and/or method. For example, the turbine shroud 100 including the monolithic body 102 may be formed by the following process: direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) (also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM)), Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Stereolithography (SLA), binder jetting, or any other suitable additive manufacturing process. As such, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 and various components and/or features integrally formed on and/or in the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may be formed during a single additive manufacturing process and/or method. Additionally, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may be formed of any material that may be utilized by one or more additive manufacturing processes to form the turbine shroud 100, and/or that is capable of withstanding the operational characteristics (e.g., exposure temperature, exposure pressure, etc.) experienced by the turbine shroud 100 within the gas turbine system 10 during operation.

As formed by the monolithic body 102, the turbine shroud 100 may include various integrally formed portions, each of which may include different features, components, and/or sections that may provide sealing and/or define a Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28 (see FIG. 2). That is, and because the turbine shroud 100 includes a monolithic body 102 formed using any suitable (single) additive manufacturing process and/or method, features, components, and/or sections of the turbine shroud 100 may be integrally formed with the monolithic body 102. The terms "integral feature" or "integrally formed feature" may refer to a feature formed on or in the monolithic body 102, a feature formed from the same material as the monolithic body 102, and/or a feature formed on or in the monolithic body 102 during a (single) additive manufacturing process such that the feature is not manufactured using one or more different processes and/or raw material components that are separately and subsequently constructed, joined, coupled, and/or assembled on or in the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100.

For example, the turbine shroud 100 may include a monolithic body 102 having a support portion 104. The support portion 104 may be directly coupled to the turbine shroud 100 and/or assist in coupling the turbine shroud to the turbine casing 36 and/or the extension 52. The support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102 may include a front end 106 and a rear end 108 positioned opposite the front end 106. The forward end 106 may be positioned axially upstream of the aft end 108.

In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3, 4, and 7, the front end 106 may include a protruding and/or converging shape, orientation, and/or configuration 110 (hereinafter "configuration 110"). That is, and as shown in the non-limiting example of fig. 3, 4, and 7, the front end 106 of the support portion 104 may be formed to include a configuration 110 that may include opposing angled and/or curved walls 112, 118 extending axially from opposing sides or ramps 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102 and converging on a central wall 124. The central wall 124 of the front end 106 may be positioned and/or formed upstream of the walls 112, 118 and/or may be positioned axially forward of the remainder of the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102. That is, the central wall 124 may be the axially forwardmost portion of the forward end 106 of the support portion 104 for the monolithic body 102.

Additionally, the support portion 104 may also include a first surface 126 and a second surface 128. The first surface 126 and the second surface 128 may extend (axially) between the forward end 106 and the aft end 108. Additionally, the first and second surfaces 126, 128 may be formed or extend substantially perpendicular to the front and/or rear ends 106, 108 of the support portion 104. As shown in a non-limiting example, the second surface 128 of the support portion 104 may be positioned and/or formed (radially) opposite the first surface 110.

In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3-7, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may also include a middle portion 134. The intermediate portion 134 may be integrally formed with and extend from the support portion 104. For example, the intermediate portion 134 may be integrally formed with and extend away from the support portion 104. More specifically, the intermediate portion 134 of the monolithic body 102 may be integrally formed with and may extend radially away from the second surface 128 of the support portion 104. In a non-limiting example, the middle portion 134 of the turbine shroud 100 may be positioned radially between the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102 and the turbine blades 38 of the turbine 28 (see FIG. 2).

The middle portion 134 may include various features and/or sections of the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100. Various features and/or sections discussed herein may extend and/or be formed between the opposing angled surfaces 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102. For example, the intermediate portion 134 may include a rear section 136 extending perpendicularly and/or radially away from the second surface 128 of the support portion 104. Additionally, as shown in fig. 3, 5, and 6, the rear section 136 of the intermediate portion 134 may extend from the second surface 128 substantially adjacent the rear end 108 of the support portion 104. In a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the rear section 136 of the intermediate portion 134 may be positioned axially upstream of the rear end 108 of the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102.

The intermediate portion 134 may also include a non-linear section 142 that extends away from the second surface 128 of the support portion 104. As shown in fig. 3, 5, and 6, the non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134 may extend substantially radially from the second surface 128, between the forward end 106 and the aft end 108 of the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102, and axially adjacent to the aft section 136. The non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134 may include a first end 144 integrally formed with the second surface 128 of the support portion 104 between the front end 106 and the rear end 108. Additionally, the non-linear section 142 may include a second end 146 positioned opposite the first end 144. The second end 146 of the non-linear section 142 may be positioned radially adjacent and axially upstream of the first end 144. Additionally, the second end 146 of the non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134 may also be positioned axially upstream of the front end 106 of the support portion 104. The curved portion 148 may extend between the first end 144 and the second end 146 of the non-linear section 142. That is, the non-linear section 142 may also include a curved portion 148 that extends between the first end 144 and the second end 146. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3, 5, and 6, the curved portion 148 extending between the first end 144 and the second end 146 may include a substantially concave shape or configuration such that a side view of the middle portion 134 and/or the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may appear as an inverted "C". Extending between the first end 144 and the second end 146, at least a portion of the curved portion 148 may also be positioned or extend axially upstream of the forward end 106 of the support portion 104.

The monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may also include a sealing portion 154. The sealing portion 154 may be integrally formed with the intermediate portion 134. That is, the sealing portion 154 of the unitary body 102 may be integrally formed with the intermediate portion 134. The sealing portion 154 may be positioned opposite the support portion 104, e.g., radially opposite the support portion 104. In a non-limiting example, and as discussed herein, the sealing portion 154 of the turbine shroud 100 may be positioned radially between the middle portion 134 of the monolithic body 102 and the turbine blades 38 of the turbine 28 and at least partially define a Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28 (see fig. 2).

In a non-limiting example, the sealing portion 154 may include a leading end 156. The leading end 156 of the sealing portion 154 may be formed and/or extend between the opposing ramped surfaces 120, 122 of the unitary body 102. The leading end 156 may be formed substantially adjacent to, perpendicular to, and/or axially upstream of the second end 146 of the non-linear section 142. The forward end 156 of the sealing portion 154 may also be positioned axially upstream of the forward end 106 of the support portion 104. As discussed herein, because the monolithic body 102 includes the support 104 and the intermediate portion 134 having the non-linear section 142, the forward end 156 of the sealing portion 154 may be positioned axially upstream of the support portion 104 in a substantially cantilevered manner or method without being directly coupled or connected to and/or integrally formed with the support portion 104. Accordingly, the leading end 156, as well as other portions of the sealing portion 154, may thermally expand during operation of the turbine 28 without inducing undesirable mechanical stresses or strains on other portions of the turbine shroud 100 (e.g., the support portion 104, the intermediate portion 134).

The sealing portion 154 may also include a rear end 158 positioned and/or formed opposite the front end 156. The aft end 158 may also be positioned downstream of the forward end 156 such that combustion gases 26 flowing through a Flow Path (FP) defined within the turbine 28 may flow through the adjacent forward end 156 before flowing through the adjacent aft end 158 of the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102 (see fig. 2). The aft end 158 of the sealing portion 154 may be integrally formed with, radially adjacent to, and/or radially aligned with the aft section 136 of the intermediate portion 134.

In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3-7, the seal portion 154 may also include a Hot Gas Path (HGP) surface 160. The HGP surface 160 of the sealing portion 154 may be integrally formed and/or extend axially between the leading end 156 and the trailing end 158. Additionally, the HGP surface 160 may be integrally formed and/or extend circumferentially between the opposing ramps 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102. The HGP surface 160 may also be formed radially opposite the first surface 126 of the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102. As discussed herein, the HGP surface 160 may be positioned adjacent to a hot gas Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 of the turbine 28. That is, and as shown in FIG. 2, the HGP surface 160 may be positioned, formed, facing and/or directly exposed to a hot gas Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine housing 36 of the turbine 28 of the gas turbine system 10 (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the HGP surface 160 of the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may be positioned radially adjacent to the tip portion 48 of the airfoil 46 when included in the turbine housing 36 (see FIG. 2).

As discussed herein, the unitary body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may include a first chamfer 120 and a second chamfer 122. As shown in the non-limiting example of FIGS. 5 and 6, the opposing slopes 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102 may form sidewalls that extend radially above the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100. More specifically, the first chamfer 120 may be adjacent to and extend radially between the first surface 126 of the support portion 104 and the HGP surface 160 of the sealing portion 154, and the second chamfer 122 may be adjacent to and extend radially between the first surface 126 of the support portion 104 and the HGP surface 160 of the sealing portion 154, circumferentially opposite the first chamfer 120. As such, the ramps 120, 122 may extend over various portions forming the monolithic body 102. The ramps 120, 122 may specifically extend over the support portion 104, the intermediate portion 134, and/or the sealing portion 154 to form a circumferential boundary, sidewall, and/or side surface of the monolithic body 102.

In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 3 and 7, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may also include at least one inlet opening 168. An inlet opening 168 may be formed in the support portion 104. For example, the inlet opening 168 may be formed in and/or through the first surface 126 of the support portion 104 between the front end 106 and the rear end 108. Additionally, one or more inlet openings 168 may also be formed in the first surface 126 and/or through the support portion 104, axially downstream of the non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134. In a non-limiting example, the inlet opening 168 may be in fluid communication with a cooling passage formed through the monolithic body 102 (see fig. 8). More specifically, the inlet opening 168 formed in the first surface 126 may extend through at least a portion of the support portion 104 and may be in fluid communication with a cooling channel formed through and/or included in: the support portion 104, the intermediate portion 134, and/or the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102.

