SEAL CARRIER FOR A TURBOMACHINE

Abstract

A seal carrier (63) for a turbomachine (60) which is assembled from seal carrier segments, is provided. The seal carrier segments each have a seal structure (1a, b) on the radially inward side. These seal structures (1a, b) are either interleaved in the circumferential direction (4) such that a cross-sectional plane containing the longitudinal axis (2) of the turbomachine (60) intersects both the first seal structure (1a) and the second seal structure (1b), or the seal structures (1a, b) rest against each another.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A seal carrier for a turbomachine, the seal carrier comprising: a first and a second seal carrier segment assembled in succession with respect to a circumference about a longitudinal axis of the turbomachine; the first seal carrier segment having a first seal structure and the second carrier segment having a second seal structure on radially inward sides with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine; the first seal structure and the second seal structure being interleaved with one another with respect to the circumference such that a cross-sectional plane containing the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine intersects both the first seal structure and the second seal structure.

17. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein in a circumferential direction between the first seal structure and the second seal structure, a separating joint extends, the separating joint, when viewed in a radial direction, extending in an angled path relative to the axial direction, at least in portions thereof, along an axial extent.

18. The seal carrier as recited in claim 17 wherein the first seal structure and the second seal structure each form a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities axially and circumferentially separated from each other by cavity walls of the respective first and second seal structures, and wherein the separating joint intersects at least one of the cavities jointly formed by the first seal structure and the second seal structure at least partially open toward each other at the separating joint.

19. The seal carrier as recited in claim 17 wherein the first seal structure and the second seal structure each form a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities axially and circumferentially separated from each other by cavity walls of the respective first and second seal structures, and wherein the separating joint is completely bounded by adjacent cavity walls of the first and second seal structures closed toward each other at the separating joint.

20. The seal carrier as recited in claim 17 wherein the first seal structure and the second seal structure each form a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities axially and circumferentially separated from each other by cavity walls of the respective first and second seal structures, the cavities of the cavity structure being arranged regularly at least in the circumferential direction, and across and beyond the separating joint.

21. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the first seal structure (1a) and the second seal structure each form a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities axially and circumferentially separated from each other by cavity walls of the respective first and second seal structures, and wherein, at the cross-sectional plane, a cavity wall of the first seal structure extends into the second seal structure in the circumferential direction so as to be located axially between cavity walls of the second seal structure.

22. The seal carrier as recited in claim 21 wherein the cavity wall of the first seal structure extending into the second seal structure ends in the second seal structure at a distance from the cavity walls of the second seal structure.

23. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the first seal structure and the second seal structure each form a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities axially and circumferentially separated from each other by cavity walls of the respective first and second seal structures, and wherein, at the cross-sectional plane, a first cavity wall of the first seal structure merges into a second cavity wall of the second seal structure so that the first and second cavity walls form an interlocking fit.

24. The seal carrier as recited in claim 23 wherein the interlocking fit is formed by an intermeshing tongue-and-groove.

25. A seal carrier for a turbomachine, the seal carrier comprising: a first and a second seal carrier segment assembled in succession with respect to a circumference about a longitudinal axis of the turbomachine; the first seal carrier segment having a first seal structure and the second carrier segment having a second seal structure on radially inward sides with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine; the first seal structure and the second seal structure resting against each other.

26. The seal carrier as recited in claim 15 wherein the first seal structure has a spring element and rests against the second seal structure via the spring element so that the spring element forms a contact surface resiliently supported to be displaceable in the circumferential direction.

27. The seal carrier as recited in claim 26 wherein a bearing portion of the spring element is slidably supported in a remainder of the first seal structure such that a resiliently supported displacement of the contact surface is partially converted into a linear displacement of the bearing portion.

28. The seal carrier as recited in claim 25 wherein, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine, the first seal carrier segment has a first carrier structure radially outward of the first seal structure and the second seal carrier segment has a second carrier structure radially outward of the second seal structure, and wherein the first and second sea carrier segments are attached to each other by the first and second carrier structures, but are otherwise movable relative to one another in the respective first and second seal structures.

