Steam turbine packing casing horizontal joint seals and methods of forming the seals

摘要

Spline seals (62) are formed at the joints between packing casing shells (28) in a steam turbine having high pressure and intermediate pressure turbine sections sealing between the high pressure and intermediate pressure regions on opposite axial sides of the packing casing. The spline seals extend in registering grooves (52) from adjacent the seal segments of the rotor radially outwardly to adjacent axial load surfaces (54, 56) cooperable between the outer shell (18) and the packing casing (28). The spline seals minimize or eliminate steam leakage paths through the horizontal joint of the packing casing shells.