Patent ID: 8932001
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: F01D,F04D

Abstract:
1. A method for sealing a flow path between a stationary element and a rotating element of a turbomachine, the method comprising: disposing at least one fixture on an inner surface of a stationary element associated with the turbomachine; disposing a packing ring linked via a spring element to the fixture wherein the packing ring comprises at least one bore; disposing, according to a predetermined profile, a plurality of interdigitated packing ring teeth and rotor teeth intermediate to the packing ring and the rotating element; wherein the bore, the packing ring teeth, and the rotor teeth cooperate to counter a moment associated with one or more axial forces; and wherein the bore provides a pressure equalization path from a flow path between the rotor teeth and the packing ring teeth into a secondary leakage path between the packing ring and the fixture, wherein a pressure differential between the flow path and the secondary leakage path is approximately zero.