Gas Turbine Feather Seal Grinding and Cover Plate Design
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of feather seals for gas turbine engines is complex and expensive due to their intricate geometry, and existing methods like EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) result in high surface roughness, leading to inefficiencies in sealing and potential damage during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The use of a grinding process to form axially extending seal slots with smoother finishes, combined with cover plates to enclose end gaps, reduces air leakage and minimizes damage during manufacturing by providing a more efficient and cost-effective sealing solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) is used to manufacture feather seals, then the seal slots can be formed, but the surface roughness is high leading to sealing inefficiencies and potential damage during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the machining parameter from EDM to grinding process, which produces a smoother surface finish on the seal slots. This parameter change directly addresses the high surface roughness issue while maintaining the ability to form the required seal slot geometry, thereby improving both manufacturing precision and sealing reliability.
2Reliability
If feather seals are assembled into gas turbine engine components, then sealing between adjacent components is achieved, but the intricate geometry makes manufacturing complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing process parameter from traditional EDM to grinding process, which can produce the required intricate seal slot geometries with smoother surfaces in a more cost-effective and less complex manner, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
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 grinding process improves surface finish and contact area, reducing air loss between vanes and lowering the risk of damage during assembly, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective sealing solution for gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
The axially extending seal slots are formed with a grinding process
Implementation Method 2
A first cover plate is attached to the first axially aft surface and encloses at least a portion of the first axially extending seal slots
Implementation Method 3
Feather seals may also be an assembly of seals joined together through a welded tab and slot geometry
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A component for a gas turbine engine (20) includes a first platform (72) that has a first pair of circumferential surfaces (78) and a first axially aft surface (83). A first axially extending seal slot (80) is located in each of the first pair of circumferential surfaces (78) and the first axially aft surface (83). A first cover plate (106) is attached to the first axially aft surface (83) and encloses at least a portion of the first axially extending seal slots (80).