Labyrinth seals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022298922-A1
Application number	US-202117205059-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2021
Priority date	Mar 18, 2021
Publication date	Sep 22, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A labyrinth seal including: an annular seal body having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus; a nested dampener system disposed along the outer wall, the nested dampener system including: a first dampening element; and a second dampening element, wherein opposite axial ends of the nested dampener system are defined by the first dampening element, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed outside of at least a portion of the first dampening element in a radial direction.

First claim

1 . A labyrinth seal comprising:
an annular seal body; a nested dampener system disposed along the annular seal body, the nested dampener system comprising:
a first dampening element; and
a second dampening element,
wherein opposite axial ends of the nested dampener system are defined by the first dampening element, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed outside of at least a portion of the first dampening element in a radial direction, and wherein the annular seal body defines an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus, wherein the outer wall of the annular seal body defines an inner diameter, and wherein an innermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed outside of the inner diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction.

2 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the second dampening element has an axial length less than an axial length of the first dampening element.

3 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the first dampening element defines a C shaped body, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed at least partially within an inner volume defined by the C shaped body of the first dampening element.

4 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dampening elements are spaced apart from one another in the radial direction by a gap.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall of the annular seal body further defines an outer diameter, and wherein an outermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed inside of the outer diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction.

7 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the first and second dampening elements each comprises a split ring.

8 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the labyrinth seal is configured to operate at one or more vibrational frequencies, and wherein the nested dampener system is disposed at an axial location spaced apart from a nodal point of convergence of vibration of the one or more vibrational frequencies.

9 . The labyrinth seal of claim 1 , wherein the first dampening element is configured to dissipate vibrational energy of the labyrinth seal associated with a first range of frequencies, wherein the second dampening element is configured to dissipate vibrational energy of the labyrinth seal associated with a second range of frequencies, and wherein the first and second range of frequencies are at least partially different from one another.

10 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a stator; a rotor rotatable relative to the stator; a labyrinth seal disposed in an annular gap defined between the stator and the rotor, the labyrinth seal comprising:
an annular seal body;
a nested dampener system disposed along the annular seal body, the nested dampener system comprising:
a first dampening element; and
a second dampening element,

wherein opposite axial ends of the nested dampener system are defined by the first dampening element, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed outside of the first dampening element in a radial direction,
wherein the annular seal body defines an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus, wherein the outer wall of the annular seal body defines an inner diameter, and wherein an innermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed outside of the inner diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction.

11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the first and second dampening elements are spaced apart from one another in the radial direction by a gap.

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the first dampening element defines a C shaped body, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed at least partially within an inner volume defined by the C shaped body.

13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the annular seal body defines an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus, wherein the outer wall of the annular seal body defines an inner diameter and an outer diameter, wherein an innermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed outside of the inner diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction, and wherein an outermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed inside of the outer diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the annular seal body defines an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus, wherein the outer wall defines a distal end in an axial direction, and wherein the nested dampener system defines the distal end of the outer wall.

15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the first dampening element defines the distal end of the outer wall, the first dampening element comprising a C shaped body defining an inner volume in which the first dampening element is at least partially disposed within.

16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the annular seal body comprises an engine alloy.

17 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the first dampening element defines a C shaped body, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed at least partially within an inner volume defined by the C shaped body.

18 . A system comprising:
a stator; a rotor rotatable relative to the stator; a labyrinth seal disposed in an annular gap defined between the stator and the rotor, the labyrinth seal comprising:
an annular seal body having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus; and
a nested dampener system disposed along the outer wall, the nested dampener system comprising:
a first dampening element defining a C shaped body, wherein the first dampening element defines a distal end of the outer wall of the annular seal body; and
a second dampening element disposed at least partially within an inner volume defined by the C shaped body,

wherein opposite axial ends of the nested dampener system are defined by the first dampening element, wherein the second dampening element is disposed outside of the first dampening element in a radial direction, and wherein the first and second dampening elements are spaced apart from one another in the radial direction by a gap, and wherein the outer wall of the annular seal body defines an inner diameter and an outer diameter, wherein an innermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed outside of the inner diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction, and wherein an outermost portion of the nested dampener system is disposed inside of the outer diameter of the outer wall in the radial direction.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second dampening elements comprises a split ring.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wolfer Scott Francis
• Wesling Richard Alan

Classifications

• F01D11/02 Primary

  by non-contact sealings, e.g. of labyrinth type (for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator F01D11/08) · CPC title

• F01D25/04

  Antivibration arrangements · CPC title

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F05D2260/96

  Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise · CPC title

• F01D11/001

  for sealing space between stator blade and rotor · CPC title