Segmented face seal assembly and an associated method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10626743-B2
Application number	US-201715397278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A turbomachine and a method of operating the turbomachine are disclosed. The turbomachine includes a stator, a rotor including a rotor bearing face, and a face seal assembly including a first segmented seal ring and a second segmented seal ring. The first segmented seal ring includes a plurality of joints and a first flat-contact surface and the second segmented seal ring includes a plurality of segment ends and a second flat-contact surface. One of the first and second segmented seal rings includes a seal bearing face. The second segmented seal ring is coupled to the first segmented seal ring such that the second flat-contact surface is in contact with the first flat-contact surface. The plurality of segment ends is circumferentially offset from the plurality of joints. The first segmented seal ring is slidably coupled to the stator and defines a face seal clearance between the rotor and seal bearing faces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbomachine comprising:
a stator;
a rotor comprising a rotor bearing face; and
a face seal assembly comprising:
a first segmented seal ring comprising a plurality of joints and a first flat-contact surface; and
a second segmented seal ring comprising a plurality of segment ends and a second flat-contact surface,
wherein one of the first segmented seal ring and the second segmented seal ring comprises a seal bearing face, wherein the second segmented seal ring is coupled to the first segmented seal ring such that the second flat-contact surface is in contact with the first flat-contact surface, wherein the plurality of segment ends is circumferentially offset from the plurality of joints, and wherein the first segmented seal ring is slidably coupled to the stator and defines a face seal clearance between the rotor bearing face and the seal bearing face.

2. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the first segmented seal ring further comprises a circumferential slot extending inwards from a first peripheral side towards a second peripheral side of the first segmented seal ring and facing the rotor bearing face.

3. The turbomachine of claim 2 , wherein the first flat-contact surface is defined within the circumferential slot, and wherein the second segmented seal ring is disposed within the circumferential slot and coupled to the first segmented seal ring.

4. The turbomachine of claim 2 , wherein the second segmented seal ring further comprises a first sub-segmented seal ring and a second sub-segmented seal ring.

5. The turbomachine of claim 4 , wherein the first sub-segmented seal ring comprises the second flat-contact surface and a first stepped radial surface, wherein the first stepped radial surface is disposed opposite to the second flat-contact surface, and wherein the second sub-segmented seal ring comprises a second stepped radial surface.

6. The turbomachine of claim 5 , wherein the first flat-contact surface is defined within a portion of the circumferential slot, and wherein the first sub-segmented seal ring is disposed within the portion of the circumferential slot such that the second flat-contact surface is in contact with the first flat-contact surface.

7. The turbomachine of claim 6 , wherein the second sub-segmented seal ring is disposed within another portion of the circumferential slot such that the second stepped radial surface is in contact with the first stepped radial surface, and wherein the second sub-segmented seal ring is coupled to the first segmented seal ring.

8. The turbomachine of claim 7 , wherein the first sub-segmented seal ring comprises a first material and the second sub-segmented seal ring comprises a second material different from the first material.

9. The turbomachine of claim 2 , wherein the first flat-contact surface is defined radially outwards the circumferential slot, and wherein the second segmented seal ring is disposed radially outwards the circumferential slot and coupled to the first segmented seal ring.

10. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the first segmented seal ring comprises a first material and the second segmented seal ring comprises a second material different from the first material.

11. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein one of the rotor bearing face and the seal bearing face comprises a plurality of hydrodynamic elements disposed spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the turbomachine.

12. The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the first segmented seal ring further comprises a cavity and a plurality of isolated hydrostatic ports extending from the cavity to the seal bearing face.

13. The turbomachine of claim 12 , further comprising a fluid supply tube coupled to the cavity and configured to supply a pressurized fluid to the cavity.

14. The turbomachine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of coupling devices comprising at least one of a plurality of slots, a plurality of clamps, a plurality of retaining plates, and a plurality of retaining bolts, wherein each coupling device of the plurality of coupling devices is configured to clamp corresponding ends of the plurality of joints.

15. A method of assembling a face seal assembly, comprising:
obtaining a first segmented seal ring comprising a plurality of joints and a first flat-contact surface;
obtaining a second segmented seal ring comprising a plurality of segment ends and a second flat-contact surface, wherein one of the first segmented seal ring and the second segmented seal ring comprises a seal bearing face;
assembling segments of the first segmented seal ring on a stator of a turbomachine;
slidably coupling the first segmented seal ring to the stator of the turbomachine to define a face seal clearance between the seal bearing face and a rotor bearing face of a rotor of the turbomachine;
assembling segments of the second segmented seal ring on the first segmented seal ring such that the plurality of segment ends is circumferentially offset from the plurality of joints; and
coupling the second segmented seal ring to the first segmented seal ring such that the second flat-contact surface is in contact with the first flat-contact surface.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the first segmented seal ring and the second segmented seal ring comprises:
machining a portion of a first seal ring to form a circumferential slot extending inwards from a first peripheral side towards a second peripheral side of the first seal ring;
machining a surface defined within the circumferential slot to form the first flat-contact surface;
machining a surface of a second seal ring to form the second flat-contact surface; and
splitting the first seal ring to generate the first segmented seal ring and the second seal ring to generate the second segmented seal ring.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein assembling segments of the second segmented seal ring and coupling the second segmented seal ring to the first segmented seal ring comprise disposing the second segmented seal ring within the circumferential slot and coupling to the first segmented seal ring.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the first segmented seal ring and the second segmented seal ring comprises:
machining a portion of a first seal ring to form a circumferential slot extending inwards from a first peripheral side towards a second peripheral side of the first seal ring;
machining a portion of a surface located radially outwards the circumferential slot to form the first flat-contact surface;
machining a surface of a second seal ring to form the second flat-contact surface; and
splitting the first seal ring to generate the first segmented seal ring and the second seal ring to generate the second segmented seal ring.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein assembling segments of the second segmented seal ring and coupling the second segmented seal ring to the first segmented seal ring comprise disposing the second segmented seal ring radially outwards the circumferential slot and coupling to the first segmented seal ring.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the first segmented seal ring and the second segmented seal ring comprise:
machining a portion of a first seal ring to form a circumferential slot extending inwards from a first peripheral side towards a second peripheral side of the first seal ring;
machining a portion of a surface defined within the circumferential slot to form the first flat-contact surface;
receiving a second seal rin

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bidkar Rahul Anil
• Thatte Azam Mihir
• Wang Jifeng
• Zheng Xiaoqing
• Sevincer Edip

Classifications

• F16J15/3488

  Split-rings · CPC title

• F01D25/22

  using working-fluid or other gaseous fluid as lubricant · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F01D9/041

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D5/02

  Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28}) · CPC title