Sealing arrangement for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638052-B2
Application number	US-201514924165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

There is described a seal assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising: a first seal having a sealing passage which defines a flow path trajectory for leakage air, the first seal for partitioning a first pressure area to a lower pressure area; a second seal located along the line of the flow path trajectory of the first seal, the second seal for partitioning a second pressure area and the lower pressure area; a deflection member located between the first seal and second seal, and in the trajectory of the flow path from the first seal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seal assembly between static and rotating parts of a gas turbine engine comprising:
a first seal formed as a labyrinth seal having one or more fins extending between the stator and rotor to a seating interlace which defines a sealing passage and a flow path trajectory for leakage air exiting the seal along an exit flow path, the labyrinth seal for partitioning a first pressure area and a lower pressure area;
a second seal located along a line of the flow path trajectory of the first seal, the second seal for partitioning a second pressure area and the lower pressure area;
a first deflection member downstream of the labyrinth seal relative to the leakage air exiting the first seal and extending between the rotor and stator, the first deflection member being located between the first seal and the second seal, and traversing the exit flow path from the first seal, wherein the separation between the deflection member and opposing static part or rotating part is greater than a separation of the sealing interface.

2. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pressure area is a higher pressure area and the second pressure area is an intermediate pressure area.

3. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first deflection member is inclined in a downstream direction.

4. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the low pressure area is contained within a low pressure chamber which includes an exit aperture in a wall thereof.

5. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first deflection member is positioned between the exit of the first seal and an exit aperture of the low pressure chamber.

6. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the low pressure chamber is bounded by at least one wall located opposite the exit aperture, and the first deflection member is angled away to direct the flow towards the at least one wall and away from the exit aperture.

7. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first seal and the second seal are on opposing sides of the lower pressure chamber and the flow path trajectories of the first and second seals enter the lower pressure chamber in opposing directions.

8. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a second deflection member is located downstream of the second seal.

9. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the low pressure chamber which includes an exit aperture in a wall thereof and is further bounded by at least one wall located opposite the exit aperture and wherein the second deflection member is located on the at least one wall located opposite the exit aperture.

10. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second deflection member is angled away from an opposing wall such that a longitudinal axis of the opposing wall points towards the exit aperture.

11. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first and second deflection members combine to provide a meandering flow path extending between the first seal exit and the exit aperture of the low pressure chamber.

12. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first seal is a labyrinth seal.

13. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second seal is a labyrinth seal.

14. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second seals include a sealing interface between the rotating and static parts, and a bulk flow path trajectory is in-line with the sealing interface.

15. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 14 , the sealing interface defining an imaginary axis which generally defines the flow seal trajectory.

16. The seal assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the direction of the first flow path trajectory is towards the second seal, and the second seal flow path trajectory is towards the first seal.

17. A seal assembly between rotating parts and static parts of a gas turbine engine, the seal assembly comprising:
a first seal having a sealing passage which defines a flow path trajectory for leakage air, the first seal including all interfaces between the rotating parts and static parts that partition a first pressure area and a lower pressure area;
a second seal located along a line of the flow path trajectory of the first seal, the second seal including all interfaces between the rotating parts and static parts that partition a second pressure area and the lower pressure area;
a first deflection member located between the first seal and the second seal, and extending transverse to a trajectory of an exit flow path from the first seal, the first deflection member not having an interface between the rotating parts and static parts.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Shorney Andrew

Classifications

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• 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

• F04D29/102

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F16J15/447

  Labyrinth packings · CPC title