Inter-module finger seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9562478-B2
Application number	US-201213730886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2012
Priority date	Dec 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first module, a second module, and a finger seal. The second module is connected to the first module along a joint. The finger seal is connected to the first module at a fixed end and has a free end that cantilevers from the fixed end to contact the second module. The finger seal acts to seal the joint between the first module and second module from an ingestion gas flow of the gas turbine engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first module;
a second module connected to the first module along a joint; and
a finger seal connected to the first module at a fixed end and having a free end that cantilevers from the fixed end to contact the second module, wherein the finger seal seals the joint between the first module and second module from an ingestion gas flow of the gas turbine engine, wherein the finger seal causes the ingestion gas flow to change a flow direction and pass between a fairing and the first module.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the contact between the finger seal and the second module occurs along a peak of an arcuate portion of the finger seal.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate portion occurs adjacent an end of the finger seal.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the arcuate portion is adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the finger seal is comprised of two or more layers.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second module causes deflection of the finger seal.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first module is disposed upstream of the second module with respect to a direction of main engine gas flow through the gas turbine engine, and wherein a trailing end of the first module is connected to a leading end of the second module.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second module has a chamfer adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first module comprises an outer radial casing section and the second module comprises an outer radial casing section.

10. An assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first outer radial casing section;
a second outer radial casing section having a leading end connected to a trailing end of the first casing section; and
a finger seal mounted to the first casing section at a fixed end and contacted and deflected by the second casing section along an arcuate portion of a free end of the finger seal, wherein the finger seal causes an ingestion gas flow to change a flow direction and pass between a fairing and the first casing section.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the contact between the finger seal and the second casing section occurs along a peak of the arcuate portion of the finger seal.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the arcuate portion occurs adjacent an end of the finger seal.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the arcuate portion is adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second casing section has a chamfer adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

15. A turbine section for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first module having a first casing section disposed radially outward of a fairing;
a second module having a second casing section with a leading end connected to a trailing end of the first casing section; and
a finger seal disposed radially outward from both the fairing and a main gas flow path of the gas turbine engine, wherein the finger seal cantilevers from a fixed end mounted to the first casing section to a free end that is deflected by the second casing section, wherein the free end has an arcuate portion with a peak that is arranged to contact an inner radial surface of the second casing section in order to seal an area between the first casing section and the second casing section from an ingestion gas flow.

16. The turbine section of claim 15 , wherein the finger seal is comprised of two or more layers.

17. The turbine section of claim 15 , wherein the arcuate portion occurs adjacent an end of the finger seal, and wherein the arcuate portion adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

18. The turbine section of claim 15 , wherein the second casing section has a chamfer adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

19. An assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first module;
a second module connected to the first module along a joint; and
a finger seal connected to the first module at a fixed end and having a free end that cantilevers from the fixed end to contact the second module, wherein the finger seal seals the joint between the first module and second module from an ingestion gas flow of the gas turbine engine, wherein the second module has a chamfer adapted to mitigate damage to the finger seal upon installation.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Chuong Conway
• Budnick Matthew

Classifications

• F05D2240/57

  Leaf seals · CPC title

• F02C7/28 Primary

  Arrangement of seals · CPC title

• F01D25/162

  Bearing supports · CPC title