Hydrodynamic carbon face seal pressure booster
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsKevin Duffy, Ronald K. Kovacik, Brady Walker, Antonio F. Artiles
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Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system associated with an engine of an aircraft, the system comprising: a fluid source that is configured to provide a fluid at a first pressure value, a carbon seal, a seal plate that includes at least one lift-off feature that interfaces to the carbon seal, and a pressure boosting mechanism configured to obtain the fluid from the fluid source, increase the pressure of the fluid to a second pressure value, and provide the fluid at the second pressure value to the at least one lift-off feature.
Claims13
A seal for a component of a gas turbine engine, the seal comprising:
- a rotating seal disposed against a first axial side of the component;
- a stationary seal disposed against a first axial side of the rotating seal;
- a groove in a surface between the rotating seal and the stationary seal;
- and
- a spacer;
- wherein a cavity is disposed in the rotating seal, the cavity opening to a radially interior side of the rotating seal;
- wherein a channel is disposed in the rotating seal, fluidly connecting the cavity and the groove;
- wherein a radially inner surface of the rotating seal and a radially outer surface of the spacer define a gap;
- and
- wherein the gap has an axial length within a range of 0.05 inches and 0.10 inches and a radial width within a range of 0.02 inches and 0.03 inches to cause a rotational component to be imparted on a fluid that traverses the axial length of the gap at an end of the gap proximate the cavity.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a component;
- a seal for the component, the seal including
- a rotating seal disposed against a first axial side of the component;
- a stationary seal disposed against a first axial side of the rotating seal;
- and
- a groove in a surface between the rotating seal and the stationary seal;
- a shaft;
- and
- a spacer coupled to the shaft and located radially outward of the shaft;
- wherein a cavity is disposed in the rotating seal, the cavity opening to a radially interior side of the rotating seal;
- wherein a channel is disposed in the rotating seal, fluidly connecting the cavity and the groove;
- wherein a radially inner surface of the rotating seal and a radially outer surface of the spacer define a gap;
- and
- wherein the gap has an axial length within a range of 0.05 inches and 0.10 inches and a radial width within a range of 0.02 inches and 0.03 inches to cause a rotational component to be imparted on a fluid that traverses the axial length of the gap at an end of the gap proximate the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.