The turbine shroud 100 may also include one or more plenums and/or one or more cooling channels formed therein for cooling the turbine shroud 100 during operation of the turbine 28 of the gas turbine system 10. Turning to fig. 8-9, with continued reference to fig. 3-7, various plenums and/or cooling channels of the turbine shroud 100 are described. FIG. 8 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the turbine shroud 100 taken along line CS1-CS1 in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the turbine shroud 100 shown in FIG. 8. It should be appreciated that similarly numbered and/or named components may function in a substantially similar manner. Redundant explanations of these components have been omitted for the sake of clarity.

As shown in fig. 8-9, the turbine shroud 100 may include at least one plenum 200. The plenum 200 may be formed and/or extended by a portion of the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100. The plenum 200 may extend through the support portion 104 and the intermediate portion 134. More specifically, the plenum 200 may extend (radially) through at least a portion of the support portion 104, the intermediate portion 134, and/or the seal portion 154 of the monolithic body 102. In the non-limiting example shown, the plenum 200 may extend through the entire support portion 104 and the intermediate portion 134, but may extend through only a portion of the seal portion 154. In other non-limiting examples (not shown), the plenum 200 may not extend into and/or (partially) through the seal portion 154, but may terminate within the intermediate portion 134. Briefly, returning to FIG. 4, portions of the plenum 200 (shown in phantom) formed within the intermediate portion 134 and the seal portion 154 may extend between and/or adjacent to the opposing bevels 120, 122. Although only a single plenum 200 is shown in fig. 8 and 9, it should be understood that the turbine shroud 100 may include more plenums (see fig. 12). As such, the number of plenums 200 depicted in the figures is merely exemplary.

In non-limiting examples, the plenum 200 may be fluidly coupled to and/or in direct fluid communication with one or more inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 104. That is, and as shown in fig. 7-9, the plenum 200 may be in direct fluid communication with each inlet opening 168 formed in the first surface 126 of the support portion 104 of the turbine shroud 100. As discussed herein, the plenum 200 may receive Cooling Fluid (CF) flowing within the turbine 28 via the inlet opening 168 (see, fig. 8 and 9), and may provide the Cooling Fluid (CF) to different cooling channels formed in the turbine shroud 100 to cool the turbine shroud 100 during operation.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the turbine shroud 100 may include a cooling passage 202 formed, positioned, and/or extending within the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100. More specifically, the cooling passage 202 of the turbine shroud 100 may be positioned within and/or extend through the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102, between and/or adjacent to the forward and aft ends 156, 158 of the sealing portion 154. Additionally, and as shown in fig. 4, a cooling passage 202 (shown in phantom) may extend through the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102 between and/or adjacent to the opposing angled surfaces 120, 122. The cooling channel 202 may be positioned between the plenum 200 and the HGP surface 160 of the sealing portion 154. For example, the cooling channel 202 may be positioned radially within the seal portion 154 between the plenum 200 and the HGP surface 160 of the seal portion 154. In the non-limiting example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and as discussed herein, at least a portion of the cooling channel 202 may be radially aligned with the plenum 200. Also as discussed herein, the cooling channels 202 may be in fluid communication with the plenum 200.

The plenum 200 and the cooling channels 202 formed in the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may be separated by ribs 210. That is, and as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the ribs 210 may be formed in the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102 and between the cooling gallery 202 and the plenum 200, and may separate the cooling gallery 202 and the plenum 200. Similar to other features discussed herein, the ribs 210 may be integrally formed with the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 and may be formed within the sealing portion 154 radially outward from the HGP surface 160. Additionally, the rib 210 may extend between the opposing ramped surfaces 120, 122 within the unitary body 102 and may be integrally formed with the opposing ramped surfaces 120, 122.

To provide cooling fluid to the cooling channels 202, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may also include a plurality of impingement openings 212 formed therethrough. That is, and as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the monolithic body 102 may include a plurality of impingement openings 212 formed through the ribs 210. A plurality of impingement openings 212 formed through the ribs 210 may fluidly couple the plenum 200 and the cooling channels 202. As discussed herein, during operation of the gas turbine system 10 (see fig. 1), a cooling fluid may flow from the plenum 200 through the plurality of impingement openings 212 to the cooling channels 202 to substantially cool the turbine shroud 100.

