General Electric Company

Scott Francis Wolfer

Bala Corattiyil

Jonathan K Remer

Ravindra Shankar Ganiger

Anand Madihalli Srinivasan

Richard William Albrecht, Jr

Richard Alan Wesling

Ning Fang

Kyle Robert Snow

Nicholas Rowe Dinsmore

Frederic Gardner Haaser

Jacob Patrick Miller

Arundhati Sengupta

Robert Burton Brown

Bradley Willis Fintel

Adam Mitchell Record

Daryl Scott Schneider

Kevin Richard Crain

Eric John Rubbiero

Rebecca J Schmidt

Richard William Albrecht

Rebecca Jean Schmidt

This disclosure is directed to seal assemblies for a turbomachine. The seal assemblies include stationary and rotating components and at least one interface between the stationary and rotating components. In some examples, seal assembly includes an oleophilic coating disposed between the stationary and rotating components. The seal assembly may include a surface texture to enhance the oleophilicity of the surface coating disposed between the stationary and rotating components. In other examples, the seal assembly includes an oleophobic coating disposed between the stationary and rotating components. The seal assembly may include a surface texture to enhance the oleophobicity of the surface coating. During operation, the oleophilic seal assembly features retain lubricant between the stationary and rotating components and the oleophobic seal assembly features inhibit the escape of lubricant from the contact regions between the stationary and rotating components.

Surface treatment for seal assemblies

A labyrinth seal including: an annular seal body having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart from one another by an annulus; a nested dampener system disposed along the outer wall, the nested dampener system including: a first dampening element; and a second dampening element, wherein opposite axial ends of the nested dampener system are defined by the first dampening element, and wherein the second dampening element is disposed outside of at least a portion of the first dampening element in a radial direction.

Labyrinth seals

A seal assembly for a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes a rotating shaft extending along a centerline and a fixed housing positioned exterior to the rotating shaft in a radial direction relative to the centerline. The seal assembly includes a sump housing at least partially defining a bearing compartment for holding a cooling lubricant. The seal assembly further includes a bearing supporting the rotating shaft. In addition, the seal assembly also includes a sump seal at least partially defining the bearing compartment. A pressurized housing of the seal assembly is positioned exterior to the sump housing and defines a pressurized compartment to at least partially enclose the sump housing. Further, a non-contacting carbon seal is positioned between the rotating shaft and the fixed housing to at least partially define the pressurized compartment to enclose the sump housing.

Seal assembly for a turbomachine

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a bearing compartment sealing system including a bearing for supporting a shaft. A housing encloses the bearing and defines a compartment for holding lubricant therein. At least two seals are located between the shaft and the housing. The at least two seals, the housing, and the shaft collectively enclose the compartment. Only one of the at least two seals is a hydrodynamic seal.

Hydrodynamic seals in bearing compartments of gas turbine engines

A sump pressurization system for a gas turbine engine comprises a first hollow shaft and a second hollow shaft disposed within the first hollow shaft and defining a cavity therebetween. Each of the first and second hollow shafts has a common axis of rotation. Also included is a source of pressurized air to pressurize the cavity and a plurality of hollow tubes disposed in the cavity. The tubes are oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation and are connected to and rotatable with the first hollow shaft. A plurality of apertures in the second hollow shaft are in fluid communication with the tubes, such that pressurized air flowing through the tubes passes through the apertures into the interior of the second hollow shaft.

Gas turbine engine sump pressurization system

A fiber-optic based thrust load measurement system is coupled to a bearing housing. The measurement system includes at least one fiber optic sensor configured to detect one or more parameters related to the bearing housing. An optical coupler is configured to regulate light signals emitted from a light source and light signals reflected from the fiber optic sensor. A detector system is configured to receive light signals from the optical coupler. A processor is configured to receive an output from the detector system and to determine a thrust load on a thrust bearing based on the detected one or more parameters related to the bearing housing.

Fiber-optic based thrust load measurement system

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Scott Francis Wolfer