SEALING RING WITH OVERLAPING SEALING PARTS AND STATOR ARRANGEMENT WITH SUCH A

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a sealing ring for sealing a gap between a front stator unit and a rear stator unit in a gas turbine.

[0002] Gas turbines are formed by several axially arranged segments. In the vertical structure, for example, a guide vane ring with vertical guide vanes forms a stator unit. A circumferential gap exists between this stator unit and a preceding or following stator unit. To prevent the ingress of hot gas from the gas turbine's flow path or the impermissible escape of cooling air through the gap, it is generally necessary to provide a sealing ring in the gap.

[0003] Various designs for corresponding sealing rings are known from the prior art. Typically, flat, segmented steel bands are used, which engage the adjacent stator units on both sides. An exemplary solution for this is disclosed in EP3885535A1. A ring consisting of three segmented parts is proposed, which has a triangular cross-section and in which the abutting ends overlap in sections.

[0004] Although various solutions are known for securing the circumference of the sealing ring and for reducing leaks between the successive parts of the sealing ring, there are suitable but no completely satisfactory solutions.

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved solution for a sealing ring that, on the one hand, enables circumferential locking and, on the other hand, minimizes leakage between the individual elements of the sealing ring. The aim is to enable simple and quick assembly.

[0006] The stated object is achieved by an inventive embodiment of a sealing ring according to the teaching of claim 1. A stator arrangement according to the invention using a corresponding sealing ring is specified in claim 10. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] The generic sealing ring was used to seal a circumferential gap between a front stator unit located on the front side and a rear stator unit located on the rear side. The specific component of the sealing ring is initially irrelevant. A particularly preferred application for the sealing ring is in a gas turbine. The sealing ring comprises several sealing components.

[0008] The sealing ring defines a rotor axis, with a division plane defined by the rotor axis. The upper side is located on one side of the division plane, and the lower side is opposite. Perpendicular to the division plane, the sealing ring can be further divided into a left side and a right side. In this respect, the sealing ring can be divided into four sectors within its orbit: top right, bottom right, bottom left, and top left.

[0009] The sealing ring according to the invention requires an upper left sealing part in the upper left sector and a lower right sealing part opposite it across the rotor axis in the lower right sector, as well as an upper right sealing part in the upper right sector and a lower left sealing part in the lower left sector. It is not required that the sealing parts be located entirely within the respective sector. At a minimum, each of these four sealing parts must have a sealing section, an angle section, and an overlap section.

[0010] The sealing section extends circumferentially over most of the length of the sealing part. The sealing section has a sealing thickness in the radial direction. Transverse to this, in the axial direction, the sealing section has a sealing width that corresponds to at least five times the sealing thickness. This results in the flat shape of the sealing section.

[0011] The contact section adjoins the sealing section at one end and also extends circumferentially. The contact section has the same, consistent seal width. However, the thickness of the contact section is reduced compared to the seal thickness, to a maximum of 0.6 times the seal thickness.

[0012] The angled section is located at the opposite end of the sealing section. In contrast to the contact section, however, this is only located on the rear side and extends in the axial direction over approximately half the width of the sealing part. The angled section should also have a reduced thickness of no more than 0.6 times the seal thickness. In contrast to the contact section, the angled section must extend in an approximately radial direction at an angle to the extension of the sealing section around an axially aligned bending axis. The radial extension of the angled section should preferably correspond to at least half the seal width and at most to the seal width. For production, a free end can preferably be bent in the radial direction.

[0013] The overlap section is arranged adjacent to the angle section on the front side. The overlap section is designed analogously to the contact section. In this respect, the overlap section extends circumferentially at the end of the sealing section and also has a maximum seal thickness of 0.6 times. However, due to the arrangement adjacent to the angle section, the width in the axial direction is also reduced to approximately half the width of the sealing part.

[0014] The new design with the specific arrangement of the contact sections and the angle section and the overlap section opposite each other enables advantageous sealing on the one hand and ensures easy installation on the other.

