# US 10,502,140 B2 · System for sealing between combustors and turbine of gas turbine engine

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- Number: US 10,502,140 B2
- Document ID: US10502140B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/371,138
- Filed: 2016-12-06
- Published: 2017-03-23
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-12-31
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Keith Cletus Belsom
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502140B2

## CPC

- F02C 7/28: Arrangement of seals
- F01D 9/023: {Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings}
- F01D 9/041: {using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence)}
- F01D 11/003: {by packing rings; Mechanical seals}
- F02C 3/14: characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence)
- F23R 3/46: Combustion chambers comprising an annular arrangement of {several essentially tubular} flame tubes within a common annular casing or within individual casings
- F23R 3/60: Support structures; Attaching or mounting means
- F05D 2220/3212: the first stage of a turbine
- F05D 2240/55: Seals
- F23R 2900/00012: Details of sealing devices
- 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)
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a gas turbine and a plurality of combustors each in fluid communication with the gas turbine. The gas turbine engine includes a first seal disposed between the gas turbine and the plurality of turbine combustors. The first seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and at least two of the plurality of turbine combustors. The gas turbine engine also includes a second seal disposed between the gas turbine and the plurality of turbine combustors. The second seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and at least two of the plurality of turbine combustors.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a gas turbine;
a plurality of combustors circumferentially arranged about a central axis of the gas turbine engine, wherein each combustor of the plurality of combustors is in fluid communication with the gas turbine, and wherein each combustor comprises a radially outer arcuate length extending circumferentially about the central axis and a radially inner arcuate length opposite to the radially outer arcuate length and extending circumferentially about the central axis;
a first seal disposed between the gas turbine and the plurality of combustors at a radially outer position, wherein the first seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and at least two combustors of the plurality of combustors; and
a second seal disposed between the gas turbine and the plurality of combustors at a radially inner position, wherein the second seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and the at least two combustors of the plurality of combustors;
wherein the first seal is mounted on the gas turbine and configured to sealingly engage with a first sealing interface surface of the at least two combustors of the plurality of combustors, the second seal is mounted on the gas turbine and configured to sealingly engage with a second sealing interface surface of the at least two combustors of the plurality of combustors, the first sealing interface surface is an upstream facing surface, and the second sealing interface surface is a downstream facing surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the first seal and the second seal are each mounted to a first stage nozzle of the gas turbine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine engine of claim 1, comprising a side seal disposed circumferentially between two combustors of the at least two combustors and extending between the first seal and the second seal, wherein the side seal is configured to overlap with the first seal and the second seal along a radial direction relative to the central axis, and wherein the side seal is configured to sealingly engage with the first seal and the second seal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The gas turbine engine of claim 3, wherein the side seal is configured to engage with a downstream facing surface of the first seal and with an upstream facing surface of the second seal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the first sealing interface surface is disposed at an acute angle within a range of 20 to 70 degrees relative to the central axis of the gas turbine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each combustor of the plurality of combustors comprises a corresponding transition piece, and wherein the first seal and the second seal being configured to engage with the at least two combustors of the plurality of combustors comprises the first seal and the second seal being configured to engage with at least two corresponding transition pieces of the plurality of combustors.

### Claim 7

A system, comprising:
a plurality of turbine combustors disposed in a circumferential arrangement, wherein each turbine combustor of the plurality of turbine combustors is configured to be in fluid communication with a gas turbine, and wherein each turbine combustor of the plurality of turbine combustors comprises a radially outer arcuate length extending along the circumferential arrangement;
a seal configured to disposed between the gas turbine and the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the seal comprises an arcuate length extending along the circumferential arrangement, and wherein the arcuate length is greater than the radially outer arcuate length; and
a side seal separate from the plurality of combustors and disposed circumferentially between two turbine combustors of the at least two turbine combustors, wherein the side seal is configured to overlap with the seal in a radial direction relative to a central axis of the circumferential arrangement to sealingly engage with the seal;
wherein the seal comprises a radially outward arcuate seal and a radially inward arcuate seal, wherein the radially outward arcuate seal comprises the arcuate length and is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and the at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, and the radially inward arcuate seal is configured to sealingly engage with the gas turbine and the at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors; and
wherein the radially outward arcuate seal is configured to be mounted to the gas turbine and configured to sealingly engage with a first sealing interface surface of the at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the radially inward arcuate seal is configured to be mounted to the gas turbine and configured to sealingly engage with a second sealing interface surface of the at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the first sealing interface surface is an upstream facing surface, and wherein the second sealing interface surface is a downstream facing surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the seal is configured to be mounted to a first stage nozzle of the gas turbine.

### Claim 9

A system, comprising:
a plurality of turbine combustors configured to be disposed in a circumferential arrangement about a central axis of a gas turbine engine, wherein each turbine combustor of the plurality of turbine combustors is configured to be in fluid communication with a turbine of the gas turbine engine;
a radially outward arcuate seal configured to be disposed between the turbine and the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the radially outward arcuate seal is configured to sealingly engage with respective transition pieces of at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, and wherein the radially outward arcuate seal is configured to be mounted to the turbine;
a radially inward arcuate seal is configured to be disposed between the turbine and the plurality of turbine combustors, wherein the radially inward arcuate seal is configured to sealingly engage with the respective transition pieces of the at least two turbine combustors of the plurality of turbine combustors, and wherein the radially inward arcuate seal is configured to be mounted to the turbine; and
a side seal separate from the plurality of turbine combustors and the respective transition pieces thereof, and disposed circumferentially between the respective transition pieces of two turbine combustors of the at least two turbine combustors, wherein the side seal is configured to overlap with the radially outward arcuate seal and with the radially inward arcuate seal along a radial direction relative to the central axis of the gas turbine engine to sealingly engage with the radially outward arcuate seal and the radially inward arcuate seal;
wherein the side seal is configured to sealingly engage with a downstream facing surface of the radially outward arcuate seal, and wherein the side seal is configured to sealingly engage with an upstream facing surface of the radially inward arcuate seal, wherein the radially outward arcuate seal is configured to sealingly engage with a second upstream facing surface of the respective transition pieces, and wherein the radially inward arcuate seal is configured to sealing engage with a second downstream facing surface of the respective transition pieces.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, comprising an inner bolt configured to mount the radially inward arcuate seal to the turbine.