Patent Grant
10107141
The present disclosure relates to seal configurations for gas turbine engines and, in particular, to seal configurations with circumferential seal elements for a turbine assembly bearing compartment interface.
Gas turbine engines are required to operate efficiently during operation and flight. These engines create a tremendous amount of force and generate high levels of heat. As such, components of these engines are subjected to high levels of stress, temperature and pressure. It is necessary to provide components that can withstand the demands of a gas turbine engine.
Conventional configurations for gas turbine engines include multiple types of seal arrangements. Certain sections and compartments of a gas turbine engine may be provided with improved sealing configurations to improve at least one of efficiency, operation and safety of a gas turbine engine. There is also a desire to provide improved sealing configurations.
Disclosed and claimed herein are components and configurations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engines including seals. One embodiment is directed to a seal for a gas turbine engine including a first circumferential seal, a second circumferential seal, and a seal support structure configured to retain at least a portion of each of the first and second seals, wherein the seal support structure is mounted between a turbine assembly and bearing compartment, and wherein the first and second seals provide barriers to a cavity between the turbine assembly and bearing compartment.
In one embodiment, the first and second seals are W seals.
In one embodiment, the first and second seals are retained by the seal support structure in a co-planar arrangement.
In one embodiment, trailing edges of the first circumferential seal and the second circumferential seal are retained by the bearing compartment.
In one embodiment, the first circumferential seal is configured with a radius larger than the second circumferential seal.
In one embodiment, the first circumferential seal, second circumferential seal and seal support structure are aft of the turbine assembly and forward of the bearing compartment.
In one embodiment, the seal support structure is an annular structure.
In one embodiment, the seal support structure includes a plurality of channels to receive leading edges of the first and second circumferential seals and wherein the trailing edge of the first and second circumferential seals are engaged by the bearing compartment.
In one embodiment, seal is configured to seal a cavity between a high pressure turbine and bearing compartment associated with an inner case of the gas turbine engine.
In one embodiment, the seal is configured for a mid-turbine frame configuration of a gas turbine engine.
Another embodiment is directed to a gas turbine engine including a turbine assembly, a bearing compartment, and a seal between the turbine assembly and bearing compartment. The seal includes a first circumferential seal, a second circumferential seal, and a seal support structure configured to retain at least a portion of each of the first and second seals. The seal support structure is mounted between a turbine assembly and bearing compartment, and wherein the first and second seals provide barriers to a cavity between the turbine assembly and bearing compartment.
Other aspects, features, and techniques will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art in view of the following detailed description of the embodiments.
The features, objects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:
Overview and Terminology
One aspect of this disclosure relates to configurations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine seals. In one embodiment, a configuration is provided to seal between a turbine assembly, such as a high pressure turbine, and a bearing compartment. The seal configuration may be employed for mid-turbine frame configurations of gas turbine engines.
As used herein, the terms “a” or “an” shall mean one or more than one. The term “plurality” shall mean two or more than two. The term “another” is defined as a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having” are open ended (e.g., comprising). The term “or” as used herein is to be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” means “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment,” “certain embodiments,” “an embodiment,” or similar term means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner on one or more embodiments without limitation.
Exemplary Embodiments
According to one embodiment, gas turbine engine 10 may be configured with a mid-turbine frame configuration 50. A mid-turbine frame (MTF) configuration 50, or interturbine frame, is located generally between a high turbine stage (e.g., turbine rotors 17a) and a low pressure turbine stage (e.g., turbine rotors 17b) of gas turbine engine 10 to support one or more bearings and to transfer bearing loads through to an outer engine case 20. The mid-turbine frame configuration 50 is a load bearing structure. According to one embodiment, gas turbine engine 10 includes a seal configuration for a mid-turbine frame configuration 50.
Seals 305 and 310 are aft of a turbine assembly and forward of the bearing compartment 330. Seal support structure 315 includes a plurality of channels, such as channel 320 and 325 to receive leading edges 321 and 326 of the seals 305 and 310, respectively. The trailing edge of seals 305 and 310 are engaged by the bearing compartment 330.
According to one embodiment, in the case of a high temperature event, seal configuration 510 includes a seal close to cavity 525 and a backup seal close to turbine assembly 515 to prevent a direct path and/or leakage to the turbine assembly 515. Due to thermal growth, the inner case of turbine assembly 515 is hotter and grows more than bearing compartment 520. Bearing compartment support 520 and inner case 530 are tied together, such that seal configuration 510 allows for sealing between the two compartments. Cooling flow that is prevented from leaking through the seal configuration 510 passes radially outward through holes in the inner case 530, shown as 545, and provides cooling and purge flow for mid-turbine frame assembly and mid-turbine vane (not shown).
While this disclosure has been particularly shown and described with references to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the claimed embodiments.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4438939 | Pask | Mar 1984 | A |
| 5145316 | Birch | Sep 1992 | A |
| 9328626 | Duelm | May 2016 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160298473 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |
