US 12,392,412 B2
Hydraulically supported face seal
Jorn A Glahn, Manchester, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/081,808.
Prior Publication US 2024/0200662 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
Int. Cl. F16J 15/34 (2006.01); F01D 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16J 15/3448 (2013.01) [F01D 11/003 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine with a hydraulically supported seal, the seal comprising:
a seal plate operatively coupled with a seal, the seal being supported by a seal carrier within a housing;
a piston having a piston shaft, the piston being in operative communication with the seal opposite the seal plate, the piston shaft being disposed through the housing through a piston receiver formed in the housing;
a cylinder operatively coupled to the piston opposite the seal;
wherein the piston is hydraulically biased by a hydraulic fluid within the cylinder;
a hydraulic circuit fluidly coupled to the cylinder, the hydraulic circuit configured to pressurize the cylinder; and
a controller employed to maintain a hydraulic circuit pressure which maintains a contact between the seal plate and the seal, wherein the controller is in operative communication with a supervisory controller comprising a Full Authority Digital Engine Controller;
wherein gas turbine engine operational conditions provide control input to the hydraulic circuit to maintain sealing forces acting on the seal throughout gas turbine engine operating cycles.