Integral brush seal cover plate and method

A method of controlling thermal gradients in a film-cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component of a gas turbine engine, the CMC component having a hot side configured for exposure to a hot gas path of the gas turbine engine and an opposing cold side having a cavity for feeding a cooling flow to at least one film cooling hole of the CMC component, the method comprising:

• providing a brush seal adjacent the CMC component, the brush seal including at least one hole forming a passage extending through the brush seal;
• attaching a cover plate to the brush seal such that the cover plate extends into the cavity of the CMC component, wherein the cover plate is dimensioned and disposed to be spaced from walls of the cavity, and wherein the cover plate includes a least one opening;
• and
• passing a cooling flow through the at least one hole to supply the at least one film cooling hole of the CMC component via the at least one opening.

A method of controlling thermal gradients in a film-cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component of a gas turbine engine, the CMC component having a hot side configured for exposure to a hot gas path of the gas turbine engine and an opposing cold side having a cavity for feeding a cooling flow to at least one film cooling hole of the CMC component, the method comprising:

• providing a brush seal adjacent the CMC component, the brush seal including:
• a first backing plate;
• a second backing plate;
• a plurality of brush seal bristles sandwiched between the first backing plate and the second backing plate;
• at least one hole forming a passage extending through the first backing plate, the brush seal bristles, and the second backing plate;
• attaching a cover plate to the second backing plate such that the cover plate extends into the cavity of the CMC component, wherein the cover plate is dimensioned and disposed to be spaced from walls of the cavity, and wherein the cover plate includes a least one opening;
• and
• feeding a cooling flow through the at least one hole to supply the at least one film cooling hole via the at least one opening.