IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,709,987
Granted Patent B2
US 12,709,987 · App. 19/041,609 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Ceramic matrix composite blade outer air seal feather seal configuration and method

Inventors: David Wasserman (Hamden, CT); Howard Liles (Newington, CT); Daniel Whitney (East Waterboro, ME); Cheng Gao (South Glastonbury, CT)
Assignee: RTX Corporation
F01D11/08F01D11/005F05D2240/55F05D2260/30F05D2300/6033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,709,987
App. No.
19/041,609
Filed
Jan 30, 2025
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3711
USPC
415/170.1
Abstract

A feather seal arrangement for a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) blade outer air seal (BOAS) of a turbine engine includes a CMC BOAS segment having a specific geometry and a first feather seal. The CMC BOAS segment includes a shoe having a flowpath side, an opposing non-flowpath side, and first and second matefaces extending axially between the flowpath side and the non-flowpath side from an upstream leading edge to a downstream trailing edge. One or more support flanges extend substantially transverse from the non-flowpath side. A geometry of the CMC BOAS segment allows a substantially flat first feather seal surface to be disposed on the non-flowpath side adjacent and substantially transverse to the first mateface. A first feather seal is disposed atop the non-flowpath side on the first feather seal surface and extends to an adjacent feather seal surface of an adjacent CMC BOAS segment.

Claims (28)

1 . A feather seal arrangement for a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) blade outer air seal (BOAS) of a turbine engine, comprising:

a CMC BOAS segment including:

a shoe having a flowpath side configured for exposure to a hot gas path of the turbine engine, an opposing non-flowpath side, and first and second matefaces extending axially between the flowpath side and the non-flowpath side from an upstream leading edge to a downstream trailing edge;

one or more support flanges extending substantially transverse from the non-flowpath side; and

a substantially flat first feather seal surface disposed on the non-flowpath side adjacent and substantially transverse to the first mateface;

a first feather seal disposed atop the non-flowpath side on the first feather seal surface and extending to an adjacent feather seal surface of an adjacent CMC BOAS segment; and

a first full hoop retainer configured for retaining an upstream end of the first feather seal and/or a second full hoop retainer configured for retaining a downstream end of the first feather seal,

wherein the first and/or second full hoop retainer comprises an axial recess configured to axially hold the upstream and/or downstream end of the first feather seal, respectively.

2 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flanges extend between the first and second matefaces.

3 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more flanges are set back from the first mateface to provide the first feather seal surface.

4 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more flanges includes an undercut portion to provide the first feather seal surface.

5 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the one or more flanges comprise two flanges that are set back from the first mateface, a plateau extends from the non-flowpath side between the two flanges, and the first feather seal is disposed on the plateau.

6 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the one or more flanges comprise two flanges that include a first flange set back from the first mateface, and a second flange having an undercut portion adjacent the first mateface.

7 . The feather seal arrangement of claim 6 , further comprising a ramp that extends between the first flange and the second flange, and the first feather seal surface is disposed on the ramp.

8 . A feather seal method for a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) blade outer air seal (BOAS) of a turbine engine, comprising:

providing a CMC BOAS segment including:

a shoe having a flowpath side configured for exposure to a hot gas path of the turbine engine, an opposing non-flowpath side, and first and second matefaces extending axially between the flowpath side and the non-flowpath side from an upstream leading edge to a downstream trailing edge;

one or more support flanges extending substantially transverse from the non-flowpath side; and

a substantially flat first feather seal surface disposed on the non-flowpath side adjacent and substantially transverse to the first mateface;

disposing a first feather seal atop the non-flowpath side on the first feather seal surface and extending the feather seal to an adjacent feather seal surface of an adjacent CMC BOAS segment;

disposing a first full hoop retainer to retain an upstream end of the first feather seal and/or a second full hoop retainer to retain a downstream end of the first feather seal; and

axially holding the upstream and/or downstream end of the first feather seal in an axial recess of the first and/or second full hoop retainer, respectively.

9 . The feather seal method of claim 8 , further comprising disposing the one or more flanges to extend between the first and second matefaces.

10 . The feather seal method of claim 9 , further comprising setting at least one of the one or more flanges back from the first mateface to provide the first feather seal surface.

11 . The feather seal method of claim 9 , further comprising undercutting a portion of at least one of the one or more flanges to provide the first feather seal surface.

12 . The feather seal method of claim 9 , wherein providing the one or more flanges comprises providing two flanges that are setback from the first mateface, and further providing a plateau that extends from the non-flowpath side between the two flanges, and disposing the first feather seal on the plateau.

13 . The feather seal method of claim 9 , wherein providing the one or more flanges comprises providing two flanges including a first flange set back from the first mateface, and a second flange having an undercut portion adjacent the first mateface.

14 . The feather seal method of claim 13 , further comprising providing a ramp that extends between the first flange and the second flange, and disposing the first feather seal surface on the ramp.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2025
From: WASSERMAN, DAVID; LILES, HOWARD; WHITNEY, DANIEL; GAO, CHENG
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 070795/0443 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20260218619A1 · Jul 30, 2026
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