29. The seal carrier as recited in claim 25 wherein the first seal carrier segment is a first seal carrier half-shell and the second seal carrier segment is a second seal carrier half-shell, the two seal carrier half-shells jointly forming the seal carrier and being assembled together in an interlocking or fictional manner.

30. The seal carrier as recited in claim 25 wherein the first and second seal carrier segments are each additively manufactured parts.

31. A turbomachine comprising the seal carrier as recited in claim 25.

32. A jet engine comprising the turbomachine as recited in claim 31.

33. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine, the first seal carrier segment has a first carrier structure radially outward of the first seal structure and the second seal carrier segment has a second carrier structure radially outward of the second seal structure, and wherein the first and second sea carrier segments are attached to each other by the first and second carrier structures, but are otherwise movable relative to one another in the respective first and second seal structures.

34. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the first seal carrier segment is a first seal carrier half-shell and the second seal carrier segment is a second seal carrier half-shell, the two seal carrier half-shells jointly forming the seal carrier and being assembled together in an interlocking or fictional manner.

35. The seal carrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the first and second seal carrier segments are each additively manufactured parts.

36. A turbomachine comprising the seal carrier as recited in claim 16.

37. A jet engine comprising the turbomachine as recited in claim 36.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. The individual features may also be essential to the invention in other combinations within the scope of the dependent claims, and, as above, no distinction is specifically made between different claim categories.

[0033] In the drawing,

[0034] FIGS. 1a-c each show two seal structures of a seal carrier which are adjacent one another along a separating joint that extends in an angled path, at least in portions thereof, the two seal structures being open toward each other;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows two seal structures of a seal carrier which are adjacent one another along a separating joint that extends in an angled path relative to the axial direction, the two seal structures being closed toward each other;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows two seal structures of a seal carrier which have a cavity structure whose cavity walls alternately extend into the respective other seal structure;

[0037] FIG. 4 shows two seal structures of a seal carrier which have a cavity structure whose cavity walls merge into one another in an interlocking fashion at a separating joint between the seal structures;

[0038] FIGS. 5a, b show two seal structures of a seal carrier which rest against each other via spring elements;

[0039] FIG. 6 schematically shows a jet engine having a seal carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] FIGS. 1a-c are views illustrating a first seal structure 1a and a second seal structure 1b, looking at them radially with respect to a turbomachine longitudinal axis 2.

[0041] Seal structures 1a, b each form part of a respective seal carrier half-shell (not shown in detail). The seal carrier half-shells are assembled to form a seal carrier. To this end, the seal carrier half-shells each have a carrier structure radially outside the respective seal structure 1a, b, the carrier structures connecting the half-shells together. The seal structures 1a, b shown in the figures form the radially inner portion of the seal carrier. Expressed more simply, the seal carrier as a whole is annular in shape and radially outwardly bounds the hot gas duct of a jet engine. In the jet engine, the seal carrier accommodates a rotor blade ring such that the radially outer tips of the rotor blades rub along seal structure 1 depicted in the figures, which is also referred to as abradable liner.

[0042] First seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b form a cavity structure including a plurality of radially inwardly open, honeycomb-shaped cavities 3. Cavities 3 are separated from each other by the cavity walls 5 axially and in the circumferential direction 4.

[0043] A separating joint 6 extends between the first 1a and second 1b seal structures. In the case illustrated in FIGS. 1a-c, first seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b are open toward each other at separating joint 6. Thus, separating joint 6 intersects some of cavities 3. The cavities 3 located at separating joint 6 are bounded by cavity walls 5 of both first seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b. In other respects, FIGS. 1a-c differ in the shape of separating joint 6.