It should be understood that the size and/or number of impingement openings 212 formed through the ribs 210, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, is merely exemplary. As such, the turbine shroud 100 may include larger or smaller impingement openings 212 and/or may include more or fewer impingement openings 212 formed therein. Additionally, although the size and/or shape of the plurality of impingement openings 212 is shown as being substantially uniform, it should be understood that each of the plurality of impingement openings 212 formed on the turbine shroud 100 may include different sizes and/or shapes. The size, shape, and/or number of impingement openings 212 formed in the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may depend, at least in part, on the operational characteristics of the gas turbine system 10 during operation (e.g., exposure temperature, exposure pressure, location within the turbine housing 36, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the size, shape, and/or number of impingement openings 212 may depend at least in part on the characteristics of the turbine shroud 100/cooling channel 202 (e.g., the thickness of the ribs 210, the size of the cooling channel 202, the volume of the cooling channel 202, the size/volume of the plenum 200, etc.).

As also shown in fig. 8 and 9, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may include a plurality of forward exhaust holes 224. A plurality of front exhaust holes 224 may be in fluid communication with the cooling passage 202. More specifically, each of the plurality of forward exhaust holes 224 may be in fluid communication with and may extend axially from the cooling passage 202 of the turbine shroud 100. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 8 and 9, a plurality of front exhaust holes 224 may extend through the monolithic body 102 from the cooling channel 202 to the front end 156 of the sealing portion 154. That is, each of the plurality of forward exhaust holes 224 may be formed through the forward end 156 of the sealing portion 154 and may extend axially through the monolithic body 102 to fluidly couple to the cooling passage 202. During operation, and as discussed herein, a plurality of forward exhaust holes 224 may discharge cooling fluid from the cooling passage 202 adjacent the forward end 156 of the seal portion 154 and into the hot gas Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28.

It should be understood that the number of front exhaust holes 224 as shown in the non-limiting example of fig. 8 and 9 is merely exemplary. As such, the front end 156 of the sealing portion 154 may include more or fewer front vents 224 than shown in fig. 8 and 9. Additionally, although shown as being substantially rectangular and linear, it should be understood that the front vent 224 may be a substantially circular and/or non-linear opening, passage, and/or manifold.

As also shown in fig. 8 and 9, the turbine shroud 100 may include a plurality of aft exhaust holes 232. A plurality of rear exhaust apertures 232 may be in fluid communication with the cooling channel 202. More specifically, each of the plurality of aft exhaust holes 232 may be in fluid communication with and may extend axially from the cooling channel 202 of the turbine shroud 100. In a non-limiting example, a plurality of aft exhaust holes 232 may extend axially through the monolithic body 102 from the cooling channel 202 to the aft end 158 of the sealing portion 154. That is, each of the plurality of aft exhaust holes 232 may be formed through the aft end 158 of the sealing portion 154 and may extend axially through the monolithic body 102 to fluidly couple to the cooling channel 202. As discussed herein, a plurality of aft exhaust holes 232 may be adjacent the aft end 158 of the seal portion 154, discharging the cooling fluid from the cooling passage 202 and into the hot gas Flow Path (FP) of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28.

Similar to the plurality of front exhaust apertures 224, it should be understood that the number of rear exhaust apertures 232 as shown in the non-limiting example of fig. 8 and 9 is merely exemplary. As such, the rear end 158 of the sealing portion 154 may include more or fewer rear vent holes 232 than those shown in fig. 8 and 9. In addition, the shape (e.g., substantially rectangular and linear) of the rear vent 232 is merely exemplary, and each of the plurality of vent 232 included in the monolithic body 102 may be formed in a substantially different shape (e.g., a non-linear opening, a passage, and/or a manifold).

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the turbine shroud 100 may also include at least one shot peening screen 300. More specifically, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may include a shot peening screen 300 integrally formed therein. In a non-limiting example, the monolithic body 102 may include a single shot-peening screen 300. In other non-limiting examples discussed herein (see fig. 12), the monolithic body 102 may include more than one shot-peening screen 300. As described herein, the shot peening screen 300 included within the monolithic body 102 may prevent shot from passing through the shot peening screen 300 when a peening process is performed on the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100. Additionally, the shot peening screen 300 integrated within the monolithic body 102 may provide additional support, structure, and/or rigidity to the monolithic body 102 (e.g., the intermediate portion 134) during operation.

