Method of forming a seal element
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsDonald Voisine, William Bogue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided for forming a seal element on a substrate surface. A layer of base material is formed on the substrate surface and a plurality of crenellations are formed in the layer of base material prior to forming a layer of seal material on the crenellated layer of base material. The method may be applied to making an original seal element or to repairing an existing seal element. The resulting seal includes a layer of base material bonded to a substrate and having a plurality of crenellations formed in a face surface of the layer of a base material and a layer of a seal material bonded thereto, the seal material filling the crenellations.
Claims13
A method for forming a seal element on a substrate surface comprising the steps of:
- molding a layer of a base material on the substrate surface, the base material having an axial expanse, the substrate surface is an inboard surface of an inboard shroud of a stator assembly of a rotary engine, wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of vanes each having a root extending through the inboard surface of the inboard shroud, and wherein the step of forming the plurality of crenellations spaced by defined intervals in the face surface of the layer of the base material further comprises retaining a portion of the base material that encapsulates at least a portion of each of the roots of the plurality of vanes;
- forming a plurality of crenellations spaced by defined intervals in a face surface of the layer of the base material such that each of the plurality of crenellations extend axially along the axial expanse of the base material and such that each of the plurality of crenellations are spaced at intervals intermediate respective neighboring pairs of the plurality of vanes;
- and
- forming a layer of an elastomeric seal material on the crenellated layer of base material.
A method for repair of an inner airseal associated with a stator assembly on a gas turbine engine, the stator assembly having an inboard shroud with an inboard surface and a plurality of vanes, the inner airseal having a circumferentially extending seal element adhesively bonded to the inboard surface of the inboard shroud and formed of an original elastomeric material and having an axial expanse, the seal element having a sealing surface in a damaged or worn condition, the method comprising the steps of:
- removing a layer of damaged or worn material from the original elastomeric material while leaving behind a retained layer of original material;
- forming a plurality of crenellations spaced by defined intervals in a face surface of the retained layer of original elastomeric material such that each of the plurality of crenellations are positioned at intervals intermediate respective neighboring pairs of the plurality of vanes;
- and
- providing a replacement layer of new elastomeric material to the retained layer of original elastomeric material having crenellations formed therein.
A seal having a seal element comprising:
- a layer of a base material adhesively bonded to a substrate and having a plurality of crenellations formed in a face surface of the layer of a base material, each of the plurality of crenellations being spaced by defined intervals in the face surface and extending axially along an axial expanse of the base material;
- a layer of a seal material formed to the face surface of the layer of a base material having crenellations formed therein, the seal material filling the crenellations;
- and
- the seal element extends circumferentially about an inboard surface of an inboard shroud of a stator assembly of a gas turbine engine, wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of vanes each having a root extending through the inboard surface of the inboard shroud, and wherein the base material having the plurality of crenellations formed therein encapsulates at least a portion of each of the roots of the plurality of vanes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.