FLOATING, NON-CONTACT SEAL WITH ANGLED BEAMS

• US 20180058238A1
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Wong, Joey, Chuong, Conway
• Granted Patent: US 10,385,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/00 Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages sealings in general F16J ; sealing arrangements for transition ducts of combustor cans F01D9/023
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/02 by non-contact sealings, e.g. of labyrinth type for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator F01D11/08
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/025 Seal clearance control; Floating assembly; Adaptation means to differential thermal dilatations
• 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: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/02 Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 ; selecting particular materials F01D5/28
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/053 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/083 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/321 for axial flow compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/522 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/13 trapezoidal
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/50 Kinematic linkage, i.e. transmission of position
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/44 Free-space packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/441 with floating ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/442 segmented
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/445 with means for adjusting the clearance

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a floating, non-contact seal comprising: a shoe, a first beam coupled to the shoe, and a second beam coupled to the shoe, where the first beam is oriented at a first angle with respect to the shoe, the first angle having a first value that is greater than five degrees. Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an engine comprising: a first structure, a second structure configured to rotate relative to the first structure, and a floating, non-contact seal that interfaces the first structure and the second structure, where the seal includes: a shoe, a first beam coupled to the shoe, and a second beam coupled to the shoe, where the first beam is oriented at a first angle with respect to the shoe, the first angle having a first value that is greater than five degrees.

Claims

1. A floating, non-contact seal comprising:

a shoe;

a first beam coupled to the shoe; and

a second beam coupled to the shoe,

wherein the first beam is oriented at a first angle with respect to the shoe, the first angle having a first value that is greater than five degrees.

2. The floating, non-contact seal of claim 1, wherein the second beam is oriented at a second angle with respect to the shoe, the second angle having a second value that is greater than five degrees.

3. The floating, non-contract seal of claim 2, wherein the second value is less than ten degrees.

4. The floating, non-contract seal of claim 1, wherein the first value is less than ten degrees.

5. The floating, non-contact seal of claim 1, wherein the first beam is coupled to the shoe at a first location of the shoe and the second beam is coupled to the shoe at a second location of the shoe that is different from the first location.

6. The floating, non-contact seal of claim 1, wherein the first beam, the second beam, and the shoe form a four-bar linkage.

7. The floating, non-contact seal of claim 6, wherein the four-bar linkage is shaped as a parallelogram.

8. An engine comprising:

a first structure;

a second structure configured to rotate relative to the first structure; and

a floating, non-contact seal that interfaces the first structure and the second structure, wherein the seal includes;

a shoe;

a first beam coupled to the shoe; and

a second beam coupled to the shoe,

wherein the first beam is oriented at a first angle with respect to the shoe, the first angle having a first value that is greater than five degrees.

9. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first structure is an engine case.

10. The engine of claim 8, wherein the second structure includes at least one of a shaft or a rotor disk.

11. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first and second structures are part of a compressor section of the engine.

12. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first and second structures are part of a turbine section of the engine.

13. The engine of claim 8, wherein the seal interfaces a first region of the engine to a second region of the engine in terms of an airflow from the first region of the engine to the second region of the engine.

14. The engine of claim 13, wherein the shoe comprises a plurality of teeth, and wherein the airflow substantially flows in an axial direction relative to a centerline of the engine, radially between the teeth and the second structure.

15. The engine of claim 14, wherein the teeth are located radially outward of the second structure with respect to an axial centerline of the engine.

16. The engine of claim 8, wherein the second beam is oriented at a second angle with respect to the shoe, the second angle having a second value that is greater than five degrees, and wherein each of the first value and the second value is less than ten degrees.

17. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first beam is coupled to the shoe at a first location of the shoe and the second beam is coupled to the shoe at a second location of the shoe that is different from the first location.

18. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first beam, the second beam, and the shoe form a four-bar linkage.

19. The engine of claim 18, wherein the four-bar linkage is shaped as a parallelogram.

20. The engine of claim 8, wherein the first beam has a first length and the second beam has a second length that is equal to the first length.