Method and apparatus for improving the airsealing effectiveness in a turbine engine

A method of improving the air sealing effectiveness between a rotating component and a nonrotating component in a turbine engine, the rotating and nonrotating components being separated by a gap with knife edge seals extending across the gap to inhibit leakage of air therethrough, the method characterized by:

• providing a brush seal;
• reconfiguring the nonrotating component to provide means for receiving and retaining the brush seal in tandem with the knife edge seals;
• and
• installing the brush seal so that the seal bristles extend toward the rotating component to impede the flow of air through the gap, the brush seal being retained by the receiving and retaining means.

A method of improving the air sealing effectiveness between a rotating component and a nonrotating component in a turbine engine, the nonrotating component being hollow and substantially cylindrical and having a wall thickness and a face, the rotating and nonrotating components being separated by a gap with knife edge seals extending across the gap to inhibit leakage of air therethrough, the method characterized by:

• reconfiguring the nonrotating component by reducing its axial length by a predetermined amount and reducing its wall thickness in the vicinity of the face by a predefined amount whereby a seal seat is formed;
• creating an axially and circumferentially extending capture slot in the face of the nonrotating component;
• attaching a retainer to the face so that the retainer cooperates with the face and the seal seat to define a circumferentially extending groove;
• and
• installing a brush seal in the groove so that the bristles of the seal extend toward the rotating component to impede the flow of air through the gap;
• the brush seal being radially retained by the capture slot and the seal seat and axially retained by the retaining ting and the face.