TURBINE BUCKET CLOSURE ASSEMBLY AND METHODS OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME

摘要

A rotor wheel assembly has a rotor wheel including a plurality of dovetail slots. The rotor wheel assembly includes a bucket closure assembly having a leading auxiliary bucket with a dovetail coupled to a dovetail slot and an integral cover having a back side edge oriented at a first angle relative to the rotor wheel rotation axis. The bucket closure assembly includes a closure bucket having a dovetail coupled to a dovetail slot and an integral cover having a front side and a back side edge, where the back side edge is oriented to a second angle and the front side edge is parallel to the back side edge of the leading auxiliary bucket. The bucket closure assembly includes a trailing auxiliary bucket having a dovetail coupled to a dovetail slot and an integral cover having a front side edge parallel to the back side edge of the closure bucket.

主权项

1. A rotor wheel assembly comprising;
a rotor wheel comprising a plurality of dovetail slots spaced circumferentially about a periphery of said rotor wheel; a bucket closure assembly comprising:
a leading auxiliary bucket coupled to said rotor wheel, said leading auxiliary bucket comprising a dovetail configured to couple to a respective one of said plurality of dovetail slots and an integral cover comprising a first back side circumferential edge oriented at a first angle relative to an axis of rotation of said rotor wheel;a closure bucket coupled to said rotor wheel adjacent said leading auxiliary bucket, said closure bucket comprising a dovetail configured to couple to a respective one of said plurality of dovetail slots and an integral cover comprising a first front side circumferential edge and a second back side circumferential edge, said first front side circumferential edge oriented substantially parallel to said first back side circumferential edge and said second back side circumferential edge oriented at a second angle relative to said axis of rotation, said second angle inclined the same direction as said first angle; anda trailing auxiliary bucket coupled to said rotor wheel adjacent said closure bucket, said trailing auxiliary bucket comprising a dovetail configured to couple to a respective one of said plurality of dovetail slots and an integral cover comprising a second front side circumferential edge oriented substantially parallel to said second back side circumferential edge, wherein said first back side circumferential edge is coupled in mating engagement to said first front side circumferential edge, and said second back side circumferential edge is coupled in mating engagement to said second front side circumferential edge.