General Electric Company

Mehmet Demiroglu

Hamid Reza Sarshar

Norman Arnold Turnquist

Mahmut Faruk Aksit

Osman Saim Dinc

Xiaoqing Zheng

Biao Fang

Frederick George Baily

Ronald Ralph Cairo

Bernard Arthur Couture, Jr

Mark Edward Burnett

Ahmad Safi

Richard Robert Larsen

Binayak Roy

Anthony Constantine Thermos

Guoqiang Lu

Benjamin Paul Lacy

Gerald Burt Kliman

Christopher Edward Wolfe

Bharat S Bagepalli

Kevin Weston McMahan

Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate

Deepak Trivedi

Anthony Holmes Furman

Imdad Imam

Roger Neal Johnson

Michael Dennis Mack

Daniel Ross Predmore

Keith Hochhalter

Kristopher John Frutschy

Nitin Bhate

Clement Gazzillo

Edip Sevincer

Lawrence Edward Rentz

Roger Neil Bull

Martin Francis O'Connor

Paul B Gladen

Daniel Jordy

Paul Sudworth

Timur Rustamovich Repikov

Gregory Leonard Diantonio

Joseph Charles Taura

David Michael Prowse

Nitin Narayan Bhate

Mathew Maury

James Hopkins

Steven Wayne Russell

A brush seal for use between a rotating component and a stationary component in a turbomachine is disclosed. The brush seal according to embodiments of this invention includes a set of bristles having a fixed end and a free end, wherein the fixed end is attached to the rotating component with a mechanical clamping element and the free end extends towards the stationary component, and wherein the set of bristles are angled axially at an axial angle with respect to the rotating component. In one embodiment, the fixed end of the set of bristles are wrapped at least partially around a core element and the clamping element partially surrounds the core element and the fixed end of the set of bristles, wherein the clamping element secures the fixed end of the set of bristles within a circumferential groove in the rotating component.

Rotating brush seal

A thermal management device is presently disclosed. The thermal management device includes an insulator with a maximum use temperature of at least 200 degrees Celsius, and a heating element having at least one heater leg, where the heater leg contacts the insulator and is configured to supply thermal energy. The heating element also has lead wires configured to provide a parallel electrical connection between the heater leg and a current source.

Thermal management device

Systems and devices for substantially fluidly isolating portions of a rotary machine are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seal assembly for a rotary machine includes: a complementary set of seal segments configured relative one another so as to form a substantially continuous body with butt gaps between the seal segments, the segments including: a head flange; and an axial neck connected to the head flange, wherein the axial neck extends radially inboard and includes an axial slot formed substantially there through; and at least one butt gap seal element, wherein the at least one butt gap seal element includes an axial flange and a radial flange, the axial flange disposed within the axial slots of adjacent seal segments; and the radial flange extending radially inboard from the axial slots to a proximity of the rotary machine substantially forming a barrier to axial flow through the butt gap.

Rotary machine seal assembly with butt gap seal elements

According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine assembly includes a first stationary component, a second stationary component positioned radially outside the first stationary component, a first key feature on the first stationary component configured to mate to a second key feature on the second stationary component and a seal assembly positioned between the first and second key features to reduce fluid flow between the first and second key features. The seal assembly includes a V-shape member and a second member adjacent to the V-shape member, the second member and V-shape member having different rates of thermal expansion. The seal assembly also includes a latch feature coupled to the V-shape member configured to expand the seal assembly from a compressed state to an expanded sealing state when the seal assembly is subject to an elevated temperature.

Turbine assembly and method for assembling a turbine

A spring loaded seal assembly is disclosed for sealing a gap between adjacent turbine components. The seal assembly may generally include a turbine seal and a spring member. The turbine seal may extend between the adjacent turbine components and may be configured to seal the gap defined between the turbine components. The spring member may be configured to engage the turbine seal so as to maintain the seal in sealing engagement with the adjacent turbine components.

Spring loaded seal assembly for turbines

According to one aspect of the invention, a shim for sealing two adjacent turbine transition pieces is disclosed. The shim includes a circumferential member that includes a first lateral flange and a second lateral flange. Further, the first and second lateral flanges each comprise a tab configured to mate to a first surface plane and the first and second lateral flanges are configured to mate to a second surface plane, wherein the first and second surface planes are substantially parallel. In addition, the shim includes a first flange extending substantially perpendicular from the circumferential member.

