Ingestion resistant seal assembly
AssigneeSiemens Energy, Inc.
InventorDavid A. Little
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal assembly limits gas leakage from a hot gas path to one or more disc cavities in a gas turbine engine. The seal assembly includes a seal apparatus associated with a blade structure including a row of airfoils. The seal apparatus includes an annular inner shroud associated with adjacent stationary components, a wing member, and a first wing flange. The wing member extends axially from the blade structure toward the annular inner shroud. The first wing flange extends radially outwardly from the wing member toward the annular inner shroud. A plurality of regions including one or more recirculation zones are defined between the blade structure and the annular inner shroud that recirculate working gas therein back toward the hot gas path.
Claims20
A seal assembly that limits gas leakage from a hot gas path to one or more disc cavities in a gas turbine engine comprising a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a plurality of stationary components and a disc structure supporting a blade structure comprising a row of airfoils for rotation on a turbine rotor, the seal assembly comprising:
- a seal apparatus that limits gas leakage from the hot gas path to a disc cavity associated with an axially facing side of the blade structure, said seal apparatus comprising:
- an annular inner shroud associated with adjacent stationary components, said annular inner shroud comprising a radially inwardly facing side and a radially outwardly facing side;
- a wing member extending axially from said axially facing side of the blade structure toward said annular inner shroud, said wing member including a radially inner side and a radially outer side;
- a first wing flange extending radially outwardly from said radially outer side of said wing member toward said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud, said first wing flange being curved in a radial direction and having a concave first surface facing said axially facing side of the blade structure and a second surface opposed from its concave first surface that faces away from said axially facing side of the blade structure, wherein a radially outer edge of said first wing flange is located proximate to said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud such that a radial first gap having a dimension in the radial direction is formed between said first wing flange and said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud;
- an outer region defined radially inwardly from the hot gas path between said axially facing side of the blade structure, said annular inner shroud, said radially outer side of said wing member, and said concave first surface of said first wing flange;
- a central region adjacent said outer region and defined between said wing member and said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud, and located adjacent to said second surface of said first wing flange;
- and
- wherein said concave first surface of said first wing flange limits a passage of working gas in said outer region through said radial first gap into said central region by recirculating at least a portion of said working gas in said outer region away from said radial first gap and back toward the hot gas path.
A seal assembly that limits gas leakage from a hot gas path to one or more disc cavities in a gas turbine engine comprising a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a plurality of stationary components and a disc structure supporting a blade structure comprising a row of airfoils for rotation on a turbine rotor, the seal assembly comprising:
- a seal apparatus that limits gas leakage from the hot gas path to a disc cavity associated with an axially facing side of the blade structure, said seal apparatus comprising:
- an annular inner shroud associated with adjacent stationary components, said annular inner shroud comprising a radially inwardly facing side, a radially outwardly facing side, and an axially facing side;
- a wing member extending axially from said axially facing side of the blade structure toward said annular inner shroud, said wing member including a radially inner side and a radially outer side;
- a first wing flange extending radially outwardly from said radially outer side of said wing member toward said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud, said first wing flange being curved in a radial direction and having a concave first surface facing said axially facing side of the blade structure and a second surface opposed from its concave first surface that faces away from said axially facing side of the blade structure, wherein a radially outer edge of said first wing flange is located proximate to said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud such that a radial first gap having a dimension in the radial direction is formed between said first wing flange and said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud;
- a second wing flange axially spaced apart from said first wing flange and extending radially outwardly from said radially outer side of said wing member toward said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud, said second wing flange being curved in the radial direction and having a concave first surface facing said axially facing side of the blade structure and a second surface opposed from its concave first surface and facing away from said axially facing side of the blade structure, wherein a radially outer edge of said second wing flange is located proximate to said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud such that a radial second gap having a dimension in the radial direction is formed between said second wing flange and said radially inwardly facing side of said annular inner shroud;
- and
- an axial shroud flange extending from said axially facing side of said annular inner shroud toward said wing member, wherein said axial shroud flange is located proximate to said wing member such that a throat region having a dimension in an axial direction is formed between said axial shroud flange and said wing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.