Gas-turbine brush seals with permanent radial gap

• US 6,488,471 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Force Government of The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Bloch, Gregory S., Stibich, Marvin A., Puterbaugh, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Application Number:
  US09/844,742
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 415/173.3, 415/174.2, 415/174.5, 415/173.5, 415/231, 608/05, 607/79
• US Class Current: 415/173.3
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/001 for sealing space between stator blade and rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/127 with a deformable or crushable structure, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/164 of an axial flow wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/526 Details of the casing section radially opposing blade tips ducts F04D29/545
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/685 Inducing localised fluid recirculation in the stator-rotor interface
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/56 Brush seals
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/445 with means for adjusting the clearance

Abstract

Certain transient events such as hard landings, high g-rate turns, thermal conditions, and high turbulence may cause rubbing events inside the gas turbine that result from the flexure of the engine shafts. In order to prevent permanent damage to the engine or operational interference, brush seals are used such that the tips of the stator blades and the tips of the respective opposing annular brush seals, and the tips of the rotor blades and the tips of the respective opposing annular brush seals define substantial radial clearances that provide gaps that remain open under all regular and normal operating conditions of the gas engine.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a gas turbine engine compressor to withstand transient rub events, said compressor including an axially disposed, rotatable rotor having a series of rotor blades arranged axially in rows received within a stator including a series of stator blades arranged axially in rows corresponding with said rows of rotor blades, said method comprising the steps of:

providing rub tolerant, deformable surfaces in between each of said rows of stator blades and located radially outward from the tips of the corresponding row of rotor blades;

providing rub tolerant, deformable surfaces upon the surface of said rotor in between each of said rows of rotor blades spaced a distance radially from the tips of the corresponding row of stator blades;

said rub tolerant, deformable surfaces in said first providing step above having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of said corresponding row of rotor blades;

said rub tolerant, deformable surfaces in said second providing step above having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of said corresponding row of stator blades; and

,

said rub tolerant, deformable surfaces from said providing steps above being annular brush seals;

wherein the tips of the stator blades and the tips of the respective opposing annular brush seals, and the tips of the rotor blades and the tips of the respective opposing annular brush seals define substantial radial clearances that provide gaps that remain open under all regular and normal operating conditions of the gas engine.