Shim for sealing transition pieces

A fixture assembly and inspection method by which the internal diameter and/or concentricity of a segmented annular seal can be readily inspected and optionally measured prior to final installation. The fixture assembly has at least two fixture segments supported on a base, by which an annular fixture housing is defined having an outer rim and a groove with a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the annular seal. The fixture assembly further includes a device or apparatus for assessing at least one dimensional characteristic of the annular seal when installed in the groove of the fixture housing and as the assessing device/apparatus travels along the interior circumference of the fixture housing.

Fixture and inspection method for an annular seal

An apparatus for providing active clearance control between blade tips and seals in a turbomachine comprising: a first stator carrier segment, with stator seals centripetally disposed on it; a second stator carrier segment located along a same circumference as the first stator carrier segment, also with stator seals centripetally disposed on it; a shell that adjustably houses the first stator carrier segment and the second carrier segment; at least one displacement apparatus in operable communication with at least one stator carrier segment and configured to position the at least one stator carrier segment to provide active clearance control to the stator seals disposed on the at least one stator carrier segment.

Method and apparatus for turbomachine active clearance control

A seal assembly includes an annular hanger having a supporting ledge. An arcuate seal segment includes an outer rail mounted on the ledge and supporting an inner seal. An arcuate carrier is mounted between the hanger and the rail, and includes a piston mounted in a bore. The bore is selectively pressurized to deploy the piston between the hanger and rail for temporarily retracting the seal segment from an adjacent rotor component.

Active seal assembly

One embodiment of the present invention comprises an actuating mechanism for a turbine comprising a compliant member (meaning at least one compliant member) comprising a series of serpentine folds forming a plurality of fold sections and a central cavity (meaning at least one central cavity) interposed between the adjacent fold sections wherein the compliant member is movable between a first retracted position and a second extended position upon introduction of a pressurized medium into the central cavity and dispersion of the pressurized medium within the serpentine folds.

Actuating mechanism for a turbine and method of retrofitting

An actuated seal assembly for controlling flow in a fluid path in turbomachinery comprising a seal and a seal carrier coupled to the seal is provided. A displacement apparatus is coupled to the seal carrier for positioning the seal so as to control the flow in the fluid path. In addition, a drive system is provided for powering the displacement apparatus.

Actuated brush seal

A seal carrier is provided for a rotary machine wherein the seal carrier comprises a packing ring coupled to a seal and wherein the packing ring comprises a channel disposed therein. In addition, a displacement apparatus is disposed in the channel for radially positioning the seal to control a flow of a fluid in a fluid path.

Seal carrier for a rotary machine and method of retrofitting

An embodiment providing a seal assembly for turbomachinery for controlling flow of a fluid medium in a fluid path comprises a casing having an internal pressure load path and a seal carrier chamber. A movable seal carrier is disposed within the seal carrier chamber and interposed between the pressure load path and an external flow path. In addition, a pressure selecting apparatus is coupled to the pressure load path to control flow therethrough. Moreover, the position of the movable seal carrier moves in response to a pressure differential determined by the pressure selecting apparatus between the pressure load path and the external flow path.

Pressure actuated brush seal

A seal assembly is provided for a rotary machine wherein the rotary machine comprises a rotor and a casing. The rotor comprises a generally longitudinally-extending axis wherein the casing is generally coaxially aligned with the axis. The casing circumferentially surrounds and is radially spaced apart from the rotor wherein the casing comprises an inner circumferential channel generally coaxially aligned with the rotor. The seal assembly comprises a plurality of seal segments disposable in a circumferential array in the channel so as to be movable between radially inward and radially outward positions. In addition, the seal assembly comprises a plurality of displacement apparatuses comprising at least one fluid inlet and configured for urging apart the seal segments upon introduction of a fluid medium in the fluid inlet. Each of the seal segments comprises an end having at least one of the displacement apparatuses circumferentially disposed thereon.

Actuating seal carrier for a turbine and method of retrofitting

Growing community of inventors

Troy, NY, United States of America

Mehmet Demiroglu