[0015] It is advantageously provided that two contact sections of adjacent sealing parts overlap. Obviously, this requires that an outer contact section be located on the radially outer side and an adjacent inner contact section be located on the radially inner side.

[0016] Furthermore, it is provided that the contact sections of the left sealing parts, ie the inner contact section of the upper or lower left sealing part overlaps the outer contact section of the lower or upper left sealing part, and the contact sections of the right sealing parts, ie the inner contact section of the upper or lower right sealing part overlaps the outer contact section of the lower or upper right sealing part.

[0017] Similarly, it is advantageous to provide for two overlapping sections of adjacent sealing parts to overlap. Obviously, this requires that an outer overlapping section be located on the radially outer side and an adjacent inner overlapping section be located on the radially inner side.

[0018] By designing the sealing parts with overlapping contact sections at one end and the combination of angled section and overlap section at the other end, both circumferential locking is enabled and leakage can be kept within acceptable limits. Furthermore, this design is advantageous in terms of manufacturing.

[0019] The arrangement of which contact section is radially inward and which contact section is radially outward is initially irrelevant. However, considering the direction of rotation of a rotor intended to be arranged within the sealing ring, it is advantageous if the radially inward contact section points with its free end in the direction of rotation. This means that the radially outward contact section points with its free end opposite to the direction of rotation.

[0020] The same applies analogously to the inner overlap sections and the outer overlap sections with respect to the direction of rotation.

[0021] The arrangement of the inner contact section and the outer contact section on the left or right, upper or lower sealing part depends in this respect on the orientation and a direction of rotation in the advantageous embodiment.

[0022] If the sealing ring is viewed in the axial direction from the rear to the front, and if the intended direction of rotation is clockwise, the lower left sealing part and the upper right sealing part advantageously comprise the inner contact section, while the upper left sealing part and the lower right sealing part comprise the outer contact section. The inner contact sections point clockwise, and the outer contact sections counterclockwise.

[0023] Regardless of the direction of rotation and the arrangement of the overlapping inner and outer contact sections, it is always advantageous if the overlapping contact sections on the right side are arranged across the rotor axis opposite the contact sections on the left side.

[0024] In principle, it would be possible to arrange the contact sections in the area of ​​a dividing plane. The dividing plane is defined by the rotor axis, whereby the adjacent stator units are divided by the dividing plane into an upper unit and a lower unit to enable the assembly of a rotor. It should be noted that it is not required that the structural separation of the stator units occur exactly at the dividing plane; rather, the stator units must be disassembled along the dividing plane.

[0025] However, taking into account the intended pitch plane, it is particularly advantageous if the contact sections are arranged above the pitch plane on one side and below the pitch plane on the opposite side. In the direction of rotation, the contact sections should be arranged in front of the pitch plane. According to the previous example with a clockwise direction of rotation, it is therefore advantageous if the contact sections on the left side are located below the pitch plane and the contact sections on the right side are located above the pitch plane.

[0026] The advantageous arrangement of the inner contact sections and the outer contact sections, together with the positioning of the contact sections slightly offset from the parting plane, i.e., rotated around the rotor axis, enables a particularly advantageous assembly of an upper half of the stator units onto the lower half of the stator units. This enables reliable joining of the sealing parts offset from the parting plane into the opposite stator half, without any risk of damage to the sealing parts during the joining process.

[0027] In principle, but especially in connection with the arrangement of the contact sections in front of the dividing plane, it is furthermore particularly advantageous if the circumferential extension of the sealing part with the respective inner contact section is smaller than the circumferential extension of the sealing part with the overlapping outer contact section. This embodiment makes it possible, for example, to arrange the contact sections outside the dividing plane while maintaining the same arrangement of all angle sections in the respective sector.

[0028] The angled sections are intended, in particular, to provide circumferential securing of the respective sealing part. Considering adjacent sealing parts, it is advantageous if each angled section of a sealing part is provided with an opposite angled section of an adjacent sealing part. This allows two sealing parts to be secured at the same location in the circumferential direction with the associated angled sections.

[0029] To reduce leakage, it is particularly advantageous if the adjacent angle sections are in contact with each other at their free ends. This avoids a gap between the opposing angle sections. To compensate for thermal expansion in the circumferential direction, (ieTo allow for a change in the length of the sealing section relative to the change in size of the adjacent front or rear stator unit, it is further advantageous if, in the initial state, the angle sections are spaced apart from one another in the area where they connect to the respective sealing section. To enable compensation for thermal expansion, it is also advantageous to provide elastic deformation of the angle sections.

[0030] Although it would be sufficient to use four sealing parts, it is advantageous if an upper main part and a lower main part are also present as additional sealing parts in the sealing ring. In this case, it is necessary for the main parts to each have a sealing section and, at one end of the sealing section, an angled section and an overlapping section. In contrast to the left and right sealing parts, however, it is also advantageous to provide that the two main parts also have an angled section and an overlapping section at the opposite end of the sealing section. With regard to the design of the sealing section, the angled section and the overlapping section, the same applies as previously explained for the left and right sealing parts.

[0031] It is further advantageous if the sealing section of the respective main parts extends circumferentially over at least 120°. It is particularly advantageous if the sealing sections extend circumferentially over at least 150°.

[0032] The sealing ring according to the invention enables the realization of a stator assembly according to the invention. The generic stator assembly initially comprises a front stator unit on a front side and a rear stator unit on a rear side. Between the front stator unit and the rear stator unit there is a gap in which a sealing ring is arranged. According to the invention, the sealing ring is of a design as described above.

[0033] The design of the front stator unit or the rear stator unit is initially irrelevant, although the design can be used particularly advantageously if the front stator unit comprises a plurality of stator segments distributed around the circumference. Similarly, the application is advantageous if the rear stator unit comprises a plurality of stator segments distributed around the circumference.

[0034] It is further particularly advantageous if at least four of the rear stator segments each have a recess, wherein the recess is arranged on the side facing the gap and into which at least one angled section engages. Independently of this, it can be provided that other or all stator segments also have the same recess.

[0035] With segmented stator segments, it can be provided that one stator segment extends across the division plane on both the left and right sides. If the stator unit is then divided into an upper half and a lower half, the stator segments located in the area of ​​the division plane must be mounted either in the upper half or the lower half.

[0036] Particularly preferably, the assignment to the upper or lower half depends on which half the sealing part with the outer contact section is mounted in. In this case, the two rear stator segments adjacent to the sealing parts with the outer contact sections on the left and right sides should be mounted in the same halves.

[0037] In the case of clockwise rotation and the design of the upper left sealing part with the outer contact section, the rear left stator segment, which is intersected by the pitch plane, should preferably be mounted in the upper half on the left side. Similarly, for the design with the lower right sealing part with the outer contact section, the rear right stator segment, which is intersected by the pitch plane, should be mounted in the lower half.

[0038] In order to enable an advantageous joining of the upper half and the lower half of split stator units with the split sealing ring, it is further advantageous if the sealing part is on the right side oron the left side with the outer contact section adjacent to those rear stator segments which are intersected by the parting plane, extends beyond the parting plane and further over the entire width of the adjacent stator segment in the circumferential direction.

[0039] In the exemplary clockwise direction of rotation with the upper left sealing part with the outer contact section and a stator segment on the left side at the rear, which is mounted in an upper half and extends over the parting plane, it is correspondingly advantageous if the upper left sealing part extends beyond the parting plane downwards and below the stator segment arranged adjacent to the parting plane.

[0040] Analogously to the exemplary clockwise direction of rotation with the lower right sealing part with the outer contact section and a stator segment on the right side rear, which is mounted in a lower half and extends over the parting plane, it is correspondingly advantageous if the lower right sealing part extends above the parting plane upwards and above the stator segment arranged adjacent to the parting plane.

[0041] The following figures outline an exemplary embodiment of a sealing ring according to the invention and its arrangement in a gap between the front and rear stator units. They show: Fig. 1 schematically shows an exemplary sealing ring comprising six sealing parts; Fig. 2 a perspective view of a section of the sealing ring; Fig. 3 a side view of the left upper sealing part; Fig. 4 a side view of the left lower sealing part; Fig. 5 the contact section of the sealing parts; Fig. 6 the angle section and the overlap section on the left lower sealing part; Fig. 7 the angle section and the overlap section on the left upper sealing part; Fig. 8 the connection of two angle sections and overlap sections; Fig. 9 sections of the front stator unit and the rear stator unit; Fig. 10 sections of the sealing ring mounted in the rear stator unit; Fig. 11 the division of the sealing ring and the rear stator unit into an upper half and a lower half.

[0042] In the Figure 1An exemplary embodiment of a sealing ring 01 according to the invention is schematically outlined, which sealing ring 01 comprises six sealing parts. The sealing ring 01 is shown viewed in the axial direction, wherein the horizontal center represents a parting plane 06 and, in the illustration, the left side 07 is located to the left of the rotor axis 02 and the right side 08 is located to the right of the rotor axis 02. In this exemplary embodiment, a clockwise direction of rotation 03 of a rotor arranged as intended within the sealing ring 01 is assumed. Furthermore, it is provided in this exemplary embodiment that in the Figure 1 a view from the rear side 04 to the front side 05 is given.

[0043] The sealing ring 01 initially comprised the essential components of the left upper sealing part 21 and, across the rotor axis 02, the right lower sealing part 24. These are each arranged adjacent to a left lower sealing part 26 and an opposite right upper sealing part 23.

[0044] Furthermore, this embodiment comprises an upper main part 22, which extends from the left upper sealing part 21 to the right upper sealing part 23. Similarly, on the lower side, a lower main part 25 is located between the right lower sealing part 24 and the left lower sealing part 26.

[0045] For further description of the left and right sealing parts 21, 23, 24 and 26, please refer to the following Figures 2 , 3 and 4 The following is shown in the Figures 2 and 3For example, the left upper sealing part 21, which is identical to the right lower sealing part 24. In contrast, in the Figure 4 the left lower sealing part 26 is shown, which is identical to the opposite right upper sealing part 23.

[0046] It can be seen that these sealing parts 21, 23, 24, and 26 have a sealing section 31 along their essential length in the circumferential direction. This section 31 has a sealing thickness in the radial direction and a sealing width in the axial direction.

[0047] A contact section 32 is arranged at each end of the sealing section 31. This section 32 also extends in the circumferential direction with the seal width. It is provided that contact sections 32 of adjacent sealing parts 21, 26 and 23, 24 overlap - see in particular Fig. 5. Accordingly, it is necessary that an outer contact portion 32b is provided on a radially outer side of one sealing part 21, 24 of the adjacent sealing parts 21, 26 and 23, 24, and an inner contact portion 32a is arranged on a radially inner side of the other sealing part 23, 26.

[0048] Referring to the Figure 1 It can be seen that the contact sections 32 are provided in the area of ​​the division plane 06.

[0049] Opposite the contact sections 32 on the sealing parts 21, 26 and 23, 24 is an angle section 33, which is arranged on the rear side 04 and has approximately half the seal width. The angle section 33 extends with reduced thickness in an approximately radial direction, wherein the extension in the radial direction corresponds approximately to the width of the angle section 33 - see in particular the Figures 6 and 7 .

[0050] Furthermore, it is provided that for each angle section 33 of a sealing part 21-26 there is an opposite angle section 33 of an adjacent sealing part 21-26 - see in particular Fig. 8 . It is further provided that the opposite angle sections 33 abut one another at their free ends, while the angle sections 33 are spaced apart from one another in the area of ​​the connection to the respective sealing section 31.

