Hydrostatic seal with abradable teeth for gas turbine engine
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael L. DiFrancesco, Tara L. D'Ambruoso
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrostatic seal assembly includes a seal support, a seal shoe integral to the seal support and radially movable relative to the seal support. A plurality of seal teeth are located at a radially inboard surface of the seal shoe. The seal shoe is formed from a first material and the radially inboard surface is formed from a second material softer than the first material such that the radially inboard surface is abradable in the event of a rub between the radially inboard surface and an adjacent rotating component.
Claims20
A hydrostatic seal assembly, comprising:
- a seal support;
- a seal shoe integral to the seal support and radially movable relative to the seal support;
- a plurality of seal teeth disposed at a radially inboard surface of the seal shoe;
- and
- a secondary seal located upstream of the seal shoe, the secondary seal configured to prevent airflow to and/or from a seal cavity located radially outboard of the seal shoe at an upstream side of the seal assembly;
- wherein the seal shoe is formed from a first material and the radially inboard surface is formed from a second material softer than the first material such that the radially inboard surface is abradable in the event of a rub between the radially inboard surface and an adjacent rotating component.
A turbine section of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a turbine stator;
- a turbine rotor configured to rotate about an engine central longitudinal axis relative to the turbine stator;
- and
- a hydrostatic seal assembly fixed to the turbine stator comprising:
- a seal support;
- a seal shoe integral to the seal support and radially movable relative to the seal support;
- a plurality of seal teeth disposed at a radially inboard surface of the seal shoe;
- and
- a secondary seal located upstream of the seal shoe, the secondary seal configured to prevent airflow to and/or from a seal cavity located radially outboard of the seal shoe at an upstream side of the seal assembly;
- wherein the seal shoe is formed from a first material and the radially inboard surface is formed from a second material softer than the first material such that the radially inboard surface is abradable in the event of a rub between the radially inboard surface and the turbine rotor during operation of the turbine section.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a combustor;
- a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section comprising:
- a turbine stator;
- a turbine rotor configured to rotate about an engine central longitudinal axis relative to the turbine stator;
- and
- a hydrostatic seal assembly fixed to the turbine stator comprising:
- a seal support;
- a seal shoe integral to the seal support and radially movable relative to the seal support;
- a plurality of seal teeth disposed at a radially inboard surface of the seal shoe;
- and
- a secondary seal located upstream of the seal shoe, the secondary seal configured to prevent airflow to and/or from a seal cavity located radially outboard of the seal shoe at an upstream side of the seal assembly;
- wherein the seal shoe is formed from a first material and the radially inboard surface is formed from a second material softer than the first material such that the radially inboard surface is abradable in the event of a rub between the radially inboard surface and the turbine rotor during operation of the turbine section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.