Turbine power plant having a floating brush seal
OwnerSteven G. Ingistovinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A floating brush seal useful in a stationary gas turbine engine having a first rotary compressor component having a rotor having a land region, a second non-rotary component having an end extending over and around at least a portion of the land region with the floating brush seal being positioned between the first and the second component to substantially reduce the flow of air between the first and second component. A method for controlling the flow of cooling air into a chamber in the second component using the rotary brush seal is disclosed.
Claims21
A stationary gas turbine engine for a power plant having a floating brush seal and comprising:
- (a) a multistage axial compressor, the compressor having a rotor, the rotor having a cylindrical land region downstream of at least a major portion of the compressor, the land region having an outside diameter;
- (b) a turbine shaft-coupled to the rotor;
- (c) a stationary inner barrel member having an end and a cavity positioned in the end of the inner barrel member, the cavity having an inner surface, the inner barrel being downstream of at least a major portion of the compressor, air flowing from the compressor to the combustor passing outside of the inner barrel member, a chamber within the inner barrel member forming a passage for cooling air from the compressor, the cooling air flowing from the chamber and being mixed with combustion gases upstream of the turbine;
- (d) a floating brush seal for controlling air passage into the chamber from the compressor, the floating brush seal comprising:
- (i) a ring-shaped holder positioned in the cavity;
- (ii) a multiplicity of bristle members extending radially inwardly from the holder toward the land region of the rotor, outer extremities of the bristle members being rigidly retained relative to the holder;
- (iii) a retainer connected to the end of the inner barrel to form an enclosure to contain the holder;
- and,
- (iv) a plurality of springs mounted between the outside circumference of the holder and the inner surface of the cavity to urge the bristle members into contact with the land region of the rotor.
A stationary gas turbine comprising:
- (a) a first rotary compressor component having a rotor having a land region;
- (b) a non-rotary second component having an end extending over and around at least a portion of the land region and a cavity;
- (c) a passageway between the end of the second component and the rotor;
- and,
- (d) a floating brush seal positioned on the end of the second component to resiliently engage the land region, the floating brush seal comprising
- (i) a ring-shaped holder positioned in the cavity;
- (ii) a multiplicity of bristle members extending radially inwardly from the holder toward the land region of the rotor, outer extremities of the bristle members being rigidly retained relative to the holder;
- (iii) a retainer connected to the end of the second component to form an enclosure to contain the holder;
- and,
- (iv) a plurality of springs mounted between the outside circumference of the holder and an inner surface of the cavity to urge the bristle members into contact with the land region of the rotor.
A method for controlling cooling air flow into a chamber in a stationary inner barrel member in a turbine power plant having a multi-stage axial compressor, a turbine shaft-coupled to a rotor of the compressor, the rotor having a cylindrical land region, positioned circumferentially relative to the shaft and inside an end of the stationary inner barrel member, the method consisting essentially of:
- (a) positioning a brush seal comprising:
- (i) a ring-shaped holder positioned in a cavity in the end of the stationary inner barrel member;
- (ii) a multiplicity of bristle members extending radially inwardly from the holder toward the land region of the rotor, outer extremities of the bristle members being rigidly retained relative to the holder;
- (iii) a retainer connected to the end of the stationary inner barrel member to form an enclosure to contain the holder;
- and,
- (iv) a plurality of springs mounted between the holder and the inner surface of the cavity to urge the bristle members into contact with the land region of the rotor;
- and,
- (b) providing substantially all of the cooling air flow required in a chamber via at least one flow-controlled passageway in fluid communication with at least one of a compressor outlet and an auxiliary air source and the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.