[0051] In the axial direction adjacent to the angle section 33, there is an overlap section 34 at each end of the sealing section 31. This overlap section has a reduced thickness, similar to the contact sections 32, but only approximately half the seal width. It is also intended here that two overlap sections of adjacent sealing parts 21-26 overlap each other. Accordingly, analogous to the contact sections 32, an inner and an outer overlap section 34 is required alternately on the sealing parts 21-26. See also the Figures 6-8 .

[0052] In the Figure 9A section of a stator arrangement with a rear stator unit 14 and a front stator unit 15 is schematically sketched. The formation of the city gate units from a plurality of rear stator segments 16 and front stator segments 17 can be seen. Between the rear stator unit 14 and the front stator unit 15 there is a circumferential gap 18, in which the exemplary sealing ring 01 - as previously shown - is arranged (in this view, the sealing ring 01 is omitted).

[0053] It can be seen at least that the stator segments have a shape inclined relative to the rotor axis 02. This results in individual stator segments 16, 17 being intersected by the dividing plane 06. When divided into an upper half and a lower half, it is therefore necessary to arrange the stator segments 16, 17 present in the area of ​​the dividing plane 06 into either the upper half or the lower half.

[0054] It is also outlined that the rear stator segments 16 each have a recess 19 in a corner of the component facing the gap 18.

[0055] In the Figure 10 The arrangement of the sealing ring 01 on the rear stator unit 14 is now sketched in sections. The rear stator segments 16 with the respective recesses 19 can be seen again.

[0056] The axially rear edge section of the sealing ring 01 is received in an axially open groove in the rear stator segments 16. This illustration shows the arrangement of the upper left sealing part 21 and the lower right sealing part 24 with the sealing section 31, the contact section 32 located at the left end, and the angle section 33 and overlap section 34 located at the right end. The opposite angle sections 33 are secured in the circumferential direction by engaging in the recess 19.

[0057] It can also be seen in this illustration that the sealing parts 21, 24 with the outer contact section 32b extend in the circumferential direction beyond the width of a rear stator segment 16, so that the overlapping contact sections 32 of the adjacent sealing parts 21, 26; 23, 24, viewed in the circumferential direction, are arranged in the region of a stator segment 16, spaced apart from the dividing joints between the individual stator segments 16.

[0058] In the Figure 11 The division of the sealing ring 01 and the rear stator unit 14 into an upper half and a lower half is outlined. This division is necessary if the housing surrounding a rotor, and thus the sealing ring 01 and the stator units 14, 15, must be divided for the assembly of a rotor.

[0059] In this embodiment, it is provided that the sealing part 21, 24 with the outer contact section 32b is mounted in the half in which an adjacent rear stator segment 16 is also mounted, which is cut by the parting plane 06 in the region of the gap 18.

[0060] The angular section 33 of the sealing part 21, 24 is secured in the recess 19 between adjacent rear stator segments 16 in the direction of rotation 03, following the parting plane 06. The sealing part 21, 24 extends counter to the direction of rotation 03 beyond the rear stator segment 16 adjacent to the parting plane 06.

[0061] In contrast, the sealing part 23, 26 adjacent in the circumferential direction opposite to the direction of rotation 03 with the inner contact section 32a is located in the other half.

[0062] The representation in Fig. 11shows on the lower side of the illustration the lower half with the lower right sealing part 24 and at the top of the illustration the upper half with the upper right sealing part 23. If you look at the left side, with reference to the illustration, the upper half would be in the illustration above and the upper half in the illustration below of the sealing ring 01 or the rear stator unit 14.