The shot peening screen 300 may be positioned within the plenum 200 and may extend and/or be positioned within the middle portion 134 of the monolithic body 102. Additionally, the shot peening screen 300 may extend between the opposing inclined surfaces 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102. Thus, the shot peening screen 300 may extend between the opposing bevels 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 over the entire circumferential length of the plenum 200. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 8 and 9, the shot peening screen 300 also extends between the aft section 136 of the intermediate portion 134 and the non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134. The shot peening screen 300 may be integrally formed within the plenum 200. The integrally formed peening screen may prevent shot from passing through the peening screen when a peening process is performed on the monolithic body of the turbine shroud. More specifically, the shot peening screen 300 may be integrally formed within the plenum 200 with the aft section 136 of the middle portion 134 and the non-linear section 142 of the middle portion 134, and extend axially between the aft section 136 and the non-linear section 142. Thus, the shot peening screen 300 may extend between the aft section 136 and the nonlinear section 142 over the entire axial length of the plenum 200. In a non-limiting example, the shot peening screen 300 may be integrally formed with the inner surface 234 of the aft section 136 and the inner surface 236 of the non-linear section 142, and may extend axially from the inner surface 234 and the inner surface 236, and/or between the inner surface 234 and the inner surface 236. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the inner surfaces 234, 236 may define the plenum 200 of the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100.

Fig. 8 and 9 also show that a shot-peening screen 300 can be positioned between the support portion 104 and the sealing portion 154. More specifically, the shot peening screen 300 may be integrally formed within the monolithic body 102 and radially positioned between the inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 104 and the cooling channels 202 formed in the sealing portion 154. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 8, the shot peening screen 300 may be spaced apart from the inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 104 by a first distance (D)₁). In addition, as shown in fig. 8, the shot peening screen 300 may be spaced apart from the cooling channel 202 formed in the sealing portion 154 by a second distance (D)₂). In a non-limiting example, the second distance (D)₂) May be greater than the first distance (D)₁). Accordingly, the shot peening screen 300 may be positioned radially closer to the inlet opening 168 than the cooling channel 202. In other non-limiting examples (see FIGS. 10 and 11), shot peening screens 300 may be formed in different radial locations within the plenum 200.

Shot peening screen 300 may include a top surface 302 and a bottom surface 304. The top surface 302 of the shot peening screen 300 may be positioned within the plenum 200 radially adjacent to the inlet opening 168 formed in the support portion 104 and/or may face the inlet opening 168. The bottom surface 304 of the shot peening screen 300 may be formed or positioned radially opposite the top surface 302. Additionally, the bottom surface 304 may be positioned within the plenum 200 radially adjacent to the ribs 210 and/or the cooling channels 202 formed in the sealing portion 154 and/or may face the ribs 210 and/or the cooling channels 202.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the shot-blasting sieveThe web 300 may also include a plurality of apertures 306 formed therethrough. That is, a plurality of apertures 306 may be formed in and/or may extend through the shot screen 300 and be located between the top surface 302 and the bottom surface 304. The plurality of apertures may be spaced apart on the peening screen 300 to allow a Cooling Fluid (CF) to flow from the inlet opening 168 through the plenum 200 and peening screen 300 and to the cooling channel 200 during operation to cool the turbine shroud 100, as described herein. In a non-limiting example, each aperture of the plurality of apertures 306 may include a predetermined size (DIM)₃₀₆) (e.g., diameter). Predetermined size (DIM) of each of a plurality of apertures 306 of shot peening screen 300₃₀₆) May be sized smaller than the size (e.g., diameter) of pellets that may be used in the peening process performed on the unitary body 102. That is, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may be subjected to a bead blasting process after construction. To prevent pellets from contacting the ribs 210 and/or becoming lodged in and subsequently blocking the impact openings 212, a shot peening screen 300 may be integrally formed within the plenum 200. The plurality of apertures of the shot peening screen 300 are formed to include a predetermined size (DIM) that is smaller than the size of the shot used during the shot peening process₃₀₆) It may be ensured that pellets cannot reach and/or contact the ribs 210 and/or the impact openings 212. Conversely, all of the pellets that may flow through the inlet openings 168 may contact and/or be trapped/blocked by the peening screen 300.

A predetermined size (DIM) of each of a plurality of apertures 306 formed in the shot peening screen 300₃₀₆) May also be larger than the size (DIM) of the impingement openings 212 formed in the ribs 210₂₁₂) (e.g., diameter). In a non-limiting example, the predetermined size (DIM) of each of the plurality of apertures 306₃₀₆) May be the size of the impingement opening 212 (DIM)₂₁₂) About two (2) to six (6) times. A predetermined size (DIM) of each aperture 306₃₀₆) Larger than the size (DIM) of the impingement openings 212₂₁₂) It may be ensured that the Cooling Fluid (CF) flowing through the plenum 200 does not experience a pressure drop as it flows through the apertures 306 and before flowing through the impingement openings 212 to the cooling channels 200, as described hereinThe method is as follows.

