Bent Cross-Section Seal for Turbine Diffuser Parting Line
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Solution Overview
Problem
In turbine assemblies, the challenge lies in maintaining an effective seal across a parting line between components, especially under temperature changes and thermal expansion, which can lead to dimensional variances and unpredictable sealing performance, affecting efficiency and leak prediction.
Innovation Solution
A seal arrangement featuring a protruding portion, a recessed portion, and a flexible portion with a bent cross-section is used, where the flexible portion contacts both surfaces, allowing for dimensional variance accommodation and improved sealing resistance across the parting line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is disposed between sub-components at a parting line, then sealing performance is improved, but dimensional variances due to thermal expansion cause unpredictable sealing characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with a bent cross-section geometry that allows it to flex and adapt to dimensional changes in the parting line caused by thermal expansion. The bent configuration enables the seal to maintain contact pressure and sealing effectiveness despite temperature-induced dimensional variances in the rigid components.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal employs a flexible portion with a bent cross-section that can deform to accommodate dimensional changes at the parting line. This flexibility allows the seal to maintain reliable sealing characteristics even when the rigid sub-components experience thermal expansion and contraction, making the sealing performance deterministic rather than unpredictable.
2Ease of repair
If sub-components are joined in a removable manner for maintenance, then ease of repair is improved, but differential pressure causes flow across the parting line if not adequately sealed
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible seal with bent cross-section maintains effective sealing at the removable parting line, preventing differential pressure from causing harmful fluid flow between sub-components. The flexibility allows the seal to conform to dimensional changes while maintaining sealing integrity, enabling easy disassembly and reassembly without compromising seal effectiveness.
3Stability of the object's composition
If temperature gradients exist along the parting line, then thermal stability is worsened, but sealing characteristics become non-deterministic
Solution Approach 1:
The bent cross-section geometry of the flexible seal is specifically designed to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction caused by temperature gradients along the parting line. As temperature changes cause dimensional variations in the rigid components, the flexible seal flexes accordingly, maintaining consistent sealing pressure and deterministic sealing characteristics throughout the temperature range.
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
This configuration enhances deterministic sealing performance, reducing fluid flow across the parting line and improving thermal stability, leading to increased turbine efficiency and reduced uncertainty in flow predictions.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible portion between the protruding portion and the recessed portion. The flexible portion has a bent cross-section when viewed perpendicular to the parting line
Implementation Method 2
there may be a tendency for the differential pressure to result in a flow across the parting line if the parting line is not adequately sealed
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine or turbine system includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine section, a diffuser with a parting line between two components, and a seal along the parting line. The seal includes a protrusion, a recess, and a flexible portion between the protrusion and the recess. The flexible portion has a bent cross-section perpendicular to the parting line. An outer surface of the bent cross-section contacts an inner surface of the recess. An inner surface of the bent cross-section contacts an outer surface of the protrusion. Sealing a parting line between two parts of a diffuser in a gas turbine system includes disposing a flexible portion between a protrusion and a recess of the two parts, contacting an outer surface of the bent cross-section with an inner surface of the recess, contacting an inner surface of the bent cross-section with an outer surface of the protrusion, and pressurizing the diffuser.