Interlocking Damper Seal for Turbine Rotor Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Counter-rotating turbine engines face challenges in achieving effective sealing or dampening between circumferentially arranged rotating components coupled to the outer rotor, leading to inefficiencies and increased leakage of airflow.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a damper element with interlocking seals and channels that secure the inner ends of adjacent blades, dissipate kinetic energy, and control airflow, utilizing materials like nickel-cobalt alloys or ceramics, to reduce relative movement and leakage between the outer and inner rotor/stator components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing methods are used between circumferentially arranged rotating components, then manufacturing is simpler, but airflow leakage increases and sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple discrete elements including interlocking protrusions and recesses, allowing each segment to contribute to the overall sealing function while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary seal element is introduced between the rotating components to mediate the sealing function, providing effective airflow blocking without requiring complex integration into the blade structures themselves
2Reliability
If damping elements are added to reduce relative movement between blades, then sealing improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function and sealing function are merged into a single integrated structure where the interlocking seal elements simultaneously provide both damping of relative movement and sealing against airflow leakage
Solution Approach 2:
The seal structure is designed to perform multiple functions including damping, sealing, and structural interlocking, eliminating the need for separate damping elements and reducing overall device complexity
3Reliability
If interlocking seals with multiple features are implemented, then airflow leakage reduces, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal features are designed with locally optimized geometries where protrusions and recesses have specific shapes and dimensions tailored to their local sealing requirements, allowing effective sealing with relaxed overall tolerances
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking seal structure incorporates built-in compliance and tolerance compensation features that cushion against manufacturing variations, ensuring effective sealing even with moderate manufacturing precision
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 solution reduces airflow leakage, dissipates kinetic energy, and secures the inner ends of airfoils, thereby improving the efficiency and reducing temperature in the annular cavity, while also serving as an interlock feature to limit axial movement between adjacent airfoils.
Implementation Method 1
a damper element securing the first and second ends to each other
Implementation Method 2
a seal residing in both the first channel and the second channel
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine engine with an outer rotor that circumscribes an inner rotor. The outer rotor includes circumferentially arranged components with a radial outer end and radial inner end. Inner ends of confronting sides of adjacent components include at least one damper element to dampen the relative motion of the components or to provide at least a partial seal between adjacent components.