None.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a turbo machine, and more specifically to a gas turbine engine with an air riding seal formed between a rotor and a stator of a turbine in which the air riding seal is self-balancing.
Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In a gas turbine engine, such as a large frame heavy-duty industrial gas turbine (IGT) engine, a hot gas stream generated in a combustor is passed through a turbine to produce mechanical work. The turbine includes one or more rows or stages of stator vanes and rotor blades that react with the hot gas stream in a progressively decreasing temperature. The efficiency of the turbine—and therefore the engine—can be increased by passing a higher temperature gas stream into the turbine. However, the turbine inlet temperature is limited to the material properties of the turbine, especially the first stage vanes and blades, and an amount of cooling capability for these first stage airfoils.
A seal is required between a stator and a rotor of a turbine in order to prevent a main stream gas flow from leaking into a rim cavity where the rotor disk surfaces can be affected by high thermal loads. One effective seal is an air riding or seal disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,473 issued to Aho, J R. on Nov. 29, 2011 and entitled FLOATING AIR SEAL FOR A TURBINE, the entire contents being incorporated herein by reference. The Aho, J R. air riding seal provides a very effective seal with a minimal of wear for the high temperature environment for which the seal is used.
One problem with the Aho, J R. air riding seal is during engine transients such as when the gas turbine engine is shut down or started up. During these transient phases, the pressure balance equilibrium across the seal is perturbed causing the potential for the seal to contact the rotor creating wear and premature failure. The present invention provides a means to ensure the seal doesn't contact the rotor under any circumstances as well as the ability to control the activation of the seal.
A turbine of a gas turbine engine includes an air riding seal formed by an annular piston movable in an axial direction that forms a seal between a rotor and a stator of the turbine. The annular piston includes a radial extending labyrinth tooth that separates a first pressure chamber from a second pressure chamber on which an air pressure acts to move the annular piston in the axial direction. A central passage formed in the annular piston connects the first pressure chamber to a cushion chamber that forms the seal between the rotor surface of the annular piston to move the annular piston toward the rotor surface. A radial orifice connects the second pressure chamber to the central passage to move the annular piston away from the rotor surface.
The air riding seal can include a pressure supply valve with an open and closed position that can supply pressure to the second pressure chamber that will move the annular piston away from the rotor surface.
The present invention is an improvement in the floating or air riding annular seal of the air riding seal in U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,473 issued to Aho, J R. on Nov. 29, 2011 and entitled FLOATING AIR SEAL FOR A TURBINE in which the air riding seal is a self-balancing air riding seal. The air riding seal of the present invention is intended for use in a turbine of an industrial gas turbine engine to provide a seal between a rotor and a stator of the engine. During an engine transient such as start-up or shut-down of the engine, the air riding seal would lose pressure and thus make contact with the rotation surface and prematurely wear out the seal surface. Thus, during these transient phases, the self-balancing air riding seal will lift off of the rotor surface so as to minimize of even eliminate any rubbing and thus wear of the seal.
A pressure switching valve supplies high pressure air (P) to a backside surface of the seal in chamber 18.
Air pressure in
During start-up and shut-down of the turbine, the bias force of the spring 28 will pull the seal away from the rotor surface 21. Pressure at 31 plus pressure at 32 plus pressure at 33 equals the pressure at 34. Then the total force equals negative pressure of the spring 28. At the critical pressure, the opening and closing forces are balanced. Pressure at 31 is greater than pressure at 34. The total force is thus zero. Above the critical pressure, the closing forces are greater than the opening forces, and the seal moves toward the rotor 21. The total force is greater than zero. At a steady-state operation, as the seal approaches the rotor the hydrostatic pressure increases and the seal balances to the desired operating clearance.
The geometry of the seal can be designed such that the critical pressure is achieved at a desired operating point (delta P) by adjusting the area ratios. The bias force of the spring can be achieved by a spring, a magnet, or other similar mechanism.
This invention was made with Government support under contract number DE-SC0008218 awarded by Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
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