It should be understood that the size and/or number of apertures 306 formed through the shot peening screen 300, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, is exemplary only. As such, the shot peening screen 300 may include larger or smaller apertures 306 and/or may include more or fewer apertures 306 formed therein. Additionally, although the size and/or shape of the plurality of apertures 306 is shown as being substantially uniform, it should be understood that each of the plurality of apertures 306 formed through the shot peening screen may comprise a different size and/or shape. The size, shape, and/or number of apertures 306 formed through the peening screen 300 may depend at least in part on the size, number, and/or firing rate of the pellets during the peening process performed on the turbine shroud 100.

During operation of the gas turbine system 10 (see fig. 1), a Cooling Fluid (CF) may flow through the monolithic body 102 to cool the turbine shroud 100. More specifically, as the turbine shroud 100 is exposed to combustion gases 26 (see fig. 2) flowing through a hot gas flow path of the turbine 28 and increases in temperature during operation of the gas turbine system 10, cooling fluid may be provided to and/or may flow through various features (e.g., inlet openings 168, plenums 200, channels 202, holes 224, 232, etc.) formed through and/or extending through the monolithic body 102 to cool the turbine shroud 100. In a non-limiting example, the cooling fluid may first be provided to the turbine shroud 100 from a different portion, feature, and/or region of the turbine 28, adjacent the support portion 104 of the monolithic body 102. The cooling fluid may flow into the plenum 200 through one or more inlet openings 168 formed in the first surface 126 of the support portion 104. In the non-limiting example shown in fig. 8 and 9, where the monolithic body 102 includes a single plenum 200, the cooling fluid may flow radially through each inlet opening 168 and may collect and/or mix within the plenum 200.

From the inlet opening 168, the cooling fluid may flow through the plenum 200. More specifically, the cooling fluid may flow from the inlet opening 168, through the plenum 200, and toward the peening screen 300. The cooling fluid may then flow through the shot peening screen 300, and more specifically through the plurality of apertures 306 formed through the shot peening screen 300, and may continue to flow through the remainder of the plenum 200, toward the HGP surfaces 160 of the seal portion 154 and/or radially toward the cooling channels 202 formed within the seal portion 154. In a non-limiting example, the cooling fluid provided to the plenum 200 and flowing through the peening screen 300 may flow radially toward the ribs 210 and then through the plurality of impingement openings 212 to the cooling channels 202. In a non-limiting example, the cooling fluid may flow through a plurality of impingement openings 212 formed in the ribs 210 and may enter the cooling channel 202. The cooling fluid flowing into/through the cooling passage 202 may cool and/or receive heat from the HGP surfaces 160 of the sealing portion 154 of the turbine shroud 100. That is, once entering the cooling passage 202, the cooling fluid may disperse and/or may flow axially toward one of the forward end 156 or the aft end 158 of the sealing portion 154. Due to, for example, internal pressure within the cooling passage 202, the cooling fluid may flow through the cooling passage 202 to the opposite forward end 156 or aft end 158.

Once the cooling fluid flows or disperses through the cooling channel 202, the cooling fluid may flow to the various exhaust holes 224, 232 formed through the sealing portion 154 of the monolithic body 102. For example, cooling fluid flowing to a portion of the cooling passage 202 located adjacent to the forward end 156 may flow through the plurality of forward exhaust holes 224, and may then be exhausted adjacent to the forward end 156 of the seal portion 154 and into the hot gas flow path of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28 (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the cooling fluid flowing to a portion of the cooling channel 202 located adjacent the aft end 158 of the seal portion 154 may flow through the plurality of aft exhaust holes 232, be exhausted adjacent the aft end 158, and ultimately flow into the hot gas flow path of the combustion gases 26 flowing through the turbine 28 (see FIG. 2).

10-11 illustrate additional non-limiting examples of turbine shrouds 100 that include a monolithic body 102. More specifically, FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate side cross-sectional views of a turbine shroud 100 similar to the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 8. It should be appreciated that similarly numbered and/or named components may function in a substantially similar manner. Repeated explanation of these components has been omitted for clarity.

As described herein, the shot peening screen 300 integrally formed within the plenum 200 of the monolithic body 102 may be spaced apart from the inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 104 by a first distance (D)₁) And may be spaced apart from the cooling channel 202 formed in the sealing portion 154 by a second distance (D)₂). In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 10, the first distance (D)₁) And a second distance (D)₂) May be substantially equal or identical. Accordingly, the shot peening screen 300 may be positioned equidistant from the inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 104 and the cooling channels 202 formed in the sealing portion 154.

Unlike the non-limiting examples shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the second distance (D) between the shot peening screen 300 and the cooling channel 202 is shown in FIG. 11₂) May be less than a first distance (D) between the shot peening screen 300 and the inlet opening 168₁). Accordingly, the shot peening screen 300 may be positioned radially closer to the cooling channel 202 formed in the sealing portion 154 than the inlet openings 168 formed in the support portion 102.

