Gas Turbine Filter Seal with Radial Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air intake systems for gas turbines lack effective filtration solutions that ensure the correct filter element is used, leading to potential damage to downstream components due to particulates in the air.
Innovation Solution
A filter element and assembly are designed with a tubular section of filter media and end caps, featuring a seal arrangement with a seal member having an inwardly radially directed seal surface and varying thickness, ensuring proper sealing and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard seal arrangement is used in the filter element, then the filter element can be easily manufactured and installed, but it may not provide sufficient sealing reliability to prevent particulate contamination of downstream turbine components
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member incorporates varying thickness along its length, creating different local properties: a thicker first portion for enhanced sealing pressure and reliability at the primary sealing interface, and a thinner second portion for flexibility and ease of installation. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced sealing reliability where needed without uniformly increasing complexity throughout the entire seal arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member is segmented into distinct functional portions (first portion with greater thickness, second portion with lesser thickness) that perform different sealing functions. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific role, achieving high reliability through the thicker first portion while maintaining manageable complexity through the simplified second portion
2Reliability
If a filter element design without specific identification features is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but it becomes difficult to ensure the correct filter element is installed, leading to potential turbine damage
Solution Approach 1:
The seal arrangements at opposite ends of the filter element are made asymmetric through different orientations of the radially directed seal surfaces. This asymmetry creates a unique configuration that ensures the filter element can only be installed in the correct orientation, preventing incompatible installations while adding minimal structural complexity through simple geometric differentiation
3Reliability
If the seal member has uniform thickness, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but it cannot provide optimized sealing performance across different radial positions of the filter element
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member employs varying thickness along its length, with a thicker first portion positioned at critical sealing locations requiring higher sealing pressure, and a thinner second portion at locations where flexibility is prioritized. This local quality differentiation optimizes sealing performance at each position while the varying thickness profile can be achieved through standard manufacturing processes like extrusion or molding, limiting the impact on manufacturing complexity
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 improves the filtration efficiency by ensuring the correct filter element is used, protecting downstream turbine components and enhancing the overall performance of the air intake system.
Implementation Method 1
The first filter element seal member forms a seal with the tube sheet seal member in that the tube sheet seal member inward radial portions receive the first filter element seal member radial projections; and the first filter element seal member radial recesses receive the tube sheet seal member outward radial portions
Data Source
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AI summary
A gas turbine air intake system uses a filter element having a seal member with radial projections and radial recesses. The seal member forms a seal with components on the tube sheet of the system and at the end opposite of the tube sheet. At the end opposite of the tube sheet, there can be an assembly cover, or alternatively, an additional filter cartridge.