Flexible seal for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268477-B2
Application number	US-201916600942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2019
Priority date	Oct 14, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A coupling adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes a first flange, a second flange, and a seal assembly. The first flange is coupled with an exhaust end of the gas turbine engine. The second flange is coupled with ducting downstream of the gas turbine engine. The seal assembly extends between the first flange and the second flange and is configured to block the gases from passing radially between the first flange and the second flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling adapted for use with a gas turbine engine exhaust system, the coupling comprising
a forward flange arranged circumferentially around an axis of the gas turbine engine exhaust system,
the forward flange configured to be fixed to the gas turbine engine and to conduct exhaust gases from the gas turbine engine downstream,
an aft flange arranged circumferentially around the axis downstream from the forward flange,
the aft flange configured to be fixed to ducting downstream of the aft flange and to direct the exhaust the gases from the forward flange into the ducting, and
a seal assembly configured to block the exhaust gases from passing radially outward from between the forward flange and the aft flange while allowing for relative movement of the forward flange with respect to the aft flange,
the seal assembly including
a glide plate arranged circumferentially around the axis,
a bellows seal having a first end coupled with the forward flange and a second end bonded with the glide plate circumferentially entirely around the axis, and
a first bearing located between the glide plate and the aft flange to allow the aft flange to translate radially and rotate about the axis relative to the bellows seal and the glide plate in response to relative movement between the ducting and the gas turbine engine.

2. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the aft flange is formed to define a radially inwardly opening channel and a radially outwardly opening channel and a portion of the glide plate is located in the radially inwardly opening channel and the radially outwardly opening channel.

3. The coupling of claim 2 , wherein the glide plate includes a first disk, a second disk spaced apart axially from the first disk, and an annular band that extends axially between and interconnects the first disk and the second disk and wherein the second disk is the portion of the glide plate located in the radially inwardly opening channel and the radially outwardly opening channel formed in the aft flange.

4. The coupling of claim 3 , wherein the seal assembly further includes a seal that engages the alt flange and one of the first disk or the second disk to block the exhaust gases from passing between the aft flange and the glide plate.

5. The coupling of claim 4 , wherein the forward flange includes a lip that extends radially outward and a band that extends axially aft from the lip, the aft flange includes a sleeve that extends radially outward and a band that extends axially forward away from the sleeve, the bellows seal is located radially outward of the band of the aft flange, and the band of the aft flange overlaps the band of the forward flange.

6. The coupling of claim 5 , wherein the band of the aft flange is spaced apart radially from the band of the forward flange such that the band of the aft flange does not contact the band of the forward flange.

7. The coupling of claim 5 , wherein the seal assembly further includes a ring and a second bearing, the first end of the bellows seal is bonded to the ring circumferentially entirely around the axis, and the second bearing is located between the forward flange and the ring to allow the forward flange to rotate about the axis relative to the bellows seal.

8. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the bellows seal is bonded to the forward flange circumferentially entirely around the axis.

9. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the glide plate includes a first disk, a second disk spaced apart axially from the first disk, and an annular band that extends axially between and interconnects the first disk and the second disk, wherein the annular band is radially spaced apart from the outer circumferential edge of the first disk and the outer circumferential edge of the second disk.

10. A coupling adapted for use with a gas turbine engine exhaust system, the coupling comprising
a first flange arranged circumferentially around an axis of the gas turbine engine exhaust system,
a second flange, arranged circumferentially around the axis and formed to define a circumferentially extending channel,
a seal assembly that includes a plate arranged circumferentially around the axis and located in the channel and a seal arranged circumferentially around the axis and coupled with the first flange and with the plate, and
a first bearing located between the plate and the second flange,
wherein the second flange is configured to translate radially and rotate circumferentially about the axis relative to the plate.

11. The coupling of claim 10 , wherein the first bearing located between the plate and the second flange allows the second flange to translate radially and rotate about the axis relative to the seal and the plate.

12. The coupling of claim 10 , wherein the plate includes a first disk, a second disk spaced apart axially from the first disk, and a band that extends axially between and interconnects the first disk and the second disk wherein the band is radially spaced apart from the outer circumferential edge of the first disk and the outer circumferential edge of the second disk.

13. The coupling of claim 10 , wherein the second flange includes a band and a sleeve that extends radially outward from the band, the sleeve includes a first wall that extends radially outward from the band and a second wall spaced apart axially from the first wall to define the channel between the first wall and the second wall.

14. The coupling of claim 13 . wherein the second wall extends radially outward from the band.

15. The coupling of claim 14 , wherein the sleeve includes a third wall that extends axially away from the first wall and radially inward toward the axis to define another channel between the first wall and the third wall.

16. The coupling of claim 10 , wherein the seal assembly further includes a ring and a second bearing, the seal is bonded to the ring circumferentially entirely around the axis, and the second bearing is located between the first flange and the ring to allow the first flange to rotate about the axis relative to the seal.

17. The coupling of claim 16 , wherein the seal is bonded to the plate circumferentially entirely around the axis.

18. The coupling of claim 10 , wherein the first flange includes a lip that extends radially outward and a band that extends axially from the lip, the second flange includes a sleeve that extends radially outward and a band that extends axially away from the sleeve, the seal is located radially outward of the band of the second flange, and the band of the second flange overlaps the band of the first flange without contacting the band of the first flange.

19. A method comprising
providing a gas turbine engine, ducting, a first flange arran ed circumferentially about an axis of the gas turbine engine, a second flange arranged circumferentially about the axis, and a seal assembly that includes a plate aranged circumferentially about the axis, a bearing, and a seal,
coupling the seal with the first flange,
bonding the seal with the plate circumferentially entirel about the axis,
locating a portion of the plate within a circumferentially extendin channel of the second flange and locating the bearing between the plate and the second flange to provide a coupling that comprises the first flange, the second flange, and the seal assembly,
fixing the coupling to the gas turbine engine and to the ducting, and
rotating the second flange about the axis relative to the seal and the plate, and translating the second flange radially relative to the s

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• O'Leary Mark

Classifications

• F05D2250/182

  crenellated, notched · CPC title

• F05D2250/314

  the axes being inclined in relation to each other · CPC title

• F05D2260/38

  by a spring, i.e. spring loaded or biased towards a certain position · CPC title

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F05D2250/183

  zigzag · CPC title