SEAL SEGMENT FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE

• US 20170022840A1
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc), Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Thomas, David John, Freeman, Ted Joseph, Lamusga, Joseph Pan
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/08 for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/12 Cooling of plants of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/11 Shroud seal segments
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/941 particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/2261 of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/6012 Woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/6033 Ceramic matrix composites [CMC]

Abstract

A seal segment for a gas turbine engine has a radially outer wall with a first length, a radially inner wall with a second length, and a rib member which extends radially between the outer wall and the inner wall and along the first and second lengths.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a housing;

at least one compressor positioned within the housing;

at least one turbine operably coupled to the at least one compressor and including a plurality of blades extending radially from a longitudinal axis of the engine; and

a seal segment positioned along a portion of the housing and comprising;

a radially outer wall having a first length extending annularly around a portion of the engine;

a radially inner wall positioned intermediate the outer wall and the portion of the engine and having a second length; and

a rib member extending between the outer wall and the inner wall and along the first and second lengths.

2. The engine of claim 1, further comprising a first lateral wall extending between the outer wall and the inner wall and a second lateral wall extending between the outer wall and the inner wall, and a distance between the first lateral wall and the rib member is greater than a distance between the second lateral wall and the rib member.

3. The engine of claim 2, wherein a first cooling gas passage extends from the first lateral wall to the rib member and a second cooling gas passage extends from the second lateral wall to the rib member.

4. The engine of claim 3, wherein the rib member includes a plurality of openings configured to permit flow of cooling gases between the first and second cooling gas passages through the openings.

5. The engine of claim 1, wherein at least the radially inner wall is comprised of a ceramic material.

6. The engine of claim 1, wherein the rib member is integral with the outer wall and the inner wall.

7. The engine of claim 1, wherein the outer wall includes at least one aperture configured to receive a connector member.

8. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a housing;

at least one compressor positioned within the housing;

at least one turbine operably coupled to the at least one compressor and including a plurality of blades extending radially from a longitudinal axis of the engine; and

a seal segment positioned along a portion of the housing and comprising;

a radially outer wall;

a radially inner wall positioned intermediate the outer wall and at least one of the at least one compressor or the at least one turbine;

a first lateral wall extending between the outer and inner walls;

a second lateral wall extending between the outer and inner walls;

a rib member extending between the outer wall and the inner wall and intermediate the first and second lateral walls;

a first cooling passage bounded by the outer wall, the inner wall, the rib member, and the first lateral wall; and

a second cooling passage bounded by the outer wall, the inner wall, the rib member, and the second lateral wall.

9. The engine of claim 8, wherein a volume of the first cooling passage is greater than a volume of the second cooling passage.

10. The engine of claim 8, wherein a distance between the first lateral wall and the rib member is greater than a distance between the second lateral wall and the rib member.

11. The engine of claim 8, wherein the outer wall has a first length extending annularly around a portion of the engine and the inner wall has a second length extending annularly around the portion of the engine, and the rib member extends continuously along the first and second lengths.

12. The engine of claim 8, wherein the outer wall has a first length extending annularly around a portion of the engine and the inner wall has a second length extending annularly around the portion of the engine, and the rib member includes a plurality of rib sections positioned along the first and second lengths.

13. The engine of claim 8, wherein the rib member includes a plurality of openings configured to permit flow of cooling gases between the first and second cooling passages through the openings.

14. The engine of claim 8, wherein the outer wall includes at least one aperture configured to receive a connector member.

15. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a housing;

at least one compressor positioned within the housing;

at least one turbine operably coupled to the at least one compressor and including a plurality of blades extending radially from a longitudinal axis of the engine; and

a seal segment positioned along a portion of the housing and comprising;

a radially outer wall;

a radially inner wall positioned intermediate the outer wall and the blades of the turbine;

a first lateral wall extending between the outer and inner walls;

a second lateral wall extending between the outer and inner walls; and

a rib member extending between the outer wall and the inner wall and intermediate the first and second walls, and the outer wall, the inner wall, the rib member, and the first lateral wall define a first cross-section of the seal segment, and the outer wall, the inner wall, the rib member, and the second lateral wall define a second cross-section of the seal segment.

16. The engine of claim 15, wherein an area of the first cross-section is greater than an area of the second cross-section.

17. The engine of claim 15, wherein the first cross-section has an elongate shape.

18. The engine of claim 17, wherein the elongate shape is substantially rectangular.

19. The engine of claim 15, wherein a distance between the first lateral wall and the rib member is greater than a distance between the second lateral wall and the rib member.

20. The engine of claim 15, wherein the outer wall has a first length extending annularly around a portion of the engine and the inner wall has a second length extending annularly around the portion of the engine, and the rib member extends continuously along the first and second lengths.

21. The engine of claim 15, wherein the seal segment is comprised of a plurality of fabric layers.

22. The engine of claim 15, wherein the seal segment is comprised of a three-dimensional woven structure.

23. The engine of claim 15, wherein the outer wall includes at least one aperture configured to receive a connector member.