Clamped plate seal
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGary C. Liotta, John D. Ward, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal for a dovetail joint in a turbomachine is provided. The seal includes an arcuate member having a first end, a middle portion and a second end. The seal also includes sealing means, which include at least one sealing member. The sealing member can comprise a first sealing member connected to the first end and/or a second sealing member connected to the second end. The dovetail joint is the interface between a bucket dovetail and a rotor dovetail groove, and the seal reduces the amount of cooling flow leakage from the dovetail joint.
Claims20
A seal for reducing cooling flow leakage in a dovetail joint of a turbomachine, said turbomachine comprising a rotor wheel and a plurality of buckets, said rotor wheel comprising a plurality of rotor dovetail slots circumferentially arranged thereabout, said rotor dovetail slots extending from a forward axial surface of said rotor wheel to an aft axial surface of said rotor wheel, said buckets comprising bucket dovetails, said bucket dovetails arranged to mate with said rotor dovetail slots, said dovetail joint formed at the interface between said bucket dovetails and said rotor dovetail slots, said dovetail joint located proximate to said forward axial surface and said aft axial surface of said rotor wheel, said seal comprising:
- an arcuate beam member, said arcuate beam member extending through a bottom portion of at least one of said rotor dovetail slots;
- said arcuate beam member having a forward end, an aft end and a middle portion, said forward end disposed near said forward axial surface of said rotor wheel, and said aft end disposed near said aft axial surface of said rotor wheel;
- and
- sealing members, said sealing members comprising a forward sealing member and an aft sealing member, said arcuate beam member coupled to said forward sealing member and said aft sealing member;
- wherein, said sealing members in cooperation with said arcuate beam member function to reduce said cooling flow leakage in said dovetail joint.
A seal for a dovetail joint in a turbomachine, said dovetail joint forming an interface between a bucket dovetail and a rotor dovetail groove, said seal comprising:
- an arcuate member having a first end, a middle portion and a second end;
- and
- sealing means for reducing an amount of cooling flow leakage from said dovetail joint, said sealing means comprising, at least one of, a first sealing member connected to said first end and a second sealing member connected to said second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.