US 12,234,733 B1
Seal flow bypass
Pieter Van Lieu, Cheshire, CT (US); and Calvin Jay Winder, Cromwell, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/388,617.
Int. Cl. F01D 11/00 (2006.01); F01D 5/06 (2006.01); F16J 1/00 (2006.01); F16J 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 11/005 (2013.01) [F01D 5/066 (2013.01); F16J 1/00 (2013.01); F16J 15/00 (2013.01); F05D 2220/3219 (2013.01); F05D 2240/58 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first rotor element defining a groove;
a second rotor element disposed to rotate about the first rotor element; and
a piston seal ring (PSR) disposed in the groove to form a seal between the first rotor element and the second rotor element,
the second rotor element being formed to define bypass flow channels about the PSR that extend between opposite axial sides of the PSR,
wherein:
the bypass flow channels begin at a first plenum at an upstream side of the PSR,
the second rotor element comprises a body and an interior facing surface facing the first rotor element and forming a recess, which is recessed away from the first rotor element and into the body, as a second plenum at a downstream side of the PSR, and
the second rotor element is formed to define each of the bypass flow channels as a slot extending along the interior facing surface and terminating at the second plenum at the downstream side of the PSR.