A composite tubular woven seal for an inner compressor discharge case

摘要

Upper and lower halves (28, 30) of the inner barrel (22) of a compressor for a turbine are bolted to one another along a horizontal midline joint with metal-to-metal surface contact. Elongated grooves (36) are provided in the margin (34) of one of the barrel halves. Elongated composite tubular woven seals (36) are provided in the grooves, the seals having a diameter in excess of the depth of the grooves. The seals comprise an inner woven metal core (42) surrounded by an annular silica fiber layer (44), in turn surrounded by a metal foil (46) with an outer protective covering of a braided stainless steel (48). Upon joining the upper and lower halves, the compliant seal is crushed within the groove, maintaining a seal between the barrel halves in the event of warpage of the compressor casing during turbine operation. <IMAGE>