Replaceable seals for turbine engine components and methods for installing the same

A method of sealing a compressor in a turbine engine, said method comprising:

• forming an annular groove in a compressor casing such that the groove extends circumferentially about a rotor housed within the casing;
• coupling the compressor casing to the rotor such that the compressor casing extends circumferentially about the rotor;
• inserting a plurality of arcuate seal segments into the annular groove without removing the rotor from the compressor casing such that the plurality of seal segments extend circumferentially about the rotor to facilitate sealing a gap defined between the rotor and the compressor casing, wherein each of said plurality of seal segments comprises a radially inner projection, a radially outer projection, and a neck portion extending therebetween, and wherein inserting comprises inserting an entirety of said radially inner projection, said radially outer projection, and said neck portion into the groove;
• and
• inserting a tool into a tool acceptor of each of the first plurality of arcuate seal segments such that when a pulling force is exerted on the tool, each arcuate seal segment is removed from the compressor casing as the lower portion of the compressor casing at least partially circumscribes the rotor, wherein the tool acceptor includes a circumferentially-oriented opening defined in an end surface of each of the plurality of seal segments.

A turbine engine system comprising:

• a rotor;
• a compressor including a plurality of stages sequentially spaced on the rotor along a longitudinal axis;
• a compressor casing that at least partially circumscribes the rotor;
• a plurality of arcuate seal segments for each of the plurality of stages, wherein each of said plurality of arcuate seal segments is configured to slidably couple to the compressor casing without removing the rotor from the compressor casing to substantially seal a gap defined between the casing and the rotor at each stage, wherein each of said plurality of seal segments further comprises a tool acceptor configured to facilitate removal of said seal segment from said compressor casing, wherein said tool acceptor comprises a circumferentially-oriented opening defined in an end surface of each of said plurality of seal segments.