Abstract: A transition piece seal assembly includes a transition piece seal support having a first flange for supporting a transition piece seal, and a second flange adapted for mounting in an adjacent nozzle; and at least one spring seal element having a mounting flange adapted to engage the second flange of the transition piece seal support, and a flex portion having a free edge adapted to engage a forward face of the nozzle.

Abstract: The gas-path leakage seal is provided for generally sealing a gas-path leakage-gap between spaced-apart first and second members of a turbine. The seal includes an elongated seal member having an elongated, imperforate, and flexible first portion and a rigid second portion that defines a mounting bracket. The first portion has first and second surfaces and raised longitudinal edges that extend a generally identical distance above the first surface and generally the aforesaid identical distance below the second surface. A cloth layer having a thickness generally equal to or slightly greater than the aforesaid identical distance is superimposed on the second surface between the raised edges.

Abstract: A transition piece seal assembly includes a transition piece seal support having a first flange for supporting a transition piece seal, and a second flange adapted for mounting in an adjacent nozzle; and at least one spring seal element having a mounting flange adapted to engage the second flange of the transition piece seal support, and a flex portion having a free edge adapted to engage a forward face of the nozzle.

Abstract: A brush seal is comprised of arcuate seal segments having ends cut in a radial direction with bristles “canted” at an approximate 45° angle relative to radii of the segments, leaving triangular regions adjacent one end of each segment devoid of bristles at the segment interfaces. The brush seals are retrofit into conventional labyrinth seals with the backing plate for the bristles comprising a labyrinth tooth profile extending fully 360° about the seal, including those areas where bristles are not present. The sealing capacity is not substantially degraded, while affording significant sealing improvements over conventional labyrinth seals. Additionally, when retrofit into labyrinth seals with radial movement, the individual labyrinth seal segments are free to move radially independently of one another during transients.

Abstract: A method of cooling a transition duct end frame in a gas turbine includes the steps of a) directing cooling air into the end frame from a region external of the transition duct and the impingement cooling sleeve; and b) redirecting the cooling air from the end frame into the annulus between the transition duct and the impingement cooling sleeve.

Abstract: A seal arrangement for a rotary machine, such as a turbine, includes a main seal segment such as a labyrinth seal segment, a brush seal segment disposed in a slot in the main seal segment and having a layer of bristles secured between upstream and downstream plates of the brush seal segment, and at least one passage radially formed through the main seal segment to communicate a balancing pressure from a pressure source located exteriorly of an outer periphery of the main seal segment to a cavity defined in the downstream plate of the brush seal segment at a downstream side of the layer of bristles of the brush seal segment.

Abstract: A method for making a brush-tooth seal, such as a brush-tooth seal which is attachable to a turbine stator, includes obtaining a seal carrier having a groove and having seal teeth and obtaining a brush seal having bristles with tips. The brush seal is engaged in the groove and then attached to the seal carrier. Then, the tips of the bristles of the attached and engaged brush seal are cut, such as with an electric discharge machining (EDM) wire, at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of the seal carrier.

Abstract: A method for overhauling a steam turbine to increase its power without increasing its overall length. Existing seal assemblies containing seals other than brush seals are replaced with longitudinally-shorter replacement seal assemblies having only brush seals. An existing turbine section, such as a high-pressure turbine section, is replaced with a longitudinally-longer replacement turbine section having additional stages (i.e., additional rows of rotating buckets or blades).

Abstract: A brush seal is comprised of arcuate seal segments having ends cut in a radial direction with bristles “canted” at an approximate 45° angle relative to radii of the segments, leaving triangular regions adjacent one end of each segment devoid of bristles at the segment interfaces. The brush seals are retrofit into conventional labyrinth seals with the backing plate for the bristles comprising a labyrinth tooth profile extending fully 360° about the seal, including those areas where bristles are not present. The sealing capacity is not substantially degraded, while affording significant sealing improvements over conventional labyrinth seals. Additionally, when retrofit into labyrinth seals with radial movement, the individual labyrinth seal segments are free to move radially independently of one another during transients.

Abstract: A brush seal is comprised of arcuate seal segments having ends cut in a radial direction with bristles “canted” at an approximate 45° angle relative to radii of the segments, leaving triangular regions adjacent one end of each segment devoid of bristles at the segment interfaces. The brush seals are retrofit into conventional labyrinth seals with the backing plate for the bristles comprising a labyrinth tooth profile extending fully 360° about the seal, including those areas where bristles are not present. The sealing capacity is not substantially degraded, while affording significant sealing improvements over conventional labyrinth seals. Additionally, when retrofit into labyrinth seals with radial movement, the individual labyrinth seal segments are free to move radially independently of one another during transients.

Abstract: Circumferentially extending sealing segments (45) are disposed about a rotary component (16) and have seal face (34) carrying a plurality of labyrinth seal teeth (36) and a brush seal (37). The segments are movable between large and small clearance positions relative to the rotor at start-up and steady-state operating conditions, respectively. In one form, springs (31) bias the segments radially outwardly at start-up and steam pressure displaces the segments to the small clearance positions at steady-state operations. In a further embodiment, springs bias the segment for movement to the small clearance position, the extent of movement being determined by thermal expansion of centering rings mounting the segments to the stationary components.

