Seals for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9051882-B2
Application number	US-201314137147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

A seal assembly for use in a gas turbine engine includes a first component, a second component, and a sealing unit. The first component is spaced apart from the second component to form a gap therebetween. The sealing unit is positioned in the gap between the first and second components to block liquids and/or gasses from traveling through the gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal assembly for use in a gas turbine engine comprising
a rotating engine component configured to rotate about a rotational axis,
a stationary engine component positioned in a fixed orientation relative to the rotational axis and spaced apart from the rotating engine component to form a gap therebetween, and
a sealing unit positioned in the gap between the stationary engine component and the rotating engine component, the sealing unit including a body and a coating, the body including a first surface and a second surface, the coating coupled to the first surface establishes a coated first surface and at least a portion of the second surface is free from the coating to establish an uncoated portion of the second surface, and the coated first surface directly engages the stationary engine component and the uncoated portion of the second surface directly engages the rotating engine component to form a mechanical seal between the stationary engine component and the rotating engine component.

2. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is an outer-circumferential surface, the second surface is an inner-circumferential surface spaced apart from the outer-circumferential surface, the body further includes a first axial surface extending between the inner-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface and a second axial surface spaced apart from the first axial surface and extending between the inner-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface, and at least a portion of the inner-circumferential surface of the sealing unit is free from the coating and engages the rotating engine component to form a circumferential seal.

3. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first axial surface of the sealing unit engages with a surface of the stationary engine component to form a face seal.

4. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second axial surface is formed to include an aperture opening into a space formed in the body, the space is defined by a first inner surface, and the coating is applied to the first inner surface.

5. The seal assembly of claim 4 , wherein the outer-circumferential surface is formed to include an aperture opening into a space formed in the body, the space is defined by a second inner surface, and the coating is coupled to the second inner surface.

6. The seal assembly of claim 5 , wherein the inner-circumferential surface is formed to include an aperture opening into a space formed in the body, the space is defined by a third inner surface, and the coating is coupled to the third inner surface.

7. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the outer-circumferential surface is formed to include an aperture opening into a space formed in the body, the space is defined by a second inner surface, and the coating is coupled to the second inner surface.

8. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inner-circumferential surface is formed to include an aperture opening into a space formed in the body, the space is defined by a third inner surface, and the coating is coupled to the third inner surface.

9. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a first axial surface, the second surface is a second axial surface spaced apart from the first axial surface, the body further includes an outer-circumferential surface extending between the first and second axial surfaces, an inner-circumferential surface extending between the first and second axial surfaces, and at least a portion of the second axial surface of the sealing unit is free from the coating and engages the rotating engine component to form a face seal.

10. The seal assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sealing unit further includes a third axial surface positioned to lie between the first axial surface and the second axial surface and an intermediate-circumferential surface is positioned between the inner-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface and extends between the second axial surface and the third axial surface, the outer-circumferential surface extends between the first axial surface and the third axial surface, the second axial surface is uncoated and engages the rotating engine component, and the coating is applied to the third axial surface, and the intermediate-circumferential surface.

11. The seal assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sealing unit further includes an intermediate-circumferential surface positioned between the inner-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface, a third axial surface positioned between the first axial surface and the second axial radially surface extending between the intermediate-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface, and a fourth axial surface positioned between the first axial surface and the third axial surface radially extending between the intermediate-circumferential surface and the outer-circumferential surface, and the coating is coupled to the third axial surface, the fourth axial surface, and the intermediate-circumferential surface.

12. The seal assembly of claim 11 , wherein the outer-circumferential surface engages with a surface of the stationary engine component to form a circumferential seal.

13. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating is less than or equal to about 0.001 inches in thickness.

14. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating is formed from an oxidation resistant material.

15. The seal assembly of claim 14 , wherein the coating is formed from a ceramic material.

16. The seal assembly of claim 15 , wherein the coating is formed from silicon carbide (SiC).

17. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating is applied by chemical vapor deposition.

18. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body is formed from carbon.

19. The seal assembly of claim 18 , wherein the body is formed from graphitic carbon.

20. The seal assembly of claim 19 , wherein the coating does not penetrate into the body.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Copeland Andrew D
• Munson John H

Classifications

• F16J15/441

  with floating ring · CPC title

• F02C7/28 Primary

  Arrangement of seals · CPC title

• F01D25/183

  Sealing means · CPC title

• F05D2300/611

  Coating · CPC title

• F16J15/443

  provided with discharge channels · CPC title