Gas Turbine Face Seal Wear Life via Diameter Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current carbon materials used in face seals for gas turbine engines do not provide sufficient wear life at higher rotor speeds, which are required by future aircraft engine cycles.
Innovation Solution
A face seal design with a 33% increased contact area between the seal body and the seal face plate, achieved by adjusting the diameters of the seal body, which reduces seal face contact stress and improves wear performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the width of the nose is minimized to reduce friction and wear, then friction and wear are reduced, but the seal face contact stress increases leading to insufficient wear life at higher rotor speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the seal body, specifically increasing the diameter ratio from conventional values to between 1.05 and 1.08, which increases the contact area by 33% and reduces contact stress to extend seal wear life at high rotor speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from minimizing nose width (one-dimensional approach) to optimizing the overall seal body geometry and contact area (multi-dimensional approach), recognizing that contact area is a function of multiple dimensional parameters including diameter ratio
2Reliability
If current carbon materials are used to improve seal wear life, then material performance is maintained, but the desired wear life at higher rotor speeds is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters by reducing contact stress through increased contact area, which allows the seal to operate successfully at higher rotor speeds without requiring new material compositions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary design optimization to the seal body geometry before operation, pre-configuring the contact area to anticipate and prevent wear issues that would occur at higher rotor speeds
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 increased contact area results in a significant reduction in seal face wear rate, enhancing wear life by a factor of 10 while maintaining minimal cost impact.
Implementation Method 1
A face seal design with a 33% increased contact area between the seal body and the seal face plate, achieved by adjusting the diameters of the seal body, which reduces seal face contact stress and improves wear performance
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A face seal (50) for a gas turbine engine (10) comprises a seal body (56) that has a contact face (52) to engage a rotating surface (42). The contact face (52) is defined as an area extending radially between an inner diameter (D1) of the seal body (56) and an outer diameter (D2) of the seal body (56) at one seal end (52). A ratio of the outer diameter (D2) to the inner diameter (D1) is at least 1.054.