Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines an axial direction and a radial direction, and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly defining a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side and comprising a plurality of seal segments, the plurality of seal segments including a seal segment having a seal face forming a fluid bearing with the rotor, a lip, and a body, the lip extending from the body along the axial direction of the turbine engine on the high-pressure side and including an outer pressurization surface along the radial direction of the turbine engine; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a spring arrangement extending between the carrier and the first seal segment to counter a pressure on the outer pressurization surface during operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: A seal assembly for rotary machines having a wear protection assembly with an abradable covering. The wear protection assembly has one or more wear protection features that enable in-operation opening of the seal assembly by increasing a clearance between a seal rotor and a seal slider of the seal assembly. In particular, the wear protection assembly is configured to open the seal assembly and increase the clearance of the seal rotor and the seal slider during slider air-bearing wear conditions, slider counterbore wear conditions, rotor air-bearing wear conditions, or extreme vibration wear conditions. Under such or similar wear conditions (or under conditions preceding or leading up to a wear condition), the wear protection assembly yields a pressure gradient and/or a fluid flow that oppose the forces acting to decrease the clearance between the seal rotor and the seal slider.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines a radial direction and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a first seal segment, the seal segment having a seal face configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a prestressed spring assembly extending from the seal segment for biasing the seal segment along the radial direction.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a rotor, a stator, and a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator. The seal assembly includes seal segment. The seal segment includes a seal face that is configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor. A lift channel extends within the seal segment from an opening on the seal face. The turbine engine further includes a spring assembly disposed within the lift channel. The spring assembly including a biasing element and a piston element coupled to the biasing element. The lift channel includes a lift volume portion extending is between the opening and the piston element. The piston element is movable within the lift channel based on a pressure within the fluid bearing to adjust a size of the lift volume portion.

Abstract: A seal assembly for a turbomachine includes a rotating component, a non-rotating component having a ring carrier, a face seal ring, and a joint disposed between the ring carrier and the non-rotating component. The non-rotating component is arranged with the rotating component at a sealing interface. The joint is capable of linear and tilt displacement to allow the non-rotating component to displace with respect to the rotating component. The sealing interface defines a gap between the face seal ring and the rotating component. The seal assembly also includes at least one damping element arranged with the ring carrier for maintaining the seal assembly centrally in a radial direction in the turbomachine. Further, the damping element(s) includes at least one mass element.

Abstract: A seal assembly at a rotor-stator interface includes at least one non-contacting seal interface and at least one rub detection feature. The rub detection feature(s) is configured to generate a signal upon the rotor and the stator making contact at the rotor-stator interface and causing wear above a certain threshold at the rotor-stator interface. The seal assembly also includes at least one sensor arranged at the rotor-stator interface. The sensor is configured to sense the signal. The seal assembly further includes a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor(s). The controller is configured to receive the signal and estimate at least one of an amount and a location of the wear at the rotor-stator interface based on the signal.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to seal assemblies for a turbomachine. The seal assemblies include one or more paired rotors and stators and at least one interface between the rotors and the stators. The components of the stator may be axially and radially movable by vibrations and other mechanical interference. The stators comprise a sealing element, a seal housing, and a stator interface connected to the engine housing. In some examples, seal assembly includes a damping element to isolate one or more of the rotating components from vibrations mechanical interference that might misalign the rotating components from the stationary components while the turbomachine is operational. In some examples, the damping element is positioned between the seal housing and the stator interface. In other examples, the damping element is positioned between the stator interface and the engine housing.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order and defining a working gas flowpath, a compressor of the compressor section comprising an aft-most compressor stage; a stage of stator vanes located downstream of the aft-most compressor stage; a stator case including a seal pad; and a spool drivingly coupled to the compressor, the spool and the stator case together defining a rotor cavity in fluid communication with the working gas flowpath, the spool comprising a seal tooth assembly, the seal tooth assembly including a seal support extension, a seal tooth extending from the seal support extension toward the seal pad, and a dampener operable with the seal support extension.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a rotor, a stator having a carrier, and a seal assembly that is disposed between the rotor and the stator. The seal assembly includes a plurality of seal segments. The plurality of seal segments includes a seal segment having a seal face forming a fluid bearing with the rotor, a body, and an aft bearing extending from the body. The turbine engine further includes a roller assembly having one or more rolling elements coupled to one of the aft bearing or the carrier. The one or more rolling elements in rolling contact with the other of the aft bearing or the carrier.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine defines a radial direction and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a plurality of seal segments, the plurality of seal segments having a seal segment, the seal segment having a seal face configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprises a pneumatic engagement assembly operable to bias the seal segment along the radial direction during operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a rotor, a stator, and a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator. The seal assembly includes seal segment. The seal segment includes a seal face that is configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor. A lift channel extends within the seal segment from an opening on the seal face. The turbine engine further includes a spring assembly disposed within the lift channel. The spring assembly including a biasing element and a piston element coupled to the biasing element. The lift channel includes a lift volume portion extending is between the opening and the piston element. The piston element is movable within the lift channel based on a pressure within the fluid bearing to adjust a size of the lift volume portion.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines a radial direction and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a first seal segment, the seal segment having a seal face configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a prestressed spring assembly extending from the seal segment for biasing the seal segment along the radial direction.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines an axial direction and a radial direction, and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly defining a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side and comprising a plurality of seal segments, the plurality of seal segments including a seal segment having a seal face forming a fluid bearing with the rotor, a lip, and a body, the lip extending from the body along the axial direction of the turbine engine on the high-pressure side and including an outer pressurization surface along the radial direction of the turbine engine; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a spring arrangement extending between the carrier and the first seal segment to counter a pressure on the outer pressurization surface during operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine defines a radial direction, and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a seal segment having a seal face forming a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly comprising a torsional spring extension extending from the carrier, from the seal segment, or both, to bias the seal segment along the radial direction.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine defines a radial direction and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a plurality of seal segments, the plurality of seal segments having a seal segment, the seal segment having a seal face configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprises a pneumatic engagement assembly operable to bias the seal segment along the radial direction during operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: A turbomachine includes a rotor shaft having an outer surface, a seal carrier forming an annulus about the rotor shaft, and a seal member. The seal carrier at least partially defines a pressure chamber. The turbomachine further includes a seal member support system including a flex body having a contact portion in contact with the seal carrier, and a flex portion extending from the contact portion towards the outer surface of the rotor shaft. The flex portion is coupled to the seal member and is configured to hold the seal member at a radial distance away from the outer surface of the rotor shaft when a pressure inside the pressure chamber is equal to or below a minimum pressure threshold value, and to flex and move the seal member towards the outer surface of the rotor when the pressure inside the pressure chamber exceeds the minimum pressure threshold value.

Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine, such as a turbine engine, may include a seal rotor comprising a rotor face, a seal slider comprising a slider face, a seal stator, wherein the seal slider is slidably coupled to the seal stator, and wherein the slider face and the rotor face define a primary seal. The seal slider may be configured to slidably engage and retract the slider face with respect to the rotor face. The seal assembly may further include a secondary seal disposed between the seal slider and the seal stator. The secondary seal may be configured to compress and rebound and/or to expand and rebound, over at least a portion of a range of motion of the seal slider.

Abstract: A seal assembly for rotary machines having a wear protection assembly with an abradable covering. The wear protection assembly has one or more wear protection features that enable in-operation opening of the seal assembly by increasing a clearance between a seal rotor and a seal slider of the seal assembly. In particular, the wear protection assembly is configured to open the seal assembly and increase the clearance of the seal rotor and the seal slider during slider air-bearing wear conditions, slider counterbore wear conditions, rotor air-bearing wear conditions, or extreme vibration wear conditions. Under such or similar wear conditions (or under conditions preceding or leading up to a wear condition), the wear protection assembly yields a pressure gradient and/or a fluid flow that oppose the forces acting to decrease the clearance between the seal rotor and the seal slider.

Abstract: A rotary machine includes a stator and a rotor configured to rotate with respect to the stator. The rotor is arranged with the stator at a rotor-stator interface and defines a rotor face. Further, the rotary machine includes a seal assembly at the rotor-stator interface. The seal assembly includes at least one seal and a groove formed into the rotor at the rotor-stator interface. In addition, the seal assembly includes a removable insert positioned within the groove of the seal assembly and defining at least a portion of the rotor face. As such, during operation of the rotary machine, if the rotor and the stator make undesirable contact at the rotor-stator interface, the removable insert becomes damaged to prevent damage from occurring to the rotor and the stator.

Abstract: A seal assembly at a rotor-stator interface includes at least one non-contacting seal interface and at least one rub detection feature. The rub detection feature(s) is configured to generate a signal upon the rotor and the stator making contact at the rotor-stator interface and causing wear above a certain threshold at the rotor-stator interface. The seal assembly also includes at least one sensor arranged at the rotor-stator interface. The sensor is configured to sense the signal. The seal assembly further includes a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor(s). The controller is configured to receive the signal and estimate at least one of an amount and a location of the wear at the rotor-stator interface based on the signal.