Phonic seal seat

• US 10,174,629 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Valva, Christopher M., Davis, Todd A., Walker, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Charles, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US15/700,922
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 384130, 384477, 384481, 384467, 277306, 277358, 277408, 415175, 415229, 184 626, 184 14
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/003 by packing rings; Mechanical seals
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/20 Devices dealing with sensing elements or final actuators or transmitting means between them, e.g. power-assisted sensing elements alone F01D17/02; final actuators alone F01D17/10
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/183 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/28 Arrangement of seals
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/50 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/55 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/667 related to conditioning, e.g. cooling, filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 37/00 Cooling of bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3404 and characterised by parts or details relating to lubrication, cooling or venting of the seal
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2210/12 Gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2210/14 Bearings

Abstract

A sealing assembly for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes a shaft and a seal plate mounted to the shaft. The shaft is configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. The seal plate includes an annular body, scoop, sealing surface, plurality of teeth, and channel. The scoop is connected to and extends radially from the annular body. The scoop defines a lip and an annulus surrounding the shaft and is disposed on a first axial end of the annular body. The sealing surface is disposed on a second axial end of the annular body opposite from the scoop. The plurality of teeth are disposed into and along an outer perimeter of a portion of the annular body. The channel extends through a portion of the annular body and is fluidly connected to the scoop and to the sealing surface.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine, the sealing assembly comprising:

a shaft configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine; and

a seal plate mounted to the shaft, wherein the seal plate comprises;

an annular body;

a scoop connected to and extending radially from the annular body, wherein the scoop defines an annulus surrounding the shaft, wherein the scoop is disposed on a first axial end of the annular body;

a sealing surface disposed on a second axial end of the annular body opposite from the scoop;

a plurality of teeth disposed into and along an outer perimeter of a portion of the annular body; and

a channel extending through a portion of the annular body, wherein the channel is fluidly connected to the scoop and to the sealing surface.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal plate comprises a wet seal configured to form a sealing interface using a fluid.

3. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal plate comprises a face seal with the sealing surface oriented orthogonally to a rotational axis of the seal plate.

4. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal plate comprises a rotating seal configured to form a sealing interface while rotating.

5. The sealing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensor disposed radially outward from the seal plate, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a rotational velocity of the seal plate.

6. The sealing assembly of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises a probe configured to create a magnetic field and sense changes in the magnetic field as the plurality of teeth of the seal plate rotates relative to the probe thereby perturbing the magnetic field of the probe.

7. The sealing assembly of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises a tip configured to sense movement of the tooth.

8. The sealing assembly of claim 5, wherein the sensor is mounted to a cross-over housing of the gas turbine engine.

9. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein a material of the seal plate comprises a ferromagnetic metal.

10. A method of measuring a rate of rotation of a seal plate in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

rotating the seal plate, wherein the seal plate comprises;

an annular body;

a scoop connected to and extending radially from the annular body, wherein the scoop defines an annulus, wherein the scoop is disposed on a first axial end of the annular body;

a sealing surface disposed on a second axial end of the annular body opposite from the scoop;

a plurality of teeth disposed into and along an outer perimeter of a portion of the annular body; and

a channel extending through a portion of the annular body, wherein the channel is fluidly connected to the scoop and to the sealing surface; and

sensing a rate of rotation of the seal plate with a sensor, wherein the sensor is mounted to a housing of the gas turbine engine.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising catching oil with a scoop of the seal plate, wherein the scoop is disposed on a first axial end of the seal plate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising drawing oil through the channel from the scoop to the sealing surface.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a wet sealing interface at the sealing surface with the oil drawn through the channel from the scoop.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein sensing a rate of rotation of the seal plate further comprises sensing a change in a magnetic field of the sensor caused by the plurality of teeth of the rotating seal plate.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein rotating the seal plate further comprises rotating the seal plate relative to the sensor.

16. A seal plate comprising:

an annular body;

a scoop connected to and extending radially from the annular body, wherein the scoop defines an annulus, wherein the scoop is disposed on a first axial end of the annular body;

a sealing surface disposed on a second axial end of the annular body opposite from the scoop;

a plurality of teeth disposed into and along an outer perimeter of a portion of the annular body, wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to induce a current as the seal plate is rotated; and

a channel extending through a portion of the annular body, wherein the channel is fluidly connected to the scoop and to the sealing surface, wherein the seal plate comprises a wet seal configured to form a sealing interface using a fluid, wherein the seal plate comprises a face seal with the sealing surface oriented orthogonally to a rotational axis of the seal plate, and wherein a material of the seal plate comprises a ferromagnetic metal.

17. The seal plate of claim 16, wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to engage with a magnetic probe such that a current is induced in the magnetic probe as the seal plate rotates.

18. The seal plate of claim 16, wherein the seal plate comprises a rotating seal configured to form the sealing interface while rotating.