Patent ID: 6790001
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: F01D,F05D

Abstract:
A turbine comprising:a stationary component and a rotary component; first, second and third seal assemblies axially spaced from one another between the stationary component and the rotary component, each of said first, second and third seal assemblies including a brush seal for sealing across a pressure differential, each said brush seal having a predetermined maximum differential sealing pressure defining a sealing capacity therefor; said turbine including a first high pressure region upstream of said first seal assembly and a second lower pressure region downstream of said second seal assembly; a first pressure region intermediate said first and second seal assemblies and a second pressure region intermediate said second seal assembly and said third seal assembly; said first high pressure region and said second intermediate pressure region having a total pressure drop therebetween in excess of the sealing capacity of each brush seal of the first and second seal assemblies; said first intermediate pressure region and said second low pressure region having a total pressure drop therebetween in excess of the sealing capacity of each brush seal of the second and third seal assemblies; said first intermediate pressure region having a substantially fixed predetermined pressure such that the predetermined sealing capacity of each brush seal between one of (i) said first high pressure region and said first intermediate pressure regions and (ii) said first intermediate pressure region and said second intermediate pressure region is not exceeded; and said second intermediate pressure region has a substantially fixed predetermined pressure such that the predetermined sealing capacity of each brush seal between one of (i) said first intermediate pressure region and said second intermediate pressure region and (ii) said second intermediate pressure region and said second low pressure region is not exceeded.