Seal systems for use in turbomachines and methods of fabricating the same

摘要

A seal system, for an apparatus that includes a rotatable portion with airfoils coupled thereto and a stationary portion with an inner surface, includes an abradable portion including at least one abradable layer of an abradable material formed over the inner surface. The seal system also includes an abrading portion disposed over at least a portion of a substrate of the airfoil. The abrading portion includes at least one abrading layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate and a plurality of abrasive particles embedded within the abrading layer. The plurality of abrasive particles includes at least one of substantially all of one of tantalum carbide (TaC), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and ziconia (ZrO2), cubic boron nitride (cBN) and Al2O3 in predetermined ratios, cBN, Al2O3 and ZrO2 in predetermined ratios, Al2O3 and ZrO2 fused together in predetermined ratios, and TaC and Al2O3 in predetermined ratios.

主权项

1. A seal system for an apparatus that includes a rotatable portion and a stationary portion extending over at least a portion of the rotatable portion, the stationary portion includes an inner surface, the rotatable portion includes at least one airfoil assembly coupled thereto, wherein the at least one airfoil assembly includes a substrate, said seal system comprising:
an abradable portion comprising at least one abradable layer of an abradable material formed over at least a portion of the inner surface, wherein said abradable portion comprises an abradable surface face; and an abrading portion disposed over at least a portion of the substrate, said abrading portion comprising:
at least one abrading layer formed on at least a portion of said substrate, wherein said at least one abrading layer defines an abrading layer surface; anda plurality of abrasive particles embedded within said at least one abrading layer, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of abrasive particles extends beyond said abrading layer surface a first predetermined distance within a range between approximately 0% and 40% of an equivalent diameter of said plurality of abrasive particles, said plurality of abrasive particles are separated from each other with a spacing range between approximately 20μ and approximately 500μ, and said plurality of abrasive particles comprises at least one of:
substantially all of one of tantalum carbide (TaC), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and ziconia (ZrO2);cubic boron nitride (cBN) and Al2O3 in predetermined ratios;cBN, Al2O3, and ZrO2 in predetermined ratios;Al2O3 and ZrO2 fused together in predetermined ratios; andTaC and Al2O3 in predetermined ratios, wherein the abrading portion rubs against the abradable portion and defines a clearance gap between the abrading portion and the abradable portion, further defines a second predetermined distance between said abrading layer surface and said abradable surface face, and further wherein the clearance gap comprises a predetermined range of values, and further wherein said first predetermined distance and said second predetermined distance reduce a potential of contact between said abrading layer and said abradable shroud.