Sealing system for turbine shroud segments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934873-B2
Application number	US-201816182727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A turbine shroud is disposed between stages of stationary turbine nozzles. The turbine shroud includes arcuate shroud segments sealingly engaged with one another. Each shroud segment includes a bottom panel with a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface and opposite ends. Each end includes an end face, an end cutback face spaced from the end face, and an intermediate surface extending between the end face and the end cutback face to define a recess. One or more seals overlap the recess of a circumferentially adjacent pair of shroud segments to produce a sealed joint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine engine comprising:
a rotor comprising a plurality of stationary nozzles arranged in a first stage and an adjacent second stage; and
a shroud disposed between the first stage and the adjacent second stage of the plurality of stationary nozzles, wherein the shroud comprises a plurality of arcuate shroud segments sealingly engaged with one another, the plurality of arcuate shroud segments including a first shroud segment and a second shroud segment circumferentially adjacent the first shroud segment;
wherein each arcuate shroud segment of the plurality of arcuate shroud segments comprises a bottom panel, the bottom panel having a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface, a first end, and a second end;
wherein the first end comprises a first end face extending radially outward from the radially inner surface of the bottom panel, a first end cutback face circumferentially spaced from the first end face and extending radially inward from the radially outer surface of the bottom panel, and a first intermediate surface extending between the first end face and the first end cutback face to define a first recess;
wherein the second end comprises a second end face extending radially outward from the radially inner surface of the bottom panel, a second end cutback face circumferentially spaced from the second end face and extending radially inward from the radially outer surface of the bottom panel, and a second intermediate surface extending between the second end face and the second end cutback face to define a second recess;
wherein at least one seal is disposed within the first recess of the first arcuate shroud segment and the second recess of the second arcuate shroud segment to form a sealed joint;
wherein each arcuate shroud segment further comprises a first leg projecting radially outwardly from the bottom panel and a second leg projecting radially outwardly from the bottom panel opposite the first leg; and
wherein the first leg and the second leg extend circumferentially between the first end and the second end.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal is one of a plurality of seals; and wherein the at least one seal is a single-piece seal having a generally U-shape.

3. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a first radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially outer surface, and a second radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially inner surface; and wherein the first radial distance is equal to the second radial distance.

4. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a first radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially outer surface, and a second radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially inner surface; and wherein the second radial distance is smaller than the first radial distance.

5. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a first circumferential distance is defined between the first end face and the first end cutback face, and a second circumferential distance is defined between the second end face and the second end cutback face; and wherein the first circumferential distance is equal to the second circumferential distance.

6. The turbine engine of claim 1 ,
wherein the first leg and the bottom panel intersect at a first edge, and the second leg and the bottom panel intersect at a second edge axially spaced from the first edge; and
wherein the bottom panel does not extend beyond the first leg or the second leg in an axial direction.

7. The turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein, at the first end, the first leg includes a first leg face, a first leg cutback face, and a first leg intermediate surface extending circumferentially between the first leg face and the first leg cutback face;
wherein, at the first end, the second leg includes a second leg face, a second leg cutback face, and a second leg intermediate surface extending circumferentially between the second leg face and the second leg cutback face; and
wherein the first leg face and the second leg face are integral with the first end face of the bottom panel, the first leg cutback face and the second leg cutback face are integral with the first end cutback face of the bottom panel, and the first leg intermediate surface and the second leg intermediate surface are integral with the intermediate surface of the bottom panel.

8. The turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein, at the second end, the first leg includes a third leg face, a third leg cutback face, and a third leg intermediate surface extending between the third leg face and the third leg cutback face;
wherein, at the second end, the second leg includes a fourth leg face, a fourth leg cutback face, and a fourth leg intermediate surface extending between the fourth leg face and the fourth leg cutback face; and
wherein the at least one seal simultaneously contacts the first leg intermediate surface at the first end of a first shroud segment and the third leg intermediate surface at the second end of a circumferentially adjacent shroud segment.

9. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal comprises two seal segments.

10. The turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the two seal segments comprise a first seal segment having a generally L-shape and a second seal segment having a shape complementary to the first seal segment to define a U-shaped seal.

11. A turbine shroud disposed between adjacent stages of stationary turbine nozzles, the turbine shroud comprising:
a plurality of arcuate shroud segments sealingly engaged with one another, each arcuate shroud segment comprising a bottom panel, the bottom panel having a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface, a first end, and a second end;
wherein the first end comprises a first end face extending radially outward from the radially inner surface of the bottom panel, a first end cutback face circumferentially spaced from the first end face and extending radially inward from the radially outer surface of the bottom panel, and a first intermediate surface extending between the first end face and the first end cutback face to define a first recess;
wherein the second end comprises a second end face extending radially outward from the radially inner surface of the bottom panel, a second end cutback face circumferentially spaced from the second end face and extending radially inward from the radially outer surface of the bottom panel, and a second intermediate surface extending between the second end face and the second end cutback face to define a second recess;
a plurality of seals, wherein at least one seal disposed within the first recess and the second recess of each respective pair of adjacent arcuate shroud segments of the plurality of arcuate shroud segments;
wherein each arcuate shroud segment further comprises a first leg projecting radially outwardly from the bottom panel and a second leg projecting radially outwardly from the bottom panel opposite the first leg; and
wherein the first leg and the second leg extend circumferentially between the first end and the second end.

12. The turbine shroud of claim 11 , wherein the at least one seal is a single-piece seal having a generally U-shape.

13. The turbine shroud of claim 11 , wherein a first radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially outer surface, and a second radial distance is defined between the intermediate surface of the first end and the radially inner surface; and wherein the second radial distance is e

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Sarawate Neelesh Nandkumar
• Wolfe Christopher Edward
• Pollinger John Patrick

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F01D11/08 Primary

  for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator (specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20) · CPC title

• F01D25/26

  Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings · CPC title

• F05D2240/11

  Shroud seal segments · CPC title

• F01D9/04

  forming ring or sector · CPC title