US 12,241,379 B2
Cooling system for seal assemblies
Nageswar Ganji, Bengaluru (IN); Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Bengaluru (IN); Hiranya Nath, Bengaluru (IN); and Jonathan K. Remer, Saugus, MA (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Jul. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/217,913.
Claims priority of application No. 202211044397 (IN), filed on Aug. 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0044262 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. F01D 25/18 (2006.01); F01D 11/00 (2006.01); F01D 25/12 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 25/183 (2013.01) [F01D 11/005 (2013.01); F01D 25/12 (2013.01); F05D 2250/283 (2013.01); F05D 2260/20 (2013.01); F05D 2260/98 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seal assembly for a turbomachine, the turbomachine including a rotating shaft extending along a centerline axis and a fixed housing positioned exterior to the rotating shaft in a radial direction relative to the centerline axis, the seal assembly comprising:
a sealing element coupled to the fixed housing;
a runner comprising a first surface axially oriented towards the sealing element and a second surface oriented away from the sealing element; and
a lubricant source;
wherein the runner rotates along with the rotating shaft and relative to the sealing element when the turbomachine is in an operational state,
wherein the lubricant source directs a lubricant to the second surface of the runner to reduce the temperature of the runner when the turbomachine is in an operational state,
wherein the fixed housing of the turbomachine comprises a bearing compartment and a pressurized compartment and wherein the seal assembly is positioned between the bearing compartment and the pressurized compartment.
 
13. A method for cooling a seal assembly comprising:
operating a turbomachine engine including the seal assembly, wherein the turbomachine engine comprises a rotating shaft, a fixed housing, and a centerline axis, and the seal assembly comprises a runner and a sealing element spaced apart along the centerline axis;
applying a lubricant to a surface of the runner to form a uniform or substantially uniform thin film of lubricant on the surface of the runner;
moving the lubricant across the surface of the runner; and
removing the lubricant from the surface of the runner,
wherein the seal assembly is disposed between a bearing compartment and a pressurized compartment, and wherein the lubricant is a lubricant from the bearing compartment.