General Electric Company

Other

Lawrence Edward Rentz

Frederick George Baily

Norman Arnold Turnquist

Christopher Edward Wolfe

Osman Saim Dinc

Robert Harold Cromer

Roger Jordan Carr

Thomas Joseph Farineau

George Ernest Reluzco

Mehmet Demiroglu

Paul Thomas Marks

Edward Arthur Dewhurst

Martin Francis O'Connor

Dennis Roger Ahl

Alexander Morson

Klaus Manfred Retzlaff

Edward Kenneth Ellis

Joseph Robert Toth

James L Rudnicki

Douglas J Merrill

A plurality of brush seal segments are disposed in a groove of a component fixed against rotation and project into sealing relation with a rotating component. The brush seal segments are each comprised of a pair of plates having a plurality of brush bristles therebetween, the plates and bristles being secured along the outer arcuate face of the segments by a weld bead. The opposite ends of the bristles form the seal with the rotary component. Each brush seal segments is disposed in a groove with generous clearance between a hook on the segment and a flange on the fixed component. A spring between the fixed component and arcuate outer face of the brush seal segment biases the segment in a radial direction. The end of the spring has a pair of tabs spaced axially from one another for reception in a pair of axially spaced recesses to retain the spring against circumferential movement while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the weld joint without loss of securement of the bristles.

Brush seal mounting in supporting groove using flat spring with bifurcated end

A rotor shaft of a steam turbine is provided with a dovetail-shaped groove. A plurality of inserts are received in the groove through an entry slot at a predetermined circumferential location. Each insert has a sealing surface which, when all inserts are disposed in the groove, form a continuous sealing surface about the rotor shaft. Pins are employed to retain the final insert and, hence, all inserts in the groove by connecting the final insert either to the rotor shaft or to adjacent inserts. In this manner, heat generated by the brush seal bristles bearing on proud portions of the rotor sealing surface is substantially uniformly distributed about the inserts prior to any heat transfer to the rotor. To the extent heat is transferred to the rotor, the temperature distribution is substantially uniform whereby bowing of the rotor due to differential circumferential heating by brush seal contact with proud portions of the rotor is avoided.

Rub-tolerant brush seal for turbine rotors and methods of installation

A method for making a brush-tooth seal, such as a brush-tooth seal which is attachable to a turbine stator, includes obtaining a seal carrier having a groove and having seal teeth and obtaining a brush seal having bristles with tips. The brush seal is engaged in the groove and then attached to the seal carrier. Then, the tips of the bristles of the attached and engaged brush seal are cut, such as with an electric discharge machining (EDM) wire, at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of the seal carrier.

Method for making a brush-tooth seal

An arrangement and method for accurately radially locating a brush seal relative to a rotor provides a labyrinth seal segment having a slot open toward the rotor and defining an interior ledge facing away from the rotor, a brush seal segment inserted in the slot and having an exterior shoulder facing toward the rotor and overlying the interior ledge of the labyrinth seal segment such that the brush seal segment can move radially relative to the labyrinth seal segment and rotor and the shoulder of the brush seal segment can move toward and away from the interior ledge of the labyrinth seal segment, and set screws tightened into spaced apart threaded holes in the labyrinth seal segment forcing the shoulder of the brush seal segment against the ledge of the labyrinth seal segment so as to prevent radial floating of the brush seal segment relative to the labyrinth seal segment.

Arrangement and method for accurately radially locating a turbine brush seal

A number of sealing segments,mounts a brush seal about a rotor. The tips of the brush seal,are maintained out of contact with the rotor surface throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery. Thus, the increase in temperature resultant from rubs between the bristle tips and the rotor,which effectively increase vibrations of the turbomachinery are eliminated. Brush seals are therefore maintained out of contact with the rotor throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery and thus do not affect the dynamic behavior of the rotor.

Brush seals for steam turbine applications

Brush seals are employed on steam turbine rotors without the risk of causing thermal rotor bowing and without compromising the sealing performance. In one form, a groove in the rotor has an insert in frictional contact with the brush seal. The non-uniform distribution of heat due to frictional contact between the brush seal and proud portions of the rotor is dissipated within the insert such that adjoining rotor portions are substantially uniformly heated without causing thermal bow. In a further form, a groove or grooves are provided in the rotor surface adjacent to the brush seal and maintain non-uniform heat distribution locally in the rotor without causing thermal bow of the rotor. In another form, a land projects radially outwardly of the rotor surface in contact with the brush seal. The non-uniform distribution of heat due to frictional contact between proud portions of the land and the brush seal dissipates into a uniform distribution of heat in the rotor proper to avoid thermal bowing. In a final form, the brush seal has frictional contact with bucket dovetail or wheel protrusions spaced radially outwardly of the rotor such that non-uniform distribution dissipates into a uniform distribution within the rotor.

Method and apparatus for eliminating thermal bowing of steam turbine rotors

A brush seal is mounted between rotary and stationary components in a flow stream having solid particles. A gap is formed through the brush seal bristles and a deflector plate is disposed to catch and deflect solid particles on the upstream side of the brush seal to direct the particles through the gap to the downstream side of the brush seal. In this manner, the solid particles of the flow stream do not erode or otherwise deteriorate the brush seal bristles or ancillary parts of the brush seal. The deflector plates may be directed axially upstream, at an angle to a plane passing through the brush seal or may comprise an arcuate configuration directed upstream.

Apparatus for guiding solid particles through a brush seal in a turbine

MIG welding apparatus includes a torch body; a machine barrel extending forwardly of the torch body; a contact tip extending forwardly from the machine barrel; and a pair of gas supply tubes extending along and substantially parallel to the contact tip, enabling reduction in the weld prep angle to about three degrees.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Lawrence Edward Rentz