Trough seal for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714580-B2
Application number	US-201414907461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine including a first engine component and a second engine component. The first engine component has a mate face adjacent a mate face of the second engine component. The engine further includes a seal provided between the mate face of the first engine component and the mate face of the second engine component. The seal includes least one trough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first engine component and a second engine component, the first engine component having a mate face adjacent a mate face of the second engine component, wherein each mate face includes a linear surface and an arcuate surface, each arcuate surface including a concave surface and a convex surface; and
a seal between the mate face of the first engine component and the mate face of the second engine component, the seal including at least one trough, wherein the seal maintains a first point of contact and a second point of contact with each mate face, wherein each first point of contact is with each linear surface, and wherein each second point of contact is with each convex surface.

2. The engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seal includes a linear portion, and a first wall and a second wall protruding away from the linear portion to provide the at least one trough.

3. The engine as recited in claim 2 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall provide an overlap portion at an end distal from the linear portion, the overlap portions including a first point of contact between the seal and each of the mate faces.

4. The engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the overlap portions have an inflection away from a centerline of the seal.

5. The engine as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall have an inflection toward the centerline of the seal proximate the linear portion.

6. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first engine component and a second engine component, the first engine component having a mate face adjacent a mate face of the second engine component; and
a seal between the mate face of the first engine component and the mate face of the second engine component, the seal including at least one trough;
wherein the seal includes a linear portion, and a first wall and a second wall protruding away from the linear portion to provide the at least one trough;
wherein each of the first wall and the second wall provide an overlap portion at an end distal from the linear portion, the overlap portions including a first point of contact between the seal and each of the mate faces;
wherein the overlap portions radially overlap a high pressure surface of the first and second engine components.

7. The engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein each mate face includes a substantially convex surface adjacent the high pressure surface, the overlap portions being in contact with the convex surfaces.

8. The engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first component and the second component bound a working fluid flow path of the engine.

9. A seal for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a linear portion; and
a first wall and a second wall, the first and second walls protruding away from the linear portion to provide at least one trough therebetween, each of the first wall and the second wall having a portion with an inflection away from the centerline of the seal, wherein the seal is substantially U-shaped.

10. The seal as recited in claim 9 , wherein the portion with the inflection away from the centerline of the seal is provided distal from the linear portion.

11. The seal as recited in claim 10 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall have an inflection toward the centerline of the seal proximate the linear portion.

12. The seal as recited in claim 9 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall include at least one pressure balance hole proximate the linear portion.

13. A method of assembly, comprising:
arranging a mate face of a first component adjacent a mate face of a second component to provide a track, wherein the track is open in a radial direction;
pinching first and second walls of a seal toward one another; and
inserting the seal into the track in the radial direction.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , including releasing the first and second walls after the seal is inserted into the track, such that the first and second walls spring outwardly away from one another to maintain the seal in the track.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the seal includes a linear portion, the first and second walls protruding upwardly from the linear portion.

16. The engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the seal includes a linear portion, a first wall, and a second wall,
each of the linear portion, the first wall, and the second wall have an inner surface facing the trough and an outer surface facing away from the trough,
the seal maintains a first point of contact with each mate face between the outer surface of the linear portion and the horizontal surface of each mate face, and
the seal maintains a second point of contact with each mate face between outer surfaces of the first and second walls and a respective convex surface of each mate face.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the first and second walls of the seal are pinched toward one another in a direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction.

18. The engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the linear surfaces are co-planar, and
each convex surface is spaced-apart from a respective linear surface by a respective concave surface.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Slavens Thomas N
• Moore Sasha M
• Loricco Nicholas M

Classifications

• F05D2250/75

  given by its similarity to a letter, e.g. T-shaped · CPC title

• F01D11/008 Primary

  by spacer elements between the blades, e.g. independent interblade platforms · CPC title

• F04D29/083 Primary

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D11/006

  Sealing the gap between rotor blades or blades and rotor · CPC title

• F04D29/542

  Bladed diffusers (fixing blades to stators F01D9/042) · CPC title