Patent ID: 8419356

Claim:
A seal assembly that limits gas leakage from a hot gas path to one or more disc cavities in a turbine engine comprising a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a plurality of stationary components and a disc structure supporting a plurality of blade structures for rotation on a turbine rotor, the seal assembly comprising: a first seal apparatus that limits gas leakage from the hot gas path to a first disc cavity associated with a first axially facing side of a blade structure including a row of airfoils, said first seal apparatus comprising: a plurality of first blade members rotatable with said blade structure, said first blade members associated with said first axially facing side of said blade structure and extending toward adjacent first stationary components, each said first blade member including a leading edge and a trailing edge, said leading edge of each said first blade member located circumferentially in front of said trailing edge of said corresponding first blade member in a direction of rotation of the turbine rotor, said first blade members arranged such that a space having a component in a circumferential direction is defined between adjacent circumferentially spaced first blade members; and a second seal apparatus that limits gas leakage from the hot gas path to a second disc cavity associated with a second axially facing side of said blade structure, said second seal apparatus comprising: a plurality of second blade members rotatable with said blade structure, said second blade members associated with said second axially facing side of said blade structure and extending toward adjacent second stationary components, each said second blade member including a leading edge and a trailing edge, said leading edge of each said second blade member located circumferentially in front of said trailing edge of said corresponding second blade member in a direction of rotation of the turbine rotor, said second blade members arranged such that a space having a component in the circumferential direction is defined between adjacent circumferentially spaced second blade members.