FIG. 12 illustrates another non-limiting example of a turbine shroud 100. Specifically, FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of the turbine shroud 100, which is similar to the front view of FIG. 4. It should be appreciated that similarly numbered and/or named components may function in a substantially similar manner. Repeated explanation of these components has been omitted for clarity.

As shown in FIG. 12, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may include a plurality of plenums 200A, 200B (shown in phantom). In a non-limiting example, the turbine shroud 100 may include two distinct plenums 200A, 200B formed therein and separated by a wall 244. Both plenums 200A, 200B may extend (radially) through at least a portion of the support portion 104, the intermediate portion 134, and the seal portion 154 of the monolithic body 102. The first plenum 200A may also extend and/or be formed circumferentially between the wall 244 and the first slashface 120, and the second plenum 200B may extend and/or be formed circumferentially between the wall 244 and the second slashface 122. Additionally, the first plenum 200A may be fluidly coupled to and/or in direct fluid communication with the inlet opening 168A formed in the support portion 104, and the second plenum 200B may be fluidly coupled to and/or in direct fluid communication with the inlet opening 168B formed in the support portion 104. Similar to the plenum 200 discussed herein with respect to fig. 8 and 9, the first plenum 200A and the second plenum 200B may each be in fluid communication with the cooling channel 202 and/or fluidly coupled to the cooling channel 202 via a plurality of impingement openings 212 formed through the ribs 210 (see fig. 8). During operation of turbine system 10 (see FIG. 1), the cooling fluid provided to first plenum 200A and the separate cooling fluid provided to second plenum 200B may both flow to cooling channel 202 and/or mix within cooling channel 202.

Additionally, as shown in the non-limiting example, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may include a plurality of shot peening screens 300A, 300B. That is, where the turbine shroud 100 includes a plurality of different plenums 200A, 200B, the monolithic body 102 of the turbine shroud 100 may also include a plurality of different shot-peening screens 300A, 300B formed therein. As shown in fig. 12, a first shot screen 300A may be positioned within the first plenum 200A and may extend within the middle portion 134 of the monolithic body 102. The first shot screen 300A may extend between a first bevel 120 of the opposing bevels 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102 and a wall 244 separating the first plenum 200A from the second plenum 200B. Similar to the shot peening screen 300 described herein with respect to fig. 8 and 9, the first shot peening screen 300A may be integrally formed within the first plenum 200A with the aft section 136 of the intermediate portion 134 and the non-linear section 142 of the intermediate portion 134, and may extend axially between the aft section 136 and the non-linear section 142. Additionally, a first shot-peening screen 300A may be positioned within the first plenum 200A radially between the inlet openings 168A formed in the support portion 104 and the cooling channels 202 formed in the seal portion 154.

Similar to the first shot screen 300A, a second shot screen 300B may be positioned within the second plenum 200B. More specifically, a second shot screen 300B may be positioned within the second plenum 200B and may extend within the middle portion 134 of the monolithic body 102. A second shot screen 300B may extend between a second 122 of the opposing bevels 120, 122 of the monolithic body 102 and the wall 244. The second shot peening screen 300B may also be integrally formed within the second plenum 200B with the aft section 136 of the middle portion 134 and the non-linear section 142 of the middle portion 134, and may extend axially between the aft section 136 and the non-linear section 142. Further, a second shot peening screen 300B may be positioned within the second plenum 200B radially between the inlet openings 168B formed in the support portion 104 and the cooling channels 202 formed in the seal portion 154.

The turbine shroud 100 may be formed in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the turbine shroud 100 may be made by casting. However, as described herein, additive manufacturing is particularly suited for manufacturing a turbine shroud 100 that includes a monolithic body 102. As used herein, Additive Manufacturing (AM) may include any process that produces an article by continuously layering materials rather than removing materials (which in the case of conventional processes is material removal). Additive manufacturing can form complex geometries without the use of any kind of tool, die or fixture, and with little or no waste of material. Rather than machining a part from a solid plastic or metal blank, many of which are cut away and discarded, the only material used in additive manufacturing is that required to shape the part. Additive manufacturing processes may include, but are not limited to: 3D printing, Rapid Prototyping (RP), Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), binder jetting, Selective Laser Melting (SLM), and Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM). In the current setup, a DMLM or SLM has been found to be advantageous.

