Magnetic Turbomachine Sealing Across the Aft Frame Nozzle Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing assemblies in gas turbine engines face durability issues due to high temperatures and thermal expansion, leading to misalignment and incomplete seals, which reduces their lifespan and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic sealing arrangement is implemented, where seal links are magnetically coupled to both the aft frame and the stage one nozzle, allowing for flexible movement and alignment maintenance through magnetic ball socket joints, and utilizing a flexible sealing element made of alloy L605 to prevent gas dilution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing assemblies are used to seal between the aft frame and turbine nozzle, then the seal prevents high temperature combustion gases from diluting with pressurized air, but the sealing assembly suffers from durability issues due to high temperatures and thermal expansion causing misalignment and incomplete seals
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly incorporates a resilient seal member that can flex and adapt to thermal expansion and vibrational movements. The seal member is biased by a spring mechanism that allows it to dynamically maintain contact and sealing pressure against the turbine nozzle even as components expand and contract during operation, preventing misalignment and maintaining sealing effectiveness throughout the service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fastening systems with magnetic coupling between the aft frame and turbine nozzle. This magnetic coupling allows for relative movement and thermal expansion while maintaining a secure connection, eliminating the misalignment issues that plague rigid mechanical assemblies in high-temperature environments.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid sealing assemblies are used to maintain alignment, then the seal structure is stable, but thermal expansion and vibrations cause the sealing assembly to misalign and decouple
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly utilizes materials with different thermal expansion coefficients and a spring mechanism that changes its elastic properties with temperature. The resilient seal member is designed to maintain optimal sealing pressure across a range of temperatures by leveraging changes in material elasticity and spring force, allowing the assembly to adapt to thermal expansion while maintaining alignment stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic coupling system provides a dynamically adjustable connection that can accommodate thermal expansion and vibrational movements. The magnetic force maintains a consistent coupling between components even as they expand and contract, allowing the assembly to adapt to changing dimensional parameters while preserving alignment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The magnetic sealing arrangement enhances durability and alignment, ensuring a complete seal and maintaining high operating efficiency by accommodating thermal expansion and vibrations, thus prolonging the assembly's life and preventing gas dilution.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing assembly includes a first seal link magnetically coupled to the aft frame. The sealing assembly further includes a second seal link magnetically coupled to the first seal link and the stage one nozzle.
Data Source
AI summary
Sealing arrangements and turbomachines are provided. A sealing arrangement for a turbomachine includes a transition duct having an upstream end and a downstream end. The transition duct includes an aft frame that circumferentially surrounds the downstream end of the transition duct. A stage one nozzle spaced apart from the aft frame and defining a gap therebetween. A sealing assembly extends across the gap. The sealing assembly includes a first seal link magnetically coupled to the aft frame. The sealing assembly further includes a second seal link magnetically coupled to the first seal link and the stage one nozzle.