[0044] FIG. 1, for example, shows a separating joint 6 that has a step, but otherwise extends axially parallel to the turbomachine longitudinal axis. In contrast, the separating joint 6 shown in FIG. 1b has a curved shape along its entire axial extent, and the angle formed with the axial direction varies along the axial extent. The separating joint 6 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1c does have a straight-line extent when considered alone, but, as a whole, is tilted with respect to the axial direction. Each of these embodiments is advantageous in that separating joint 6 is lengthened compared to a straight and solely axially parallel extent, which lengthens the flow path and increases the flow resistance correspondingly. In this way, the efficiency can be improved (see also the introductory part of this specification).

[0045] Improved efficiency is also achieved by the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, where separating joint 6 describes a zigzag line. In this case, unlike the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1a-c, first seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b are closed toward each other at separating joint 6. Thus, separating joint 6 does not intersect any of the cavities 3. It is circumferentially bordered at both sides by adjacent cavity walls 5aa, 5ba of the respective seal structures 1a, b.

[0046] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, an increase in length of the flow path between seal structures 1a, b is achieved because cavity walls 5ab of first seal structure 1a extend into second seal structure 1b and cavity walls 5bb of second seal structure 1b extend into first seal structure 1a. Thus, the flow path is lengthened in a labyrinth-like manner.

[0047] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, cavity walls 5ac of first seal structure 1a merge in an interlocking fashion into cavity walls 5bc of second seal structure 1b. To this end, cavity walls 5ac, 5bc intermesh in a tongue-and-groove fashion, whereby a flow path between seal structures 1a, b can ideally be completely blocked.

[0048] In all embodiments described hereinbefore, first seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b are interleaved with one another, and thus there is a cross-sectional plane containing the turbomachine longitudinal axis 2 (and extending both axially and radially) that intersects both first seal structure 1a and second seal structure 1b. In the illustrated embodiments, this cross-sectional plane would be oriented horizontally in the plane of the paper and perpendicularly thereto.

[0049] An increase in length and/or a blockage of the flow paths between seal structures 1a, b is also achieved with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5a, b. In this case, however, the seal structures rest against each other, and each have a spring element 50a, b for this purpose. Spring elements 50a, b form respective contact surfaces 51a, b via which they rest against each other. Due to their resilient properties, contact surfaces 51a, b are somewhat resiliently supported to be displaceable in the circumferential direction, which allows for displacement compensation, for example, in the event of temperature variations.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5a, spring elements 50a, b are each connected at their axial ends to the remainder of the respective seal structures 1a, b, and designed to be self-supporting therebetween in order to assist the spring action. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5b, spring element 50a is slidably supported in the remainder of the seal structure by two bearing portions 50aa, ab located at axially opposite ends. Thus, if contact surface 51 is displaced in circumferential direction 4, this displacement is partially converted into a linear displacement of bearing portions 50aa, ab.

[0051] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a turbomachine 60, namely a jet engine, where the cross-sectional plane contains longitudinal axis 2 of turbomachine 60. The turbomachine is functionally divided into a compressor 60a, a combustor 60b and a turbine 60c. Compressor 60a includes a plurality of stages 61a, b in each of which a rotor blade ring follows a stator vane ring (not shown in detail). The turbine is also of multi-stage design, but for the sake of clarity, only one rotor blade ring 62 is shown. Rotor blade ring 62 is radially outwardly surrounded by a seal carrier 63 configured as described hereinabove. Thus, the rotor blades rub along seal the structure of seal carrier 63, which is not shown in detail in FIG. 6. The rotor blade rings of compressor 60a may also each be surrounded by a seal carrier according to the present invention, which is also not shown in detail.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0052] sealing structures 1a, b [0053] longitudinal axis 2 [0054] cavities 3 [0055] circumferential direction 4 [0056] cavity walls 5 [0057] laterally adjacent to the separating joint 5aa, ba [0058] extending into other seal structures 5ab, bb [0059] merging into one another 5ac, bc [0060] separating joint 6 [0061] spring elements 50a, b [0062] bearing portions 50aa, ab [0063] contact surfaces 51a, b [0064] turbomachine 60 [0065] compressor 60a [0066] combustor 60b [0067] turbine 60c [0068] compressor stages 61a, b [0069] rotor blade ring, turbine 62 [0070] seal carrier 63