Abstract: A number of sealing segments 20 mounts a brush seal about a rotor. The tips of the brush seal 46 are maintained out of contact with the rotor surface throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery. Thus, the increase in temperature resultant from rubs between the bristle tips and the rotor 12 which effectively increase vibrations of the turbomachinery are eliminated. Brush seals are therefore maintained out of contact with the rotor throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery and thus do not affect the dynamic behavior of the rotor.

Abstract: A fuel nozzle centering assembly and method employ bodies of a substantially wearable and sacrificial material mounted to an outer periphery of a tip of a burner fuel nozzle for a gas turbine combustor. The tip of the fuel nozzle extends through an opening of an annular collar attached to a liner of a main combustion chamber of the gas turbine combustor and an outer periphery of the tip is disposed radially inwardly from the annular collar such that the bodies of sacrificial material are disposed between the outer periphery of the fuel nozzle tip and the annular collar of the liner and space the fuel nozzle tip from the liner collar. The bodies of material prevent the fuel nozzle tip from contacting the liner collar during assembling of the fuel nozzle into the liner.

Abstract: A turbine brush seal protection device includes an annular substrate having an outer periphery and defining a slot open at the outer periphery. The slot is for receiving a portion of an annular brush seal of a gas turbine subassembly during installation of a gas turbine and such that the annular substrate at least partially covers the annular brush seal of the gas turbine subassembly. The annular substrate at the outer periphery and within the slot thereof is removably mounted to a stationary portion of the gas turbine subassembly.

Abstract: A brush seal includes a plurality of bristles in a circumferential array secured to a fixed component and about a rotary component. The bristles are cantilevered toward the rotary component at an angle to the radii of the rotary component with the bristle tips engaged against the rotary component. The bristles are supported by plates on opposite axial sides of the bristles. The plates have channels for directing fluid under pressure into the channels and against the bristles to deflect or bend the bristles toward the rotary component so that the tips of the bristles bear against the surface of the rotary component, enhancing the seal.

Abstract: Brush seals are retrofitted into existing turbine labyrinth seal rings to create a fail-safe seal design at locations wherever labyrinth seals are currently used, including interstage shaft seals, rotor end seals, bucket (or blade) tip seals and spill strips. Brush seals, per se, when used in place of labyrinth seals, can result in considerable span reductions of steam turbines, or machines with more turbine stages for a given span. Application to end packings results in the potential elimination of gland sealing/exhauster systems. Brush seal life can be improved by retrofitting brush segments to labyrinth seal segments that are either spring-backed, or use pressure loads to obtain design clearances only after steady state operating conditions are achieved. The brush seals are provided with backing plates shaped like labyrinth teeth, resulting in a fail-safe design.

Abstract: A brush seal is comprised of arcuate seal segments having ends cut in a radial direction with bristles "canted" at an approximate 45.degree. angle relative to radii of the segments, leaving triangular regions adjacent one end of each segment void of bristles at the junction of the segments. The brush seals are retrofit into conventional labyrinth seals with the backing plate for the bristles comprising a labyrinth tooth profile extending fully 360.degree. about the seal, including those areas where bristles are not present or only in the areas where bristles are not present. A support is provided at the juncture of the segments and to which support proximal ends of additional bristles are secured to project at an approximate 45.degree. angle relative to the segments at their juncture. Those additional bristles fill in the triangular region void of bristles when the support is secured to the end of the segment having the void whereby a full 360.degree. array of sealing bristles are provided.

Abstract: A brush seal segment useful, when circumferentially arrayed with other such segments, to seal the gap between a rotor and a surrounding casing of a rotary machine such as a steam turbine. An annular backing plate has a rim radially-inwardly bounding together upstream-facing and downstream-facing surfaces. Canted bristles abut the upstream-facing surface. The rim is designed to allow the bristles to recover from a rotor rub. In one design, the rim acts as a labyrinth-seal tooth and is shaped to deform, under a radial force, longitudinally away from the upstream-facing surface. In another design, the rim has a more-inwardly projecting second portion near a radially-aligned edge, and only this second portion acts as a labyrinth-seal tooth.

Abstract: A combined labyrinth/brush seal is provided in a seal between rotating and stationary components. The seal includes a plurality of arcuate sealing segments, each having one or more labyrinth teeth extending radially toward the surface of the rotating component. As original equipment or retrofit, a brush seal is provided among the labyrinth teeth in a slot formed in the sealing face of the seal segment. In one form, backing and/or forward plates for the brush seal have a tongue extending into an axially extending groove of the seal segments to prevent relative radial movement of the brush seal and seal ring segments. The end faces of the brush seal and seal ring segments may be bored and filled with weld material to prevent relative circumferential movement. Where a single radially extending slot is provided in the sealing ring segment, the brush seal may be stitch-welded to the seal ring segment along opposite sides of the brush seal.

Abstract: A variable clearance packing ring includes a plurality of circumferentially extending segments disposed in a generally dovetail-shaped slot in the stationary component of a machine having a rotor rotatable about an axis, the packing ring including an arcuate seal face in opposition to the rotor and axially extending flanges within the dovetail slot. Pins project axially from opposite sides of the stationary component for location between the flanges and sealing faces of the segments. A centering ring is mounted on the pins for each segment and has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the segment.