US 12,270,305 B2
Seal assembly for a rotary machine
Rahul Anil Bidkar, Niskayuna, NY (US); Deepak Trivedi, Niskayuna, NY (US); Christopher Edward Wolfe, Niskayuna, NY (US); Darren Lee Hallman, Niskayuna, NY (US); Kristopher Frutschy, Niskayuna, NY (US); and Mark Bowen, Niskayuna, NY (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Appl. No. 17/908,368
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/025781
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 31, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/201828, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0106380 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. F01D 11/02 (2006.01); F16J 15/447 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 11/025 (2013.01) [F16J 15/4476 (2013.01); F05D 2220/30 (2013.01); F05D 2230/31 (2013.01); F05D 2240/55 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary machine seal assembly comprising:
seal segments configured to circumferentially extend around a rotor between a stator and the rotor of a rotary machine, one or more of the seal segments including:
a shoe plate configured to be disposed along the rotor, wherein the shoe plate defines a radially outer most surface, the shoe plate configured to form a primary seal with the rotor and a secondary seal with a portion of the stator;
a seal base configured to be disposed radially outward of the shoe plate; and
at least one intermediate member coupled to and disposed between the seal base and the shoe plate, the at least one intermediate member including an actuator portion having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and a constrictor portion having a different, second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the constrictor portion comprises a first wall and a second wall extending radially inward from an inner surface of the seal base towards the shoe plate, wherein the constrictor portion defines a radially inner most surface, wherein a radial gap is formed between the radially inner most surface of the constrictor portion and the radially outer most surface of the shoe plate, wherein the actuator portion is at least partially disposed within the constrictor portion between the first wall and the second wall, the at least one intermediate member configured to move the shoe plate from a radially outward position to a radially inward position with respect to the rotor responsive to the at least one intermediate member undergoing a temperature change.