# US 10,480,336 B2 · Seals for a gas turbine engine

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- Number: US 10,480,336 B2
- Document ID: US10480336B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/839,022
- Filed: 2017-12-12
- Published: 2018-04-12
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
- Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: David L. Sutterfield; Gregory W. Zeaton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480336B2

## CPC

- F01D 11/003: {by packing rings; Mechanical seals}
- F01D 25/28: Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing
- F02C 7/28: Arrangement of seals
- F02K 1/805: {Sealing devices therefor, e.g. for movable parts of jet pipes or nozzle flaps}
- F16J 15/0812: {with a braided or knitted body}
- F16J 15/104: {characterised by structure}
- F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines
- F05D 2230/60: Assembly methods
- F05D 2240/55: Seals
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- Y10T 29/49297: Seal or packing making
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00)
- F16J: PISTONS {(specially adapted for dampers F16F9/32)}; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A sealing assembly may include a support, an engine component, and a seal. The engine component may be mounted relative to the support to define a gap between the engine component and the support. The seal may be arranged between the support and the engine component to block gasses from passing through the gap. The seal may be adapted to compress and expand to fill the gap during expansion and contraction of the adjacent components that occurs during operation of a gas turbine engine including the sealing assembly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sealing assembly comprising:
a support having a support-seal surface,
an engine component having a component-seal surface, the engine component mounted so that the component-seal surface is arranged in spaced-apart confronting relation with the support-seal surface to define a gap between the support and the engine component that grows and shrinks based on the temperature of the support and the engine component, and
a seal adapted to block gasses from passing through the gap between the support and the engine component, the seal including (i) a mount ring coupled to the support and spaced apart from the engine component the mount ring formed to include a plurality of spaced apart pusher arms, (ii) a ceramic tadpole gasket having a compressible head and a flat body extending from the compressible head, and (iii) a retainer ring configured to retain the ceramic tadpole gasket in place relative to the mount ring with a portion of the retainer ring folded over the mount ring to couple the retainer ring to the mount ring along with the flat body of the ceramic tadpole gasket, wherein the compressible head is engaged by the plurality of spaced apart pusher arms and the flat body is formed to include receiver slots that receive the pusher arms therethrough so that the tadpole gasket is coupled to the mount ring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the mount ring includes a spring portion configured to push the compressible head of the ceramic tadpole gasket into contact with the engine component.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sealing assembly of claim 2, wherein the mount ring includes a coupler portion extending from the spring portion of the mount ring, the coupler portion of the mount ring is coupled to the support by fasteners that extend through the coupler portion of the mount ring and into the support.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the support-seal surface and the component-seal surface are continuous.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the support is made from a metallic material and the engine component is made from a composite material.

### Claim 6

A seal adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the seal comprising:
a ceramic tadpole gasket having a compressible head and a flat body extending from the compressible head,
a mount ring formed to include a plurality of spaced apart pusher arms that engage the compressible head and the flat body is formed to include receiver slots that receive the pusher arms therethrough so that the tadpole gasket is coupled to the mount ring, and
a retainer ring configured to retain the ceramic tadpole gasket in place relative to the mount ring with a portion of the retainer ring folded over the mount ring to couple the retainer ring to the mount ring along with the flat body of the ceramic tadpole gasket.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the mount ring includes a spring portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The seal of claim 7, wherein the mount ring includes a coupler portion extending from the spring portion of the mount ring, the coupler portion of the mount ring is adapted to couple to a support by fasteners that extend through the coupler portion of the mount ring.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the mount ring includes a curved pusher portion coupled to the spring portion of the mount ring, the curved pusher portion extends around a portion of the compressible head included in the tadpole gasket, and the curved pusher portion is arranged to engage the compressible head.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the mount ring and retainer ring are annular and the curved pusher portion of the mount ring and a keeper portion of the retainer ring cooperate to define an annular gasket channel arranged to open radially outward and sized to receive a portion of the compressible head.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the mount ring and the retainer ring are annular and the retainer ring includes a spring portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section arranged to nest inside a spring portion of the mount ring.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the ceramic tadpole gasket further includes a retention tail coupled to the flat body opposite the compressible head.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The seal of claim 6, wherein the pusher fingers arms are circumferentially spaced apart from one another.

### Claim 14

A method of assembling a seal for a gas turbine engine comprising:
providing a support having a support-seal surface,
providing an engine component having a component-seal surface, the engine component mounted so that the component-seal surface is arranged in spaced-apart confronting relation with the support-seal surface to define a gap between the support and the engine component that grows and shrinks based on the temperature of the support and the engine component,
providing a seal adapted to block gasses from passing through the gap between the support and the engine component, the seal including (i) a metallic mount ring coupled to the support and spaced apart from the engine component the metallic mount ring formed to include a plurality of spaced apart pusher arms, (ii) and a ceramic tadpole gasket having a compressible head and a flat body extending from the compressible head, and the flat body is formed to include receiver slots,
inserting circumferentially spaced apart pusher arms included in the metallic mount ring into the receiver slots formed in the flat body that extends from the compressible head of the ceramic tadpole gasket, and
providing a retainer ring configured to retain the ceramic tadpole gasket in place relative to the metallic mount ring with a portion of the retainer ring folded over the metallic mount ring to couple the retainer ring to the metallic mount ring along with the flat body of the ceramic tadpole gasket.