Patent ID: 6340286
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: F01D,F05D,Y02T

Abstract:
A rotary machine, comprising:a rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having an outer annular surface; a plurality of blades mounted on and spaced apart from one another circumferentially about said outer annular surface of said rotor and extending radially outward relative to said longitudinal axis and from said outer annular surface of said rotor to end tips of said blades; an outer casing having an annular shape and an inner circumferential surface and being stationarily disposed about and spaced radially outwardly from said rotor and said blades thereon so as to define an annular gap between said inner circumferential surface of said casing and said end tips of said blades; a flexible abradable seal assembly attached on said inner circumferential surface of said casing and disposed within said annular gap between said casing and blade tips such that, during periods of differential growth of said rotor and blades relative to said casing, said flexible abradable seal assembly flexes and abrades in response to contact therewith by said tips of said blades moving with said rotor and thereby clearance between said casing and said rotor blades at said gap is controlled in such manner as to avoid contact by said moving blade tips with said casing; wherein said flexible abradable seal assembly includes an elongated flexible body having an arcuate shape generally conforming to said annular shape of said inner circumferential surface of said casing, a pair of opposite spaced apart longitudinally extending edge portions spaced respectively upstream and downstream of said end tips of said rotor blades, and a main body portion extending between and interconnecting said opposite edge portions and being disposed outwardly of and aligned with said end tips of said rotor blades, said elongated flexible body having a portion disposed adjacent to said end tips of said rotor blades and being of an abradable material in response to contact therewith by said end tips of said rotor blades; and wherein said flexible body itself is made of said abradable material; a securing mechanism for securing said flexible body at said opposite edge portions thereof to said inner circumferential surface of said outer casing.