Seal assembly including a notched seal element for arranging between a stator and a rotor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010483-A1
Application number	US-201414771964-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seal assembly with an axis is provided that includes a rotor and a seal element that is connected to a stator with an anti-rotation element. The seal element includes a first element surface, a second element surface and an annular notch. The first element surface axially engages the stator. The second element surface radially engages the rotor. The notch extends into the seal element between the first and the second element surfaces. The stator radially overlaps a portion of the notch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seal assembly with an axis, comprising:
a stator; a rotor; and an annular seal element connected to the stator with an anti-rotation element, the seal element including a first element surface, a second element surface and an annular notch, the first element surface axially engaging the stator, the second element surface radially engaging the rotor, and the notch extending into a corner of the seal element between the first and the second element surfaces; wherein the stator radially overlaps a portion of the notch.

2 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stator includes a stator surface that axially engages the first element surface and extends radially beyond ends of the first element surface.

3 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the stator includes a stator surface that extends radially inwards to an inner end having a first radius; and the first element surface axially engages the stator surface, and extends radially inwards to an inner end having a second radius that is greater than the first radius.

4 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the notch is at least partially formed by a first notch surface that extends axially from an end of the first element surface towards the second element surface.

5 . The seal assembly of claim 4 , wherein the notch is further formed by a second notch surface that extends radially from an end of the second element surface towards the first notch surface.

6 . The seal assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first and the second notch surfaces form the notch with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional geometry.

7 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the notch is at least partially formed by a first notch surface and a second notch surface; the first notch surface is substantially perpendicular to the second notch surface, and extends axially away from the first element surface towards the second notch surface; and the second notch surface extends radially away from the second element surface towards the first notch surface.

8 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal element shifts radially relative to the stator.

9 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal element shifts circumferentially relative to the stator.

10 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the seal element extends axially between opposing element ends and radially from an inner element side to an outer element side; the first element surface is located at one of the element ends; and the second element surface is located at the inner element side.

11 . The seal assembly of claim 10 , wherein the stator comprises an annular stator that extends circumferentially around and is radially separated from the rotor.

12 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a turbine engine shaft on which the rotor is mounted.

13 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stator comprises a turbine engine seal housing within which the seal element is arranged.

14 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal element includes a plurality of arcuate seal element segments.

15 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation element includes a protrusion that extends axially into an aperture, the protrusion is configured with one of the stator and the seal element, and the aperture is respectively configured with another one of the seal element and the stator.

16 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an annular second seal element connected to the stator with an anti-rotation element, wherein
the second seal element includes a first element surface, a second element surface and a notch; the first element surface of the second seal element axially engages the stator; the second element surface of the second seal element radially engages the rotor; and the notch of the second seal element extends into a corner of the second seal element between the respective first and second element surfaces.

17 . A seal assembly with an axis, comprising:
a stator including a stator surface; a rotor; and a seal element connected to the stator with an anti-rotation element, the seal element including an annular first element surface, an annular second element surface and an annular notch, the first element surface axially engaging the stator surface, the second element surface radially engaging the rotor, and the notch extending into the seal element adjacent to respective ends of the first and the second element surfaces; wherein the stator surface extends radially beyond ends of the first element surface.

18 . The seal assembly of claim 17 , wherein
the stator surface extends radially inwards to an inner end having a first radius; and the first element surface extends radially inwards to an inner end having a second radius that is greater than the first radius.

19 . A seal assembly for a turbine engine, comprising:
a seal housing; a rotor mounted to a turbine engine shaft that rotates around an axis; and a seal element extending circumferentially about the axis and connected to the seal housing with an anti-rotation element, the seal element including a first element surface, a second element surface and a notch, the first element surface axially contacting the seal housing, the second element surface radially contacting the rotor, and the notch extending circumferentially about the axis and into the seal element between and adjacent to respective ends of the first and the second element surfaces; wherein the seal housing radially overlaps a portion of the notch.

20 . The seal assembly of claim 19 , wherein the seal housing includes a stator surface that axially contacts the first element surface and extends radially beyond ends of the first element surface.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Miller Jonathan L

Classifications

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F01D11/08 Primary

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

• F02C7/28 Primary

  Arrangement of seals · CPC title

• F16J15/30

  with sealing rings made of carbon · CPC title