Honeywell International Inc.

Joseph Yanof

Mark C Morris

Jason Smoke

Steven Whitaker

Eric Bridges

John McClintic

Partha Das

Marshall Patton Saville

David R Waldman

Keith Alan Hurley

Tina Hynes

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a combustor section thereof are provided. The engines include an impeller, a shaft coupled to the impeller, an inner cavity downstream of the impeller, a thrust bearing assembly mechanically coupled to the shaft, a seal assembly having a seal land, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a loss of oil event to the thrust bearing assembly and, in response, actuate the seal assembly to move the seal land toward a downstream face of the impeller to form a continuous axial seal about the inner cavity, vent gases from the inner cavity to decrease pressure therein to an extent less than an operating gas pressure thereof, and maintain the axial seal and the pressure within the inner cavity and thereby reduce the axial loads on the shaft.

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a combustor section thereof

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a turbine section thereof are provided. The engines include a turbine disk, a shaft coupled to the turbine disk, an inner cavity downstream of the turbine disk, a thrust bearing assembly mechanically coupled to the shaft, a seal assembly having a seal land, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a loss of oil event to the thrust bearing assembly and, in response: actuate the seal assembly to move the seal land toward a downstream face of the turbine disk to form a continuous axial seal about the inner cavity, supply a pressurized gas to the inner cavity to increase pressure in therein to an extent greater than an operating pressure thereof, and maintain the axial seal and the pressure within the inner cavity and thereby reduce the axial loads on the shaft.

Gas turbine engines and methods for reducing spool thrust in a turbine section thereof

Embodiments of a gas turbine engine including a finger-foil seal are provided, as are embodiments of a finger-foil seal. In one embodiment, the finger-foil seal includes an aerodynamic foil having a generally annular body through which a first opening is formed. A finger seal retention structure is disposed around the aerodynamic foil. A finger seal backing spring is coupled to the finger seal retention structure and extends radially inward therefrom to contact an outer circumference of the aerodynamic foil. A first anti-rotation pin extends radially from the finger seal retention structure and into the first opening formed in the aerodynamic foil to inhibit rotation of the aerodynamic foil during operation of the finger-foil seal.

Finger-foil seals and gas turbine engines employing the same

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Joseph Yanof