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US-12624642-B2 - Low-pressure turbine

US12624642B2US 12624642 B2US12624642 B2US 12624642B2US-12624642-B2

Abstract

A low-pressure (LP) turbine includes an LP shaft, one or more stages of LP turbine stator vanes and LP turbine rotor blades, and one or more interstage seals. The LP turbine rotor blades are coupled to, and rotate with, the LP shaft. The one or more interstage seals are disposed between the one or more stages. The one or more interstage seals each includes a seal disk that extends radially inward of the LP turbine stator vanes. Each seal disk includes an outer shell that supports one or more seal teeth, and the outer shell rotates as the LP shaft rotates.

Inventors

  • BRANDON W. MILLER
  • Arda Unsal
  • Paul Pezzi

Assignees

  • GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230215

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A low-pressure (LP) turbine comprising: an LP shaft; a plurality of stages of LP turbine stator vanes and LP turbine rotor blades, the LP turbine rotor blades being coupled to, and rotating with, the LP shaft; and one or more interstage seals disposed between the plurality of stages, the one or more interstage seals each comprising: an outer shell that supports one or more seal teeth, the outer shell extending axially between, and connected to, a stage of the plurality of stages and an adjacent stage of the plurality of stages, the outer shell rotating as the LP shaft rotates; an inner shell that couples a stage of the plurality of stages to an adjacent stage of the plurality of stages, the inner shell being positioned radially inward of the outer shell; a seal disk that is disposed radially inward of the inner shell; and a seal disk flange that extends radially from the seal disk to the outer shell to support the outer shell, the seal disk flange being integral with the seal disk and the outer shell, and the seal disk having an axial length that is greater than an axial length than the seal disk flange.
  2. 2 . The LP turbine of claim 1 , wherein the interstage seals include a free hoop radius that is defined from a longitudinal centerline axis of the LP turbine, the seal disk extending radially within the free hoop radius.
  3. 3 . The LP turbine of claim 2 , wherein the seal disk defines a seal disk bore therethrough, the seal disk bore being disposed radially within the free hoop radius.
  4. 4 . The LP turbine of claim 3 , wherein the LP turbine rotor blades are each mounted on a rotor disk, the rotor disk defining a rotor disk bore therethrough.
  5. 5 . The LP turbine of claim 4 , wherein the seal disk is coupled to the rotor disk of adjacent stages of the LP turbine rotor blades.
  6. 6 . The LP turbine of claim 4 , wherein the seal disk bore includes a seal disk bore radius and the rotor disk bore includes a rotor disk bore radius, the seal disk bore radius being greater than the rotor disk bore radius.
  7. 7 . The LP turbine of claim 4 , wherein the inner shell couples the rotor disk of the stage of the plurality of stages to an adjacent rotor disk of the adjacent stage of the plurality of stages.
  8. 8 . The LP turbine of claim 7 , wherein the inner shell and the outer shell define an interstage cavity therebetween.
  9. 9 . The LP turbine of claim 8 , wherein the seal disk includes one or more seal disk apertures extending through the seal disk, cooling air being operably directed into the interstage cavity through the one or more seal disk apertures.
  10. 10 . The LP turbine of claim 1 , wherein the LP shaft is coupled to a gearbox assembly.
  11. 11 . A turbine engine comprising: a fan; a low-pressure (LP) shaft coupled to the fan; and an LP turbine comprising: a plurality of stages of LP turbine stator vanes and LP turbine rotor blades, the LP turbine rotor blades being coupled to, and rotating with, the LP shaft; and one or more interstage seals disposed between the plurality of stages, the one or more interstage seals each comprising: an outer shell that supports one or more seal teeth, the outer shell extending axially between, and connected to, a stage of the plurality of stages and an adjacent stage of the plurality of stages, the outer shell rotating as the LP shaft rotates; an inner shell that couples a stage of the plurality of stages to an adjacent stage of the plurality of stages, the inner shell being positioned radially inward of the outer shell; a seal disk that is disposed radially inward of the inner shell; and a seal disk flange that extends radially from the seal disk to the outer shell to support the outer shell, the seal disk flange being integral with the seal disk and the outer shell, and the seal disk having an axial length that is greater than an axial length than the seal disk flange.
  12. 12 . The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the interstage seals include a free hoop radius that is defined from a centerline axis of the LP turbine, the seal disk extending radially within the free hoop radius.
  13. 13 . The turbine engine of claim 11 , further comprising a gearbox assembly, the fan being coupled to the LP shaft through the gearbox assembly.
  14. 14 . The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the seal disk defines a seal disk bore therethrough, the seal disk bore being disposed radially within the free hoop radius.
  15. 15 . The turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the LP turbine rotor blades are each mounted on a rotor disk, the rotor disk defining a rotor disk bore therethrough.
  16. 16 . The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the seal disk is coupled to the rotor disk of adjacent stages of the LP turbine rotor blades.
  17. 17 . The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the seal disk bore includes a seal disk bore radius and the rotor disk bore includes a rotor disk bore radius, the seal disk bore radius being greater than the rotor disk bore radius.
  18. 18 . The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the inner shell couples the rotor disk of the stage of the plurality of stages to an adjacent rotor disk of the adjacent stage of the plurality of stages.
  19. 19 . The turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the inner shell and the outer shell define an interstage cavity therebetween.
  20. 20 . The turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein the seal disk includes one or more seal disk apertures extending through the seal disk, cooling air being operably directed into the interstage cavity through the one or more seal disk apertures.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to low-pressure turbines, for example, in turbine engines. BACKGROUND A turbine engine generally includes a fan and a turbine section arranged in flow communication with one another. The turbine section can include a low-pressure turbine. The turbine engine includes a gearbox assembly that couples the fan to the turbine section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of various exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a turbine engine, taken along a longitudinal centerline axis of the turbine engine, according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an enlarged, schematic, cross-sectional view of a low-pressure (LP) turbine for a turbine engine, taken along the longitudinal centerline axis of the turbine engine, according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged, schematic, cross-sectional view of a low-pressure (LP) turbine for a turbine engine, taken along the longitudinal centerline axis of the turbine engine, according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth or apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, both the foregoing summary of the present disclosure and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below. While specific embodiments are discussed, this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. The terms “forward” and “aft” refer to relative positions within a turbine engine or vehicle, and refer to the normal operational attitude of the turbine engine or vehicle. For example, with regard to a turbine engine, forward refers to a position closer to an engine inlet and aft refers to a position closer to an engine nozzle or exhaust. As used herein, the terms “low,” and “high,” or their respective comparative degrees (e.g., “lower” and “higher”, where applicable), when used with compressor, turbine, shaft, fan, or turbine engine components, each refers to relative pressures, relative speeds, relative temperatures, and/or relative power outputs within an engine unless otherwise specified. For example, a “low speed” LP shaft is configured to rotate at a speed lower than a “high speed” LP shaft. The terms “low” or “high” in such aforementioned terms may additionally, or alternatively, be understood as relative to minimum allowable speeds, pressures, or temperatures, or minimum or maximum allowable speeds, pressures, or temperatures relative to normal, desired, steady state, etc., operation of the engine. The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached,” “connected,” and the like, refer to both direct coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially parallel to a centerline of the turbine engine. Moreover, the terms “radial” and “radially” refer to directions and orientations that extend substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the turbine engine. In addition, as used herein, the terms “circumferential” and “circumferentially” refer to directions and orientations that extend arcuately about the centerline of the turbine engine. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” “generally,” “nearly,” and “substantially” is not to be limited to the precise val