IP Library Granted Patent US 10,107,126
Granted Patent B2
US 10,107,126 · App. 14/830,437 · Granted Oct 23, 2018

Non-contact seal assembly for rotational equipment

Inventors: William K. Ackermann (East Hartford, CT); Clifton J. Crawley, Jr. (Glastonbury, CT); Frederick M. Schwarz (Glastonbury, CT)
Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
F01D11/02F01D5/082F01D5/087F01D5/3015F01D9/041F01D9/065F01D11/001F01D11/122F16J15/442F05D2220/36F05D2240/55F05D2250/41F05D2260/20Y02T50/671Y02T50/673Y02T50/676
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,107,126
App. No.
14/830,437
Granted
Oct 23, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Assemblies are provided for rotational equipment. One of these assemblies includes a first bladed rotor assembly, a second bladed rotor assembly, a stator vane assembly, a stator structure and a seal assembly. The second bladed rotor assembly includes a rotor disk structure. The stator vane assembly is axially between the first and the second bladed rotor assemblies. The stator structure is mated with and radially within the stator vane assembly. The seal assembly is configured for sealing a gap between the stator structure and the rotor disk structure, wherein the seal assembly includes a non-contact seal.

Claims (53)

1. An assembly for rotational equipment, the assembly comprising:

a first bladed rotor assembly;

a second bladed rotor assembly including a rotor disk structure;

a stator vane assembly axially between the first and the second bladed rotor assemblies;

a stator structure mated with and radially within the stator vane assembly; and

a seal assembly configured for sealing a gap between the stator structure and the rotor disk structure, wherein the seal assembly includes a non-contact seal;

wherein the stator structure includes a tangential onboard injection nozzle configured to direct cooling air into an aperture in the rotor disk structure;

wherein the first bladed rotor assembly includes a second rotor disk structure; and

wherein the stator structure includes an internal plenum and a cooling aperture, the plenum is configured to feed air to the tangential onboard injection nozzle and the cooling aperture, and the cooling aperture is configured to direct air onto the second rotor disk structure.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact seal is a hydrostatic non-contact seal.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact seal comprises:

an annular base;

a plurality of shoes arranged around and radially adjacent the rotor disk structure; and

a plurality of spring elements, each of the spring elements radially between and connecting a respective one of the shoes to the base.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the base is configured with a monolithic full hoop body.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stator structure is floating radially within the stator vane assembly.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein

the first and the second bladed rotor assemblies are turbine rotor assemblies; and

the first bladed rotor assembly is upstream of the second bladed rotor assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second bladed rotor assembly is coupled with the first bladed rotor assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stator vane assembly includes a hollow stator vane with a conduit fluidly coupled with the tangential onboard injection nozzle.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second seal assembly configured for sealing a gap between the stator structure and a second rotor disk structure;

wherein the first bladed rotor assembly includes the second rotor disk structure.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the second seal assembly includes one or more knife edge seal elements and one or more corresponding abradable seal lands.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein

the rotor disk structure includes a rotor disk and a side plate affixed to the rotor disk;

the side plate includes a seal land with a cylindrical outer surface; and

the non-contact seal forms a seal with the cylindrical outer surface.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the side plate has a full hoop monolithic annular body.

13. An assembly for rotational equipment, the assembly comprising:

a first bladed rotor assembly;

second bladed rotor assembly including a rotor disk structure;

a stator vane assembly axially between the first and the second bladed rotor assemblies;

stator structure mated with and radially within the stator vane assembly; and

a seal assembly configured for sealing a gap between the stator structure and the rotor disk structure, wherein the seal assembly includes a non-contact seal;

wherein the rotor disk structure includes a rotor disk and a side plate affixed to the rotor disk;

wherein the side plate includes a seal land with a cylindrical outer surface;

wherein the non-contact seal forms a seal with the cylindrical outer surface;

wherein the second bladed rotor assembly further includes a plurality of rotor blades arranged around the rotor disk; and

wherein the rotor disk structure further includes a segmented second side plate circumscribing the side plate, and axially between the side plate and roots of the rotor blades.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the non-contact seal is a hydrostatic non-contact seal.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the non-contact seal comprises:

an annular base;

a plurality of shoes arranged around and radially adjacent the rotor disk structure; and

a plurality of spring elements, each of the spring elements radially between and connecting a respective one of the shoes to the base.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the base is configured with a monolithic full hoop body.

17. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the stator structure is floating radially within the stator vane assembly.

18. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein

the first and the second bladed rotor assemblies are turbine rotor assemblies; and

the first bladed rotor assembly is upstream of the second bladed rotor assembly.

19. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second bladed rotor assembly is coupled with the first bladed rotor assembly.

20. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the side plate has a full hoop monolithic annular body.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AND REMOVE PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11886281 AND ADD PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 14846874. TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054062 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055659/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 10, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053749/0442 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054062/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2015
From: ACKERMANN, WILLIAM K.; CRAWLEY, CLIFTON J., JR.; SCHWARZ, FREDERICK M.
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037377/0337 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170051621A1 · Feb 23, 2017