Seal support structure for a circumferential seal of a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443450-B2
Application number	US-201514921533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A seal support structure is provided for a circumferential seal. In one embodiment, the seal support structure includes an engine support structure, a seal support, and a shoulder joining the engine support and seal support. The shoulder offsets the engine support from the seal support, and the shoulder and the seal support structure are configured to dampen vibration for the circumferential seal. The seal support structure may employ one or more dampening elements or materials to interoperate with a seal support structure to dampen vibration to a seal system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal support structure for a circumferential seal of a gas turbine engine, the seal support structure comprising a double axial shell case including:
an inner beam;
an outer beam radially separated from the inner beam, the inner beam and the outer beam connected at a first axial end of the double axial shell case, such that the double-axial shell case is U-shaped;
a first flange disposed at a second axial end of the outer beam opposite the first axil end, the first flange configured to mount to an engine mount;
a second flange disposed at a second axial end of the inner beam opposite the first axil end, the second flange configured to retain a circumferential seal thereat; and
a dampening element disposed between the inner beam and the outer beam at the respective second axial ends configured to dampen vibration of the circumferential seal.

2. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein the double axial shell case is configured to dampen radial vibration of the circumferential seal.

3. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein the double axial shell case is configured to dampen shoe and beam vibration of the circumferential seal.

4. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein the double axial shell case interfaces with each of the first flange and the second flange with a bend.

5. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein the seal support structure is configured to be constructed as a single element.

6. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein an axis of the first flange is offset from an axis of the second flange by the double axial shell case.

7. The seal support structure of claim 1 , wherein the dampening element includes a spring damper between the inner beam and the outer beam of the seal support structure.

8. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a rotating component;
a circumferential seal for the rotating component; and
a seal support structure for the circumferential seal, the seal support structure a double axial shell case including:
an inner beam;
an outer beam radially separated from the inner beam, the inner beam and the outer beam connected at a first axial end such that the double-axial shell case is U-shaped;
a first flange disposed at a second axial end of the outer beam opposite the first axial end, the first flange configured to mount to an engine mount;
a second flange disposed at a second axial end of the inner beam opposite the first axial end, the second flange configured to retain the circumferential seal thereat; and
a dampening element disposed between the inner beam and the outer beam at the respective second axial ends configured to dampen vibration of the circumferential seal.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the double axial shell case is configured to dampen radial vibration of the circumferential seal.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the double axial shell case is configured to dampen shoe and beam vibration of the circumferential seal.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the double axial shell case interfaces with each of the first flange and the second flange with a bend.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the support structure is configured to be constructed as a single element.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the circumferential seal is at least one of a full ring and segmented ring.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the dampening element includes a spring damper between the inner beam and the outer beam of the seal support structure.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Wilson Ross
• Mccaffrey Michael G
• Farris John R
• Hall Theodore W
• Korzendorfer John J
• Vinson Elizabeth F
• Jacques Jeffrey Michael
• Paul John E
• Stoner Alan W
• Otero Edwin

Classifications

• F01D11/127

  with a deformable or crushable structure, e.g. honeycomb · CPC title

• F01D11/001

  for sealing space between stator blade and rotor · CPC title

• F01D9/02

  Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)} · CPC title

• F01D5/26

  Antivibration means not restricted to blade form or construction or to blade-to-blade connections {or to the use of particular materials} · CPC title

• F01D5/24

  using wire or the like · CPC title