Turbine engine with interlocking seal

Abstract

A turbine engine with an outer rotor that circumscribes an inner rotor or inner stator. The outer rotor includes circumferentially arranged components with a radial outer end and radial inner end. Inner ends of confronting sides of adjacent components include at least one damper element to dampen the relative motion of the components or to provide at least a partial seal between adjacent components.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine engine comprising:
 an inner rotor/stator having a longitudinal axis;   an outer rotor circumscribing at least a portion of the inner rotor/stator and rotating about the longitudinal axis, and having at least one component comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged and radially extending component segments, each component segment having first and second ends; and   a damper element securing the first and second ends to each other.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine engine of  claim 1  wherein the damper element comprises a first channel on the first circumferential end of the confronting pair, and a second channel on the second circumferential end of the confronting pair, with the first channel aligned with and confronting the second channel to define a confronting channel pair, and a seal residing in both the first and second channels. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine engine of  claim 2  wherein the confronting channel pair extend in a radial direction. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine engine of  claim 3  wherein the length of the seal is less than the length of the confronting channel pair. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine engine of  claim 4  wherein the seal has at least one of a cross or rectangular cross section. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine engine of  claim 1  wherein the component segments include passage segments extending between and opening onto the first and second circumferential ends at first and second openings to define a confronting open pair of the first and second openings. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine engine of  claim 6  wherein the passage segments collectively form a circumferential passage. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine of  claim 6  wherein the damper element comprises a tube extending through the confronting open pair of the first and second openings. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine of  claim 8  wherein the tube extends only partially into passage segments of the pair of confronting ends. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine of  claim 8  wherein the tube comprises a spacer located between the confronting pairs of first and second circumferential ends. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine engine of  claim 10  wherein the spacer circumscribes the tube. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine of  claim 8  wherein the tube has a cross-sectional profile smaller than the passage segments. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine engine of  claim 1  wherein the damper element comprises a bracket coupling the inner ends of circumferentially adjacent inner ends. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine engine of  claim 13  further comprising an aperture on at least one of the bracket and the inner ends, a fastener extending through the aperture, with the aperture being oversized relative to the fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine engine of  claim 14  wherein the fastener has a fastener cross-sectional shape, the aperture has an aperture cross-sectional shape, which is different than the fastener cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine engine of  claim 15  wherein the fastener cross-sectional shape is circular and the aperture cross-sectional shape is ovate. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine engine of  claim 13  wherein the bracket comprises a ring. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine engine of  claim 17  wherein the inner ends define an inner band, with a radially extending flange and the ring mounts to the radially extending flange. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine engine of  claim 18  further comprising a honeycomb wear pad mounted to the radially extending flange. 
     
     
         20 . The turbine engine of  claim 1  wherein the component comprises at least one of a shroud and airfoil.