Seal for a turbine system

Abstract

A seal for a turbine system includes a rotor, a bowl region and a stator assembly having a tip strip disposed proximate the rotor. Also included is a packing head disposed proximate the tip strip. Further included is a flex seal having a first end portion fixedly secured to at least one of the tip strip and the packing head, with a second end portion slidably engaged with at least one of the tip strip and the packing head.

1 . A seal for a turbine system comprising:
 a rotor, a bowl region and a stator assembly having a tip strip disposed proximate the rotor;   a packing head disposed proximate the tip strip; and   a flex seal having a first end portion fixedly secured to at least one of the tip strip and the packing head, with a second end portion slidably engaged with at least one of the tip strip and the packing head.   
     
     
         2 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the flex seal is disposed in an intermediate pressure section of the turbine system. 
     
     
         3 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the first end portion is bolted to the tip strip. 
     
     
         4 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the first end portion is riveted to the tip strip. 
     
     
         5 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the first end portion is welded to the packing head. 
     
     
         6 . The seal of  claim 2 , wherein the stator assembly is operably coupled to an outer casing of the intermediate pressure section. 
     
     
         7 . The seal of  claim 6 , further comprising an axial direction and a radial direction, wherein the axial direction relatively corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the rotor and the radial direction relatively extends from the rotor to the outer casing. 
     
     
         8 . The seal of  claim 7 , wherein the second end portion of the flex seal is configured to be displaced in the axial direction and the radial direction. 
     
     
         9 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the flex seal is of a relatively Y-shaped geometric configuration. 
     
     
         10 . A seal for a steam turbine system comprising:
 a rotor, a bowl region and a stator assembly including a stator tip strip, wherein the stator tip strip is disposed proximate the rotor;   a first steam source injected into the bowl region at a first temperature;   a packing head disposed proximate the stator tip strip;   a rotor cooling steam source injected at a second temperature along a path in close proximity to the rotor, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature; and   a flex seal having a fixed portion and a free portion, wherein the flex seal is fixedly coupled at the fixed portion to at least one of the stator assembly, the packing head and the stator tip strip, wherein the flex seal prevents the first steam source from entering the path in close proximity to the rotor.   
     
     
         11 . The seal of  claim 10 , wherein the flex seal is disposed in an intermediate pressure section of the steam turbine system. 
     
     
         12 . The seal of  claim 10 , wherein the fixed portion is bolted to the tip strip. 
     
     
         13 . The seal of  claim 10 , wherein the fixed portion is riveted to the tip strip. 
     
     
         14 . The seal of  claim 10 , wherein the fixed portion is welded to the packing head. 
     
     
         15 . The seal of  claim 10 , further comprising an axial direction and a radial direction, wherein the axial direction relatively corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the rotor and the radial direction relatively extends from the rotor to an outer casing. 
     
     
         16 . The seal of a  claim 15 , wherein the free portion of the flex seal is configured to be displaced in the axial direction and the radial direction. 
     
     
         17 . The seal of  claim 10 , wherein the flex seal is of a relatively Y-shaped geometric configuration. 
     
     
         18 . A seal for a steam turbine system comprising:
 an intermediate pressure section having a rotor, a bowl region, an outer casing and a stator assembly having a tip strip disposed proximate the rotor, wherein the intermediate pressure section comprises an axial direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the rotor and a radial direction extending relatively from the rotor to the outer casing;   a packing head disposed proximate the tip strip; and   a flex seal having a first end portion fixedly secured to at least one of the tip strip and the packing head, with a second end portion slidably engaged with at least one of the tip strip and the packing head and configured to be displaced in the axial direction and the radial direction.   
     
     
         19 . The seal of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a first steam source injected into the bowl region at a first temperature;   a rotor cooling steam source injected at a second temperature along a path in close proximity to the rotor, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the flex seal prevents the first steam source from entering the path in close proximity to the rotor.   
     
     
         20 . The seal of  claim 18 , wherein the flex seal is of a relatively Y-shaped geometric configuration.