Additive Inseparable Damper Seal Assembly for Gas Turbine
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine seal and damper assemblies in gas turbine engines face challenges with stress concentrations due to support features, which can lead to undesirable stress concentrations and inefficiencies in vibration dissipation and thermal management.
Innovation Solution
An additively manufactured inseparable seal and damper assembly is created using processes like Stereolithography or Laser Powder Bed Fusion, with a 'H' shaped damper and a seal of non-constant thickness that conforms to the cavity, allowing for frictional contact and vibration absorption without the need for damper posts, enabling efficient thermal and vibrational energy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If posts and shelf features are used to support dampers in blade assemblies, then damper support is achieved, but stress concentrations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The seal and damper are merged into a single inseparable assembly manufactured using additive manufacturing technology. This integration eliminates the need for separate support posts and shelf features, thereby providing damper support without creating stress concentrations in the blade assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical support system using posts and shelves is replaced by an additively manufactured integrated structure. The new system uses the geometry and material properties of the inseparable assembly to provide support, eliminating the stress concentration issues associated with discrete mechanical support features.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate seal and damper components are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but thermal and vibrational energy management is less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The seal and damper functions are combined into a single inseparable assembly, optimizing thermal and vibrational energy management through integrated design while additive manufacturing enables efficient production of the complex geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is designed with variable thickness to optimize its performance in managing thermal energy, allowing better conformance to the cavity and improved energy management characteristics compared to uniform thickness designs.
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 provides a stress-free retention of the damper, optimized vibration reduction, and improved thermal management by allowing the damper to slide and conform, enhancing the operational efficiency and durability of the turbine assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a damper between adjacent turbine blades dissipates vibration through frictional contact between the damper and an underplatform surface of the two adjacent turbine blade platforms
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A damper-seal assembly (70) for a gas turbine engine (20) includes an additively manufactured seal (72) and an additively manufactured damper (74). The damper (74) is additively manufactured within a damper retention area (112) while the seal (72) is additively manufactured to form an inseparable assembly.