Seal assembly and rotary machine containing such seal
AssigneeCMG Tech, LLC
InventorClayton M. Grondahl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seal assembly which, among other applications, may be used for sealing fluid leakage between a steam or combustion (gas) turbine rotor and a turbine stator body. The seal assembly includes elements having a plurality of spaced seal members with slots therebetween. Each seal member is angled between a fixed end and a free end thereof, and the free ends slidably engage the rotatable component. The elements may be juxtaposed such that seal members of each element block slots of another element. A method of inhibiting fluid flow and a method of fabricating the seal assembly are also disclosed.
Claims31
A seal assembly for sealing against a rotatable component, the seal assembly comprising:
- a first element including a plurality of spaced seal members having slots therebetween;
- a second element including a plurality of spaced seal members having slots therebetween;
- and
- wherein each seal member is angled between a fixed end and a free end thereof, and the free ends slidably engage the rotatable component to seal thereagainst.
A rotary machine comprising:
- a rotatable component and a non-rotatable component, the components lying about a common axis;
- a seal assembly between the components, the seal assembly including:
- a plurality of juxtaposed elements, each element including a plurality of spaced seal members defining slots therebetween, each seal member including an angle disposed between a fixed end and a free end thereof, wherein the free ends slidably engage the rotatable component to seal thereagainst;
- and
- a support for supporting the angle of each seal member.
A method of inhibiting fluid flow through an annular slot defined between a stator body and a rotor received in the stator body, the rotor having a longitudinal axis, the method including the steps of:
- disposing on the stator body a plurality of arcuate elements each having a band portion and an integral plurality of circumferentially disposed seal members having slots therebetween, wherein the seal members include an angle therein and extend inwardly from the stator body at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis to slidably contact the rotor along a circumference thereof.
- circumferentially aligning and axially juxtaposing the elements;
- employing the cooperatively disposed elements to define an annular seal extending between the stator body and the rotor;
- and
- inhibiting fluid flow through the annular slot with the annular seal.
A method of fabricating a seal assembly for sealing pressurized chambers of a rotary machine having a stator body and a rotor, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) cutting slots into an edge of a material to form a plurality of seal members;
- (b) layering the material;
- (c) securing the layers of material together;
- (d) forming an angle in the seal members;
- and
- (e) coupling the layers of material to a holder that is adapted to be coupled to the stator body of the rotary machine, wherein the seal members slidably engage the rotor of the rotary machine, when in operation, to seal the pressurized chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.