Claims

1. Sealing ring (01) for sealing off a gap (18), surrounding a rotor axis (02), between a rear stator unit (14) on a rear side (04) and a front stator unit (15) on a front side (05), comprising, on a left-hand side (07), an upper left-hand sealing part (21) and, on a right-hand side (08), a lower right-hand sealing part (24) that is situated opposite across the rotor axis (02), and an upper right-hand sealing part (23) and a lower left-hand sealing part (26) that is situated opposite across the rotor axis (02), wherein each of these four sealing parts (21, 23, 24, 26) comprises - a sealing portion (31), which (31) extends in the circumferential direction and has a sealing thickness in the radial direction and a sealing width in the axial direction which is at least 5 times greater; and - a contact portion (32), which (32) is arranged at a first end of the sealing portion (31) and extends with the sealing width in the circumferential direction and has a thickness of at most 0.6 times the sealing thickness; and - an overlapping portion (34), which (34) extends in the circumferential direction and has a thickness of at most 0.6 times the sealing thickness; characterized by - an angle portion (33), which (33) is arranged at the opposite end of the sealing portion (31) on the rear side (04) and extends over a length of at least 0.5 times the sealing width in the radial and axial directions and has a thickness less than 0.6 times the sealing thickness; - wherein the overlapping portion (34) is arranged adjacent to the angle portion (33) on the front side (05).

2. Sealing ring (01) according to Claim 1, wherein inner contact portions (32a) are arranged on the side facing the rotor axis (02), and outer contact portions (32b) are arranged on the radially outer side so as to overlap with a respective inner contact portion (32a); and / or wherein the contact portions (32) of the left-hand sealing parts (21, 26) overlap and the contact portions (32) of the right-hand sealing parts overlap (23, 24).

3. Sealing ring (01) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein inner contact portions (32a) are arranged on the side facing the rotor axis (02), and the free ends thereof point in a direction of rotation (03) of a rotor arranged as intended within the sealing ring (01), and outer contact portions (32b) are arranged on the radially outer side so as to overlap with the respective inner contact portion (32a), and the free ends thereof point counter to the direction of rotation (03).

4. Sealing ring (01) according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the contact portions (32) on the right-hand side (08) are arranged opposite the contact portions (32) on the left-hand side (07) across the rotor axis (02).

5. Sealing ring (01) according to Claim 4, wherein, in the installation position as intended, the contact portions (32) are arranged ahead of a dividing plane (06) in the direction of rotation (03).

6. Sealing ring (01) according to one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the extent in the circumferential direction of the sealing parts (23, 26) having the inner contact portions (32a) is less than the extent of the sealing parts (21, 24) having the outer contact portions (32b).

7. Sealing ring (01) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein, for each angle portion (33) of a sealing part (21-26), an opposite angle portion (33) of an adjacent sealing part (21-26) is arranged.

8. Sealing ring (01) according to Claim 7, wherein the opposite angle portions (33) are in contact at the radially outer free end and spaced apart from one another in the region of the connection to the respective sealing portion (31).

9. Sealing ring (01) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, further comprising an upper main part (22) and a lower main part (25), each comprising - a sealing portion (31), which (31) in each case extends over at least 120°, in particular over at least 150°, in the circumferential direction; and - two angle portions (33), which (33) are each arranged on the rear side (04) at one end of the sealing portion (31); and - two overlapping portions (34), which (34) are each arranged on the front side (05), adjacent to an angle portion (33).

10. Stator arrangement comprising a rear stator unit (14) on a rear side (04) and a front stator unit (15) on a front side (05), and a sealing ring (01) according to one of the preceding claims arranged in between.

11. Stator arrangement according to Claim 10, wherein the rear stator unit (14) comprises a plurality of rear stator segments (16) distributed around the circumference; and / or wherein the front stator unit (15) comprises a plurality of front stator segments (17) distributed around the circumference.

12. Stator arrangement according to Claim 11, wherein at least four of the rear stator segments (16) each have a cutout (19) on the side facing the gap (18), wherein the angle portions (33) engage in the cutouts (19).

13. Stator arrangement according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein the rear stator segments (16) which are intersected by the dividing plane (06) are mounted in the same half in which the adjacent sealing part (21, 24) with the outer contact portion (32b) is arranged.

14. Stator arrangement according to Claim 13, wherein the left-hand sealing part (21) and the right-hand sealing part (24), which (21, 24) have the outer contact portion (32b), extend beyond the dividing plane and beyond the width in the circumferential direction of the adjacent rear stator segment (16).