Low leakage spring clip/ring combinations for gas turbine engine

A combustor-to-transition seal comprising:

• a spring clip assembly comprising a circular arrangement of leaf springs adapted to provide a first seal between a combustor and a transition, the spring clip assembly comprising an inner layer and an outer layer of said leaf springs, each layer having respective slots between adjacent leaf springs, the slots of the inner layer being offset to the slots of the outer layer, wherein the spring clip assembly is attached to the combustor and is effective to mutually support the combustor and the transition and to allow a flow of cooling fluid to pass through the spring clip assembly;
• a sealing member, positioned on a radially outer surface of the spring clip assembly and comprising a sealing surface;
• and
• a ring assembly, positioned downstream of the spring leaves, in contact with the sealing surface, and partially within a partial slot in a transition inlet ring, comprising a first spring metal ring and a second spring metal ring, each said spring metal ring comprising a circumferential gap, the respective circumferential gaps being circumferentially offset one to the other, the second spring metal ring comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein the plurality of grooves abut the first spring metal ring and are effective to regulate the flow of cooling fluid there through and to cool the ring assembly;
• wherein the first and the second spring metal rings are biased toward the sealing surface to form a second seal against the sealing surface,
• wherein the combustor-to-transition seal is configured to permit relative radial motion between the combustor and the transition, and
• wherein the first spring metal ring is free to move radially within the partial slot to accommodate the relative radial motion.

A combustor-to-transition seal comprising:

• a spring clip assembly comprising a circular arrangement of leaf springs adapted to provide a first seal between a combustor and a transition, the spring clip assembly comprising an inner layer and an outer layer of said leaf springs, each layer having respective slots between adjacent leaf springs, the slots of the inner layer being offset to the slots of the outer layer, wherein the spring clip assembly is attached to the combustor and is effective to mutually support the combustor and the transition and to allow a flow of cooling fluid to pass through the spring clip assembly;
• a ring assembly, positioned downstream of the spring leaves and partially within a U-shaped retainer attached to the combustor, comprising a first spring metal ring and a second spring metal ring, each said spring metal ring comprising a gap, the respective gaps offset one to the other, the second spring metal ring comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein the plurality of grooves are oriented toward the first spring metal ring and the flow of cooling fluid passes through the plurality of grooves, the grooves effective to regulate the flow of cooling fluid there through and to cool the ring assembly;
• wherein the first spring metal ring and the second spring metal ring are biased against an inner surface of the transition to form a second seal,
• wherein the combustor-to-transition seal is configured to permit relative radial motion between the combustor and the transition, and
• wherein the first spring metal ring and the second spring metal ring are free to move radially within the U-shaped retainer to accommodate the relative radial motion.