Patent ID: 8858166

Claim:
A power generation system comprising: a generator; and a turbine operably connected to the generator, the turbine including; a rotor; a stator substantially enclosing the rotor; and a seal assembly disposed within the stator and configured to substantially fluidly isolate portions of the turbine, the seal assembly including: a complementary set of seal segments configured relative one another so as to form a substantially continuous body with butt gaps between seal segments, the seal segments including: a head flange; and an axial neck connected to the head flange, wherein the axial neck extends radially inboard and includes an axial slot formed substantially therethrough; and at least one butt gap seal element, wherein the at least one butt gap seal element includes an axial flange and a radial flange, the axial flange disposed within the axial slots of adjacent seal segments; and the radial flange extending radially inboard from the axial slots to a proximity of the rotary machine substantially forming a barrier to axial flow through the butt gap, the axial slots being configured to dispose a distal end of the axial flange directly proximate to a steam joint of the rotary machine.