Sealing arrangements in gas turbines
AssigneeAnsaldo Energia Switzerland AG
InventorsFrank Graf, Hans-Christian Mathews, Urs Benz, Fabien Fleuriot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns a gas turbine having a picture frame, a first vane, and a sealing arrangement to seal a gap between the picture frame and the first vane, the sealing arrangement including two seals arranged in series between the picture frame and the first vane. In exemplary embodiments, one of the seals is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal and the other seal is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal. A method of supplying cooling fluid to the gap between the picture frame and the first vane is also disclosed.
Claims20
A gas turbine comprising:
- a longitudinal axis;
- a picture frame having a flange extending radially inward, the picture frame being a member of an annular arrangement of a plurality of picture frames arranged around the longitudinal axis of the gas turbine in an annular shape;
- a first vane, the first vane having a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion, the second sealing portion being configured so that a spot on the second sealing portion surface will move during an operation cycle with a range of movement fitting within an angled rectangular box, angled at a first angle from the longitudinal axis;
- a bulkhead arranged between the picture frame and the first vane;
- a gap between the picture frame and the first vane, and the first vane and the bulkhead, the gap including a first gap portion, an intermediate portion and a second gap portion consecutively arranged and delimited by the first vane on one side and by one of the picture frame and the bulkhead on an other side, the first gap portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis adjacent to a hot gas flow, the second gap portion extending in a direction at a second angle from the longitudinal axis and angled from the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the second angle being the same as the first angle, the intermediate gap portion including a section parallel to the longitudinal axis;
- a sealing arrangement to seal the gap, the sealing arrangement having two seals arranged in series, a first one of the two seals being arranged to seal the first gap portion between the picture frame and the first sealing portion of the first vane and between the bulkhead and the first sealing portion of the first vane, the first one of the two seals dividing the first gap portion into a first volume adjacent to a hot gas flow and a second volume on an opposite side of the first one of the two seals to the hot gas flow;
- a second one of the two seals being arranged to seal the second gap portion between the bulkhead and the second sealing portion of the first vane;
- the first one of the two seals configured to seal against a surface of the picture frame, a first surface of the bulkhead, and the first sealing portion of the first vane, and wherein the first sealing portion of the first vane is crushed into the first one of the two seals;
- and
- the second one of the two seals configured to seal against a surface of the second sealing portion of the first vane and a second surface of the bulkhead, the surface of the second sealing portion of the first vane and the second surface of the bulkhead being parallel and at the second angle.
A method of cooling a gas turbine which includes a longitudinal axis, a picture frame having a flange extending radially inward, the picture frame being a member of an annular arrangement of a plurality of picture frames arranged around the longitudinal axis of the gas turbine in an annular shape, a first vane, the first vane having a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion, the second sealing portion being configured so that a spot on the second sealing portion surface will move during an operation cycle with a range of movement fitting within an angled rectangular box, angled at a first angle from the longitudinal axis, a bulkhead arranged between the picture frame and the first vane, a gap between the picture frame and the first vane, and the first vane and the bulkhead, the gap including a first gap portion, an intermediate portion and a second gap portion consecutively arranged and delimited by the first vane on one side and by one of the picture frame and the bulkhead on an other side, the first gap portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis adjacent to a hot gas flow, the second gap portion extending in a direction at a second angle from the longitudinal axis and angled from the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the second angle being the same as the first angle, the intermediate gap portion including a section parallel to the longitudinal axis, a sealing arrangement to seal the gap, the sealing arrangement having two seals arranged in series, a first one of the two seals being arranged to seal the first gap portion between the picture frame and the first sealing portion of the first vane and between the bulkhead and the first sealing portion of the first vane, the first one of the two seals dividing the first gap portion into a first volume adjacent to a hot gas flow and a second volume on an opposite side of the first one of the two seals to the hot gas flow, a second one of the two seals being arranged to seal the second gap portion between the bulkhead and the second sealing portion of the first vane, and the first one of the two seals configured to seal against a surface of the picture frame, a surface of the bulkhead, and the first sealing portion of the first vane, and wherein the first sealing portion of the first vane is crushed into the first one of the two seals, and the second one of the two seals configured to seal against a surface of the second sealing portion of the first vane and a second surface of the bulkhead, the surface of the second sealing portion of the first vane and the second surface of the bulkhead being parallel and at the second angle the method comprising:
- supplying cooling fluid to the gap between the picture frame and/or the bulkhead and the first vane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.