Turbine nozzle with reduced leakage feather seals

Abstract

A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of nozzle segments that are configured to be assembled into a full ring such that each one of the plurality of nozzle segments is adjacent to another one of the plurality of nozzle segments. Each one of the plurality of nozzle segments includes an endwall segment and a nozzle vane. The turbine nozzle includes a feather seal interface defined by endwall segments of adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments. The feather seal interface is defined along an area of reduced pressure drop through a pressure field defined between adjacent nozzle vanes of the plurality of nozzle segments to reduce leakage through the plurality of nozzle segments. The turbine nozzle includes a feather seal received within the feather seal interface that cooperates with the feather seal interface to reduce leakage through the plurality of nozzle segments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a plurality of nozzle segments that are configured to be assembled into a full ring such that each one of the plurality of nozzle segments is adjacent to another one of the plurality of nozzle segments, each one of the plurality of nozzle segments including an endwall segment and a nozzle vane, each nozzle vane including a pressure side and a suction side;   a feather seal interface defined by endwall segments of adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments, the feather seal interface defined along an area of reduced pressure drop through a pressure field defined between adjacent nozzle vanes of the plurality of nozzle segments and the area of reduced pressure drop is proximate the pressure side of one of the adjacent nozzle vanes such that the feather seal interface is defined proximate the pressure side and directly adjacent to a fillet defined at an interface between the pressure side and the endwall segment;   at least one cooling region defined through one of the endwall segments of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments, the at least one cooling region defined proximate the feather seal interface, and the at least one cooling region includes at least one film cooling hole defined between the feather seal interface and the suction side of the nozzle vane of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments; and   a feather seal received within the feather seal interface that cooperates with the feather seal interface to reduce leakage through the plurality of nozzle segments.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the feather seal interface is defined proximate the pressure side of the one of the adjacent nozzle vanes to follow a curvature of the pressure side. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein a throat is defined between the adjacent nozzle vanes, and the feather seal interface is defined so as to be offset from a midpoint of the throat toward a pressure side of one of the adjacent nozzle vanes. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein a centerline is defined between the adjacent nozzle vanes, and the feather seal interface is defined so as to be at least partially offset from the centerline toward a pressure side of one of the adjacent nozzle vanes. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the feather seal has a first seal end and an opposite second seal end, with the first seal end offset from the second seal end relative to a seal longitudinal axis that extends through the feather seal. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 5 , wherein the feather seal includes at least one curved portion between the first seal end and the second seal end. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the feather seal interface includes an intersegmental gap defined between the endwall segments of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments and a feather seal slot that intersects the intersegmental gap, with the feather seal received within the feather seal slot. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 7 , wherein the feather seal interface further comprises a lip that extends over at least the feather seal slot. 
     
     
         9 . A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a plurality of nozzle segments that are configured to be assembled into a full ring such that each one of the plurality of nozzle segments is adjacent to another one of the plurality of nozzle segments, each one of the plurality of nozzle segments including an inner endwall segment, an outer endwall segment and a nozzle vane that extends between the inner endwall segment and the outer endwall segment along an airflow path, each nozzle vane of the plurality of nozzle segments including a pressure side opposite a suction side and a fillet defined at an interface between the pressure side and the inner endwall segment;   a feather seal interface defined by inner endwall segments of adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments, the feather seal interface defined proximate the pressure side of each nozzle vane of the plurality of nozzle segments and directly adjacent to the fillet;   at least one cooling region defined through the inner endwall segment of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments proximate the feather seal interface, the at least one cooling region including at least one film cooling hole spaced apart from the pressure side by the feather seal interface and defined between the feather seal interface and the suction side of the nozzle vane of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments, the at least one film cooling hole in fluid communication with a plenum and the airflow path; and   a feather seal received within the feather seal interface that cooperates with the feather seal interface to reduce leakage through the plurality of nozzle segments.   
     
     
         10 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 9 , wherein the feather seal interface is defined proximate the pressure side of each nozzle vane of the plurality of nozzle segments to follow a curvature of the pressure side, and the feather seal interface includes an intersegmental gap defined between the inner endwall segments of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments and a feather seal slot that intersects the gap, with the feather seal received within the feather seal slot. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 9 , wherein a centerline is defined between adjacent nozzle vanes of the plurality of nozzle segments, and the feather seal interface is defined so as to be at least partially offset from the centerline toward the pressure side. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 9 , wherein the feather seal has a first seal end and an opposite second seal end, with the first seal end offset from the second seal end relative to a seal longitudinal axis that extends through the feather seal. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 9 , further comprising a second feather seal interface defined by outer endwall segments of adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments, the second feather seal interface defined proximate the pressure side of each nozzle vane of the plurality of nozzle segments; and
 a second feather seal received within the second feather seal interface that has a third seal end and an opposite fourth seal end, with the third seal end offset from the fourth seal end relative to a second seal longitudinal axis that extends through the second feather seal.   
     
     
         14 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 13 , wherein a centerline is defined between adjacent nozzle vanes of the plurality of nozzle segments, the second feather seal interface is defined so as to be at least partially offset from the centerline toward the pressure side. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine nozzle of  claim 14 , wherein the second feather seal interface includes a second gap defined between the outer endwall segments of the adjacent ones of the plurality of nozzle segments and a second feather seal slot that intersects the second gap, and the second feather seal is received within the second feather seal slot.