Gas turbine seal arrangement

Abstract

A turbine arrangement including a rotor and a stator surrounding the rotor and comprising guide vane segments, each guide vane segment comprising an airfoil and a radially inner vane platform. A seal arrangement includes a static seal inward from the inner vane platforms and having a radially extending face plate, first and second cylindrical seal walls extending from outer and inner ends of the annular face plate, an annular seal plate extending radially from the second cylindrical seal wall, and an angel wing extending between the first cylindrical seal wall and the annular seal plate to define a first annular cavity and a second annular cavity. Circumferentially spaced cut-outs define passages through the annular seal plate between the first and second annular cavities and are aligned with fasteners that attach the annular face plate to a support ring for supporting the inner vane platform.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to gas turbine engines and, in particular, to seal arrangements providing a seal between a hot gas flow path and a disk cavity supplied with secondary air.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In a gas turbine engine, hot combustion gases are routed from a combustor to a turbine section, in which stator vanes are designed to direct the hot gases onto rotor blades resulting in rotational movement of a rotor to which the rotor blades are connected. Radially inwards and outwards of airfoils of these stator vanes and rotor blades, platforms, casing structure, or other components may be present such as to form an annular fluid passage into which the airfoils of the stator vanes and the rotor blades extend and through which the hot combustion gases pass.[0003]As the rotating rows of rotor blades and non-rotating rows of stator vanes are arranged alternately, gaps may be present between the rows of rotor blades and the rows of stator van...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a turbine arrangement with improved sealing between the rotor and stator. The seal arrangement includes a plurality of guide vane segments and a seal plate with cut-outs that define passages between the first and second annular cavities. The cut-outs are aligned with fasteners and are designed to improve fluid communication between the annular flow path and the cavities. The technical effect of this invention is to improve the efficiency of the turbine arrangement by reducing leakage between the rotor and stator.

Problems solved by technology

The static seal may be held in position by bolts having heads that extend into the disk cavity and which can increase drag in the disk cavity, leading to increased cavity temperatures due to windage.

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