# US 10,480,340 B2 · Sealing element for a turbo-machine, turbo-machine comprising a sealing element and method for manufacturing a sealing element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,340 B2 - Document ID: US10480340B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/247,247 - Filed: 2016-08-25 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-25 - Assignees: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG - Applicants: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG - Inventors: Miklos Gaebler; Stephan Pannier; Mandy Eileen Schneider - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480340B2 ## CPC - F01D 11/127: {with a deformable or crushable structure, e.g. honeycomb} - F01D 11/10: using sealing fluid, e.g. steam - F01D 11/122: {with erodable or abradable material (blades having cutting or grinding tips F01D5/20)} - F04D 29/164: {of an axial flow wheel} - F04D 29/526: {Details of the casing section radially opposing blade tips (ducts F04D29/545)} - F16J 15/444: {with facing materials having honeycomb-like structure} - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2250/11: triangular - F05D 2250/121: square - F05D 2250/131: polygonal - F05D 2250/132: hexagonal - F05D 2250/141: circular - F05D 2250/283: honeycomb - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - 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 ## Abstract A sealing element for a turbomachine, in particular an aircraft engine, with a housing for the at least one rotating structural component is provided. The sealing element comprises a honeycomb structure for arrangement inside the housing, wherein the honeycomb structure extends in a first direction, wherein support structures are connected to the honeycomb structure in one piece and/or in a pattern-like manner and extend at least partially into the honeycomb structure, and the support structures extend at least partially or completely in a second direction that is different from the first direction. The support structures have planar portions, which are formed by at least one partially or completely closed cell together with the honeycomb structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sealing element for a turbomachine, comprising: a honeycomb structure arranged inside a housing for a rotating structural component, wherein the honeycomb structure includes: a plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the plurality of honeycomb walls are linear, and the plurality of honeycomb walls extend continuously from an inner circumference of the sealing element to an outer circumference of the sealing element, wherein the inner circumference of the sealing element is a radially innermost portion of the sealing element facing the rotating structural component and the outer circumference of the sealing element is a radially outermost portion of the sealing element closest to the housing for the rotating structural component; a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of cells includes portions of a certain number of the plurality of honeycomb walls; a plurality of support structures formed as transverse walls connected to the plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the transverse walls are positioned between inner and outer circumferences of the honeycomb structure, wherein the plurality of support structures includes a plurality of inner support structures and a plurality of outer support structures which define radially inner and outer boundaries of the plurality of cells, respectively; and wherein each of cell of the plurality of cells has a radially inner boundary with respect to a radial direction of the rotating structural component, wherein the radially inner boundary is defined by an inner support structure, and wherein each cell of the plurality of cells further comprises a radially innermost point of the radially inner boundary; wherein the radially innermost point of a first cell of the plurality of cells is offset in a radial direction from the radially innermost point of an adjacent second cell of the plurality of cells, and wherein the adjacent second cell is at least one chosen from axially or circumferentially adjacent to the first cell; and wherein the first cell is a closed, fluid-tight cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of honeycomb walls extend in a radially inward direction from the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of support structures are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of honeycomb walls. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein an interior space of one of the plurality of cells is filled at least partially with an extinguishing agent or air. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the certain number of the plurality of honeycomb walls is chosen from four, five, six, seven or eight; and wherein one of the plurality of cells has a cross-sectional shape that is chosen from square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, rhombic or polygonal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of cells has a rhombic cross-sectional shape, the rhombic cross-sectional shape having an acute angle, wherein a longer diagonal of the rhombic cross-sectional shape is parallel to a center axis of the rotating structural component, and the acute angle is less than 60°. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The sealing element according to claim 6, wherein the acute angle is between 30° and 60°. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sealing element according to claim 7, wherein the sealing element is constructed from a metallic powder with a grain size D90 of less than 10 μm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb structure has a wall thickness of less than 100 μm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb structure is made of a metallic material from the FeCrAlxx group or the Ni-based group of alloys. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb structure has at least one chosen from a variable density, a variable structure and a variable shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein certain of the plurality of cells are located at a mounting surface of the sealing element to retain solder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An aircraft engine, including the sealing element according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the each cell of the plurality of cells further comprises: a radially outer boundary wherein the radially outer boundary is at least one chosen from an outer support structure and the outer circumference of the sealing element, and a plurality of cell heights wherein a cell height is measured by a radial distance between the radially inner boundary and the radially outer boundary with respect to with respect to the radial direction of the rotating structural component, and wherein a cell height of the first cell of the plurality of cells is different from a cell height of the second adjacent cell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of honeycomb walls is planar and extends continuously from an inner circumference of the sealing element to an outer circumference of the sealing element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A sealing element according to claim 1, wherein certain of the plurality of cells are spaced radially adjacent to one another. ### Claim 17 A method for manufacturing a sealing element for a turbomachine, comprising: printing a honeycomb structure using a metallic 3D printing process, for arrangement inside a housing for a rotating structural component, including: printing a plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the plurality of honeycomb walls are linear, and the plurality of honeycomb walls extend continuously and radially from an inner circumference of the sealing element to an outer circumference of the sealing element, wherein the inner circumference of the sealing element is a radially innermost portion of the sealing element facing the rotating structural component and the outer circumference of the sealing element is a radially outermost portion of the sealing element closest to the housing for the rotating structural component; wherein the printing of the plurality of honeycomb walls forms a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of cells includes portions of a certain number of the plurality of honeycomb walls; printing a plurality of support structures formed as transverse walls connected to the plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the transverse walls are positioned between inner and outer circumferences of the honeycomb structure, wherein the plurality of support structures includes: a plurality of inner support structures and a plurality of outer support structures which define radially inner and outer boundaries of the plurality of cells, respectively; wherein each cell of the plurality of cells has a radially inner boundary with respect to a radial direction of the rotating structural component, wherein the radially inner boundary is defined by an inner support structure; and wherein each of cell of the plurality of cells further comprises a radially innermost point of the radially inner boundary, wherein the radially innermost point of a first cell of the plurality of cells is offset in a radial direction from the radially innermost point of an adjacent second cell of the plurality of cells, and wherein the adjacent second cell is one at least one chosen from axially or circumferentially adjacent to the first cell; and wherein the first cell is a closed, fluid-tight cell.