Ring seal arrangement with installation foolproofing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10619742-B2
Application number	US-201715650171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A ring seal in a gas turbine engine includes a ring seal body, an axial sealing dam, a radial sealing dam, and at least one bleed slot. The ring seal body is annular in shape and has a first axial side, a second axial side, a radially outer side, and a radially inner side. The axial sealing dam is on the first axial side and is configured to provide a first sealing surface with a first component. The radial sealing dam is on the radially outer side and is configured to provide a second sealing surface with a second component radially outward from the radially outer side. The at least one bleed slot is on the second axial side and configured to allow fluid to pass through when the ring seal is incorrectly oriented such that the at least one bleed slot is adjacent to the first component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ring seal for sealing between components in a gas turbine engine, the ring seal comprising: a ring seal body that is annular in shape with a first axial side, a second axial side, a radially outer side, and a radially inner side; an axial sealing dam on the first axial side configured to provide a first sealing surface between the ring seal and a first component; a radial sealing dam on the radially outer side configured to provide a second sealing surface between the ring seal and a second component radially outward from the radially outer side; and at least one bleed slot extending completely across a thickened portion of the second axial side on the second axial side extending completely across the second axial side between the radially outer side and the radially inner side and configured to allow fluid to pass between the radially outer side and the radially inner side when the ring seal is incorrectly oriented such that the at least one bleed slot is adjacent to the first component.

2. The ring seal of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bleed slot includes at least six bleed slots.

3. The ring seal of claim 1 , further comprising: a cutout on the second axial side forming a thinner portion of the second axial side, the cutout extending from the radially inner side to a point distant from the radially outer side, wherein the at least one bleed slot extends radially from the cutout to the radially outer side.

4. The ring seal of claim 3 , wherein the cutout extends circumferentially around an entirety of the ring seal body.

5. The ring seal of claim 3 , wherein the cutout is configured to accommodate at least a portion of a resilient member.

6. The ring seal of claim 1 , further comprising:
an axial canal on the first axial side adjacent to the axial sealing dam;
at least one axial pressure balancing groove on the first axial side extending from the radially inner side to the axial canal;
a radial canal on the radially outer side adjacent to the radial sealing dam; and
at least one radial pressure balancing groove on the radially outer side extending from the second axial side to the radial canal.

7. The ring seal of claim 6 , wherein each groove of the at least one axial pressure balancing groove and each groove of the at least one radial pressure balancing groove have a greater cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each slot of the at least one bleed slot.

8. The ring seal of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bleed slot has a cross-sectional shape that is arc-shaped.

9. The ring seal of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bleed slot has a cross-sectional area that is sufficiently large to allow the ring seal to fail a leakage test by allowing fluid to pass through the at least one bleed slot when the at least one bleed slot is adjacent to the first component.

10. A ring seal arrangement comprising: a static liner that is annular in shape and extends axially along a center axis, the static liner being configured to be nonrotatable; a front spacer radially inward from the static liner, the front spacer being configured to be rotatable relative to the static liner; a rear spacer radially inward from the static liner and axially downstream from the front spacer, the rear spacer being configured to be rotatable relative to the static liner; a forward ring seal that is annular in shape with a forward sealing dam adjacent to the front spacer, an outer sealing dam adjacent to the static liner, and at least one bleed slot extending completely across a thickened portion of an aft side, the at least one bleed slot extending completely across the forward ring seal between the static liner and front spacer and configured to allow fluid to flow between the front spacer and the forward ring seal when the forward ring seal is installed in an incorrect orientation when the aft side is adjacent to the forward spacer; an aft ring seal that is annular in shape with a rear sealing dam adjacent to the rear spacer, an outer sealing dam adjacent to the static liner, and at least one bleed slot extending completely across a thickened portion of a forward side, the at least one bleed slot extending completely across the aft ring seal between the static liner and rear spacer and configured to allow fluid to flow between the rear spacer and the aft ring seal when the aft ring seal is installed in an incorrect orientation when the forward side is adjacent to the rear spacer; and resilient member between the forward ring seal and the aft ring seal.

11. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the at least one bleed slot in the forward ring seal and the at least one bleed slot in the aft ring seal both extend entirely in a radial direction.

12. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , further comprising: a first cutout in the aft side of the forward ring seal forming a thinner portion of the aft side, the first cutout that is configured to be adjacent to the resilient member when installed in a correct orientation, wherein the at least one bleed slot in the forward ring seal extends from the first cutout to a radially outer side of the forward ring seal; and a second cutout in the forward side of the aft ring seal forming a thinner portion of the forward side, the second cutout that is configured to be adjacent to the resilient member when installed in the correct orientation, wherein the at least one bleed slot in the aft ring seal extends from the second cutout to a radially outer side of the aft ring seal.

13. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the rear spacer is one component of a lubricant containment system.

14. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the forward ring seal fails a leakage test by allowing an excessive amount of fluid to flow between the front spacer and the forward ring seal when installed in the incorrect orientation.

15. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the aft ring seal fails a leakage test by allowing an excessive amount of fluid to flow between the rear spacer and the aft ring seal when installed in the incorrect orientation.

16. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the forward ring seal and the aft ring seal are identical in structural configuration.

17. The ring seal arrangement of claim 10 , further comprising:
a shaft radially inward from the front spacer, the rear spacer, the forward ring seal, and the aft ring seal, the shaft configured to be rotatable along with the front spacer and the rear spacer.

18. A method of testing a ring seal arrangement having a first side and a second side, the method comprising: increasing a pressure of air on the second side of the ring seal arrangement to be greater than a pressure of air on the first side of the ring seal arrangement with the ring seal arrangement including a forward ring seal configured to form a seal with the first side and having at least one bleed slot extending completely across a thickened portion of the forward ring seal between the first side and the second side to allow air to flow between the first side and the second side when the forward ring seal is installed in an incorrect orientation and an aft ring seal configured to form a seal with the second side and having at least one bleed slot extending completely across a thickened portion of configured to form a flow path extending completely across the aft ring seal between the first side and the second side to allow air to flow between the first side and the second side when the aft ring seal is installed in an incorrect orientation; measuring a change in pres

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Miller Jonathan Logan
• Colucci Joseph G
• Craig Colin D
• Hegde Aneil S
• Davis Michael M

Classifications

• F02C7/28

  Arrangement of seals · CPC title

• F16J15/3488

  Split-rings · CPC title

• F01D25/186

  for sliding contact bearing · CPC title

• F01D11/003 Primary

  by packing rings; Mechanical seals · CPC title

• F01D25/183

  Sealing means · CPC title