United Technologies Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Rtx Corporation

Jonathan Logan Miller

Colin D Craig

Michael M Davis

Nasr A Shuaib

M Rifat Ullah

Alexander J Maret

Jonathan F Zimmitti

Christopher P Kmetz

Mark R Sondeen

Enzo DiBenedetto

Aneil S Hegde

Benstone I Schwartz

Thomas P Obligado

Jeffrey E Tessier

Enzo Dibenedetto

James B Coffin

Brian P Cigal

Michael G Hilldoerfer

Leslie Charles Kurz

Antonio F Artiles

Christopher J Larson

Joseph G Colucci

Daniel B Denis

Stephen P Wolensky

Shadd A Bradshaw

Shadd Andrew Bradshaw

Bryan Richard Camerlin

Christopher Charles Killian

Rifat Ullah

A bearing compartment seal for a gas turbine engine includes a seal ring that defines an axis and has a radially inward facing sealing surface. A seal runner is configured to rotate relative to the seal ring. The seal runner has a runner surface facing the radially inward facing sealing surface. A plurality of grooves are spaced circumferentially along the runner surface. The plurality of grooves have a length in an axial direction that is at least 50% of an axial length of the runner surface.

Radial lift seal

A machine has: an outer member; an inner member having an outer diameter (OD) surface; and a seal system. A seal housing is mounted to the outer member and has first and second walls; a first seal stage contacting the OD surface and the first wall; a second seal stage contacting the OD surface and the second wall; and a wave spring biasing the seal stages axially apart from each other. The seal stages each have a plurality of seal segments interfitting end to end and each having: a first end; a second end circumferentially opposite the first end; a first face; a second face axially opposite the first face; an inner diameter (ID) face; and an outer diameter (OD) face having a radially protruding lug. The housing has an inner diameter (ID) surface having recesses receiving the lugs of the seal stages to circumferentially retain the seal stages.

Carbon radial seal

A seal segment has an arcuate body having: a first end; a second end circumferentially opposite the first end; a first face; a second face axially opposite the first face; an inner diameter (ID) face; and an outer diameter (OD) face. The seal segment is shaped to interfit with a plurality of identical seal segments first end to second end to form a seal surrounding a central longitudinal axis. The first face has: a circumferential channel closer to the ID face than the OD face; and a plurality of channels extending from the circumferential channel to the OD face. The ID face has: a circumferential channel closer to the first face than the second face; and a plurality of channels extending from the circumferential channel to the second face. The ID face circumferential channel has an open end.

Pressure-balanced carbon seal

A seal assembly includes a rotating seal runner having an outer radial surface, and one or more rotationally stationary seal rings located radially outboard of the seal runner. Each seal ring has an inner radial surface, with the inner radial surface and the outer radial surface defining a sealing interface therebetween. An axially extending shape of the inner radial surface is selected utilizing a predicted shape of the outer radial surface at a selected operating condition of the seal assembly.

Radial seal arrangement

A bearing is mounted to a static structure outwardly of the shaft, and supporting the shaft. A bearing compartment is defined by face seal arrangements on each of two axial sides of a bearing. Each face seal arrangement includes a seal seat rotating with the shaft and a non-rotating sealing ring. The seal housing is exposed to high pressure air outward of the bearing compartment. A coil spring biases the seal housing towards the seal seat, such that the sealing face is biased into contact with the seal seat by a bias force including a net fluid force acting on the seal housing and the coil spring. The sealing face is defined by a contact portion contacting the seal seat and a feed portion recessed from the seal seat. The feed portion includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced feed slots fluidly connected to at least one annular groove.

Face seal arrangement for reduced force and pressure

A seal assembly includes an annular seal support, and an annular seal housing operably connected to the seal support. The seal housing includes a first axial surface facing away from the seal support, and a second axial surface opposite the first axial surface. A seal is located at the first axial surface. One or more first springs extend between the seal support and the second axial surface to urge the seal housing away from the seal support, and one or more second springs are located at the first axial surface to urge the seal housing toward the seal support.

Face seal arrangement

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a segmented radial seal assembly that includes at least two segments, each segment having a first end and a second end at opposite ends. A first segment first end has a protruding feature and defines a tangential vector from a circumferential ring that is formed by the segmented radial seal. The protruding feature defines a curved face having at least a first axis of curvature that is parallel to the tangential vector. The second segment second end has a recessed feature that is matingly engageable to the first segment first end, thereby forming a first radial seal segment joint. The segmented radial seal assembly is configured to surround a shaft.

Radial seal segment joint

A bearing compartment seal for a gas turbine engine includes at least one seal ring defining an axis and having a radially inward facing sealing surface and a seal runner having a support constructed of a first material and an interface portion constructed of a second material. The interface portion includes a radially outward facing surface. A first coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material is at most approximately equal to a second coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one seal ring.

Bearing compartment seal configuration for a gas turbine engine

A seal system for a gas turbine engine includes a seal runner manufactured of a Molybdenum alloy material that provides a first coefficient of thermal expansion and a seal ring manufactured of a graphitic material that provides a second coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

Reduced radial clearance seal system

A face seal arrangement includes a seal seat rotating with the shaft and a non-rotating face seal including a sealing ring. The sealing ring includes a sealing face biased into contact with the seal seat. The sealing ring also has a groove defined remote from the seal face relative to the seal seat. The groove provides a pressure face that will be exposed to high pressure air outward of the bearing compartment. A coil spring biases the seal housing towards the seal seat, such that the sealing face of the sealing ring is biased into contact with seal seat by air pressure against the pressure face, and the coil spring. A balance ratio is defined between an area of the pressure face and an area of the sealing face, the balance ratio is between 0.5 and 0.64.

Face seal arrangement with reduced balance ratio

A face seal includes a seal carrier defining an axis and having a pilot flange, a seal element disposed at least partially in the seal carrier, and a retaining plate connected to one axial end of the seal carrier. The retaining plate has an axial step disposed circumferentially about the retaining plate. The axial step is interfaced with the pilot flange.

Piloted retaining plate for a face seal arrangement

A seal includes a seal runner, at least one seal ring, and a seal housing. The runner extends in an axial direction to a runner end face that faces a bearing. The ring is fixed to a static structure and has an inner surface engaging the seal runner and a first face that faces the bearing. The seal housing is fixed to the static structure and includes a first portion extending in an axial direction from the first face of the seal ring to a housing face that faces the bearing. The first portion has a first length extending from the first face of the seal ring to the housing face. The seal runner has a first runner portion with a second length that extends from the first face of the seal ring to the runner end face. The second length is at least 35% longer than the first length.

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Ware, MA, United States of America

Jonathan Logan Miller