To illustrate an example of an additive manufacturing process, fig. 13 shows a schematic/block diagram of an illustrative computerized additive manufacturing system 900 for generating an article 902. In this example, system 900 is arranged for a DMLM. It should be understood that the general teachings of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other forms of additive manufacturing. The article 902 is shown as a turbine shroud 100 (see fig. 2-12). The AM system 900 generally includes a computerized Additive Manufacturing (AM) control system 904 and an AM printer 906. As will be described, the AM system 900 executes code 920 that includes a set of computer-executable instructions that define the turbine shroud 100 to physically generate the article 902 using the AM printer 906. Each AM process may use a different raw material in the form of, for example, a fine-grained powder, a liquid (e.g., polymer), a sheet, etc., a stock solution of which may be held in the chamber 910 of the AM printer 906. In this case, the turbine housing 100 may be made of a metal or metal compound capable of withstanding the environment of the gas turbine system 10 (see FIG. 1). As shown, the applicator 912 can form a thin layer of raw material 914 that is spread as a blank canvas on the build plate 915 of the AM printer 906 from which each successive slice of the final article will be formed. In other cases, the applicator 912 may apply or print the next layer directly onto the previous layer as defined by code 920, for example, where a metal bond spray process is used. In the example shown, the laser or electron beam 916 melts the particles for each slice as defined by code 920, but this may not be necessary if a fast-setting liquid plastic/polymer is employed. The various parts of the AM printer 906 can be moved to accommodate the addition of each new layer, for example, after each layer, the build platform 918 can be lowered and/or the chamber 910 and/or applicator 912 can be raised.

The AM control system 904 is shown as being implemented as computer program code on a computer 930. To this extent, computer 930 is shown including memory 932, processor 934, input/output (I/O) interface 936, and bus 938. Further, computer 930 is shown in communication with external I/O devices/resources 940 and storage system 942. Generally, the processor 934 executes computer program code stored in the memory 932 and/or storage system 942, such as the AM control system 904, under instructions from the code 920 on behalf of the turbine shroud 100 described herein. When executing computer program code, processor 934 can read and/or write data to/from memory 932, storage system 942, I/O devices 940, and/or AM printer 906. The bus 938 provides a communication link between each of the components in the computer 930, and the I/O devices 940 can include any device (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, display, etc.) that enables a user to interact with the computer 940. Computer 930 is merely representative of various possible combinations of hardware and software. For example, processor 934 may comprise a single processing unit or be distributed across one or more processing units in one or more locations (e.g., on a client and server). Similarly, the memory 932 and/or the storage system 942 may reside at one or more physical locations. Memory 932 and/or storage system 942 can include any combination of various types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including magnetic media, optical media, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), and the like. Computer 930 may include any type of computing device, such as a web server, desktop computer, laptop computer, handheld device, mobile phone, pager, personal digital assistant, etc.

The additive manufacturing process begins with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 932, storage system 942, etc.) storing code 920 representative of the turbine shroud 100. As noted, code 920 includes a set of computer-executable instructions defining an outer electrode that can be used to physically generate a tip when system 900 executes the code. For example, the code 920 may include a precisely defined 3D model of the turbine shroud 100, and may be generated by a variety of well-known computer-aided design (CAD) software systems, such asDesign cad3DMax, etc.). In this regard, code 920 may be in any now known or later developed file format. For example, code 920 may be a standard surface subdivision language (STL) created by a stereolithography CAD program for 3D systems, or an Additive Manufacturing File (AMF), which is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard, the latter being an extensible markup language (XML) based format designed to allow any CAD software to describe the shape and composition of any three-dimensional object to be manufactured on any AM printer. Code 920 may be translated between different formats, converted to a set of data signals, transmitted as a set of data signals, received and converted to code, stored, etc., as desired. Code 920 may be an input to system 900 and may come from a part designer, an Intellectual Property (IP) provider, a design company, an operator or owner of system 900Or from other sources. In any case, the AM control system 904 executes the code 920 to divide the turbine shroud 100 into a series of sheets assembled using the AM printer 906 in a continuous layer of liquid, powder, sheet, or other material. In the DMLM example, each layer is fused into the exact geometry defined by code 920 and fused to the previous layer. Subsequently, the turbine shroud 100 may be exposed to any of a variety of finishing processes, such as those described herein for reshaping or other minor machining, sealing, polishing, peening, and the like.

Technical effects of the present disclosure include, for example, providing a turbine shroud formed from a monolithic body including at least one shot peening screen integrally formed therein. The integrally formed peening screen may prevent shot from passing through the peening screen when a peening process is performed on the monolithic body of the turbine shroud. The integrally formed shot peening screen may reduce or eliminate the shot from undesirably contacting and/or becoming embedded in the turbine shroud and eventually clogging impingement openings and/or cooling passages also integrally formed within the turbine shroud.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. "optional" or "optionally" means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not.

Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms (such as "about", "about" and "substantially") is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some cases, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. "about" as applied to a particular value of a range applies to both values and may indicate +/-10% of one or more of the stated values unless otherwise dependent on the accuracy of the instrument measuring the value.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.