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An active blade clearance control system for a gas turbine engine. The clearance between the tip of a rotatable blade and an inner surface of a blade track is adjusted by moving the blade track relative to the tip of the blades. A split control ring is manipulated to adjust tension therein and a res

An active blade clearance control system for a gas turbine engine. The clearance between the tip of a rotatable blade and an inner surface of a blade track is adjusted by moving the blade track relative to the tip of the blades. A split control ring is manipulated to adjust tension therein and a resulting force is transmitted to an inner member. The plurality of blade tracks are coupled to the inner member and move in response to the force transmitted from the split control ring.

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What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising: a mechanical housing; an annular member coupled to and disposed within said mechanical housing, said annular member including a segmented portion positioned between a fore hoop continuous portion and an aft hoop continuous portion; a plurality of blad

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising: a mechanical housing; an annular member coupled to and disposed within said mechanical housing, said annular member including a segmented portion positioned between a fore hoop continuous portion and an aft hoop continuous portion; a plurality of blade tracks coupled to and moveable with said segmented portion, each of said plurality of blade tracks having a surface that defines a portion of a working fluid flow path; a rotatable structure including a plurality of blades disposed within said working fluid flow path, each of said plurality of blades having a blade tip spaced from said surface of the plurality of blade tracks to define a blade tip clearance; a split control ring located within said mechanical housing and extending around said annular member; at least one actuator coupled with said mechanical housing and said split control ring; a plurality of load transfer members located between and abutting said annular member and said split control ring; and said at least one actuator being operable to place the split control ring in tension and transmit a force through the plurality of load transfer members to said segmented portion and move said segmented portion and the plurality of blade tracks. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one actuator includes an arm connected with said split control ring, and wherein the actuation of said at least one actuator causes the arm to move and change the spacing between a first end of the split control ring and a second end of the split control ring. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said split control ring includes a first end and a second end; wherein said at least one actuator includes two actuators, each of the actuators having an arm connected with one of the ends of the split control ring; and wherein said actuators are coupled with an actuation system that is operable to cause said arms to move and change the position of said first end and said second end. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, which further includes a sensor for determining the blade tip clearance, and wherein said at least one actuator is operable in response to said sensor to at least partially control blade tip clearance. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the force transmitted to said segmented portion caused at least a portion of said segmented portion to be deflected. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface is located in a first position before being moved by the force applied to said segmented portion and said surface is located in a second position after the force has been applied, and the surface when in said first position is parallel to the surface in said second position. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said segmented portion includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced segments are spaced from and moveable independently of adjacent segments. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said segmented portion defines a deflectable circumferential region. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said split control ring includes a plurality of first races for receiving the load transfer members and said annular member includes a plurality of second races for receiving the load transfer members, and wherein each of the plurality of load transfer members having a part in said first race and another part in said second race. 10. A method for controlling blade tip clearance within a gas turbine engine, comprising: determining a clearance between a tip of a blade and a surface defining a portion of a working fluid flow path; adjusting the tension in a split control ring located within the gas turbine engine; transmitting a force from the split control ring to a discontinuous annular member; moving at least a portion of the discontinuous annular member from a first position to a second position in response to said transmitting; and changing the position of a plurality of blade tracks in response to said moving. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said adjusting includes changing the spacing between the ends of the split control ring. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the discontinuous annular member is a segmented annular member. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining includes sensing the clearance between the tip of the plurality of blades and the surface. 14. An apparatus comprising: a mechanical housing; an annular member coupled to and disposed within said mechanical housing, said annular member including an actuatable portion; a plurality of blade tracks coupled to and moveable with said actuatable portion, each of said plurality of blade tracks having an inner surface that comprises a portion of a fluid flow path; a rotatable structure including a plurality of blades disposed within said fluid flow path, each of said plurality of blades having a blade tip spaced from said inner surface of the plurality of blade tracks to define a blade tip clearance; a split band located within said mechanical housing and extending around said annular member said split band operable to move said actuatable portion and change the blade tip clearance; wherein said actuatable portion is defined by a segmented region including a plurality of spaced segments; and wherein said annular member includes a fore hoop continuous portion and an aft hoop continuous portion, and wherein said segmented region is disposed between and connected with said fore hoop continuous portion and said aft hoop continuous portion. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said actuatable portion includes a deflectable circumferential region; which further includes a plurality of load transmission balls; and wherein said actuatable portion is coupled to said split band by said plurality of load transmission balls. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said split band includes a plurality of first races for receiving the load transmission balls and said actuatable portion includes a plurality of second races for receiving the load transmission balls, and wherein each of the plurality of load transmission balls have a part in said first race and a second part in said second race. 17. An apparatus comprising: a mechanical housing; an annular member coupled to and disposed within said mechanical housing, said annular member including an actuatable portion; a plurality of blade tracks coupled to and moveable with said actuatable portion, each of said plurality of blade tracks having an inner surface that comprises a portion of a fluid flow path; a rotatable structure including a plurality of blades disposed within said fluid flow path, each of said plurality of blades having a blade tip spaced from said inner surface of the plurality of blade tracks to define a blade tip clearance; a split band located within said mechanical housing and extending around said annular member said split band operable to move said actuatable portion and change the blade tip clearance; and wherein said actuatable portion defines a substantially radially deflectable region, and wherein said annular member includes at least one hoop continuous region connected with said actuatable portion. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said split control ring includes a first end and a second end; wherein said at least one actuator includes two actuators, each of the actuators having an arm connected with one of the ends of the split control ring; and wherein said actuators are coupled with an actuation system that is operable to cause said arms to move and change the position of said first end and said second end; which further includes a sensing device for determining the blade tip clearance; wherein said actuators being operable in response to said sensing device to at least partially control the blade tip clearance; and wherein the force transmitted to said segmented portion caused at least a portion of said segmented portion to be deflected. 19. An apparatus comprising: a mechanical housing; an annular member coupled to and disposed within said mechanical housing, said annular member including an actuatable portion; a plurality of blade tracks coupled to and moveable with said actuatable portion, each of said plurality of blade tracks having an inner surface that comprises a portion of a fluid flow path; a rotatable structure including a plurality of blades disposed within said fluid flow path, each of said plurality of blades having a blade tip spaced from said inner surface of the plurality of blade tracks to define a blade tip clearance; a split band located within said mechanical housing and extending around said annular member said split band operable to move said actuatable portion and change the blade tip clearance; wherein said actuatable portion includes a deflectable circumferential region; a plurality of load transmission balls; and wherein said actuatable portion is coupled to said split band by said plurality of load transmission balls. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said split band includes a plurality of first races for receiving the load transmission balls and said actuatable portion includes a plurality of second races for receiving the load transmission balls, and wherein each of the plurality of load transmission balls have a part in said first race and a second part in said second race.