Compliant plate seal with self-correcting behavior
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHrishikesh Vishvas Deo, Norman Arnold Turnquist, Barbaros Yildirim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-correcting seal assembly comprises a plurality of compliant plates coupled circumferentially to a stationary component, at least one slot in the compliant plates extending from the stationary component towards a rotor; and a resistance member coupled to a stationary component. The resistance member comprising at least one annular ring extending from the stationary component towards a rotor and through the slot. The seal assembly is configured to create passive feedback on hydrostatic forces in response to a tip-clearance between the rotor and tips of the compliant plates.
Claims22
A self correcting seal assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of compliant plates coupled circumferentially to a stationary component;
- at least one slot in each of the compliant plates extending from the stationary component towards a rotor;
- and
- a resistance member coupled to a stationary component, the resistance member comprising at least one annular ring extending from the stationary component towards a rotor and through the slots;
- wherein said seal assembly is configured to create passive feedback on hydrostatic forces in response to a tip-clearance between the rotor and tips of the compliant plates.
A method of providing self-correcting behavior for compliant plate seals, comprising:
- enabling a leakage flow from a high-pressure side of compliant plate seals to a low-pressure side of the compliant plate seals and providing a barrier to a component of the leakage flow to create passive feedback on hydrostatic forces in response to a tip-clearance between a rotor and tips of the compliant plates.
The method of claim 15, enabling a leakage flow comprises:
- enabling a first component of the leakage flow through a tip clearance between tip of the compliant plate seals and a rotor;
- and
- enabling a second component of the leakage flow through gaps between the adjacent compliant plates.
A turbo machine, comprising:
- a stationary component;
- a rotor coupled adjacent to said stationary component;
- and
- a self-correcting seal assembly coupled between said stationary component and said rotor, said seal assembly comprising:
- a plurality of compliant plates coupled circumferentially to the stationary component;
- a slot in each of the compliant plates extending from the stationary component towards a rotor;
- and
- a resistance member coupled to a stationary component, the resistance member comprising at least one annular ring extending from the stationary component towards a rotor and through the slots;
- wherein said seal assembly is configured to create passive feedback on hydrostatic forces in response to a tip-clearance between the rotor and tips of the compliant plates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.