Balanced Seal Runner Structure for Leakage and Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face challenges in maintaining effective circumferential seals and achieving optimal balance, as existing seal runners and balance weight mounting systems can lead to leakage and vibration issues due to limited cylindrical conformity and inadequate balancing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A seal system with a seal runner featuring a circumferential array of mounting features for balance weights, integrated with a metallic substrate and chromium carbide coating, and a hub configuration that maintains sealing section integrity and allows for cooling fluid flow, enabling precise balancing and reduced leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple metal ring seal runner is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cylindrical conformity and sealing performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seal runner uses a composite structure with a metallic substrate and a chromium carbide coating layer. This composite material approach maintains structural simplicity while achieving superior cylindrical conformity and sealing performance through the hard, precise coating surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The chromium carbide coating is applied locally to the sealing surface of the metal ring, providing enhanced precision and cylindrical conformity only where needed for sealing, while the bulk metal structure remains simple.
2Reliability
If balance weights are mounted away from the centerline to maximize imbalance correction, then the balancing effectiveness is improved, but the seal runner structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The balance weight mounting features extend axially from the seal runner body, utilizing the axial dimension to position weights optimally for balancing while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed hub architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal runner is segmented into multiple hubs (first hub and second hub) that are axially spaced and connected by webbing, allowing balance weights to be mounted at optimal locations while maintaining overall structural strength through the distributed architecture.
3Device complexity
If a single-stage carbon seal is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sealing reliability under varying operating conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal runner incorporates cooling fluid flow channels that allow dynamic temperature management, enabling the seal to maintain reliable performance under varying operating conditions by actively controlling the thermal state of the sealing surface.
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 solution enhances sealing performance by maintaining cylindrical conformity and reducing leakage, while providing effective balance weight mounting for improved vibration reduction and extended seal life.
Implementation Method 1
the seal ring(s) may be at least locally impregnated with a salt or other material to reduce friction
Implementation Method 2
a hub configuration that maintains sealing section integrity and allows for cooling fluid flow
Data Source
AI summary
A machine has: an outer member; an inner member mounted for rotation about an axis relative to the outer member; and a seal system. The seal system has: a seal housing mounted to the outer member; one or more seal rings held by the seal housing and having an inner diameter surface; and a seal runner mounted to the inner member and having a first outer diameter surface portion contacting or facing the inner diameter surface of the one or more seal rings. The seal runner has a circumferential array of mounting features. One or more weights are mounted to one or more of the mounting features.