General Electric Company

John Ernest Tourigny

Stephen William Tesh

Norman Arnold Turnquist

Kevin Leon Bruce

Ciro Cerretelli

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a second, stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space which is defined between the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The wheel space is operable to receive cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first rotatable turbine rotor assembly that extends axially into the wheel space to terminate adjacent to a sealing land positioned on the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The sealing feature and the sealing land operate to control the release of cooling air from within the wheel space and the sealing land is constructed of shape memory alloy.

Apparatus for turbine engine cooling air management

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space defined therebetween. The wheel space receives cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and extending axially into the wheel space and a sealing land assembly having a sealing land associated with a moveable member installed in an opening in the second, stationary nozzle assembly. A biasing member constructed of shape memory alloy is associated with the moveable member and operates to bias the moveable member, and associated sealing land, axially into the wheel space towards the sealing feature as the turbine engine transitions from a cold state to a hot state to reduce the release of cooling air from within the wheel space.

Disclosed is a seal for turbomachinery including a seal face locatable between a first turbomachinery component and a second turbomachinery component. At least one fluid channel extends through the seal. The at least one fluid channel is capable of injecting fluid flow between the first turbomachinery component and the second turbomachinery component at the seal face thereby disrupting a leakage flow between the first turbomachinery component and the second turbomachinery component. Further disclosed is a turbomachine utilizing the seal.

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Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

John Ernest Tourigny