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A steam turbine includes a rotor supporting a plurality of turbine buckets. The rotor has shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped bucket hook formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets. A rope seal is disposed in each interface between the bucket hooks and the shaped grooves, respec

A steam turbine includes a rotor supporting a plurality of turbine buckets. The rotor has shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped bucket hook formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets. A rope seal is disposed in each interface between the bucket hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. The rope seal serves to seal a leakage path that may exist over the bucket hooks between the buckets and respective rotor grooves.

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1. A steam turbine comprising a rotor supporting a plurality of turbine buckets, the rotor including shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped bucket hook formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets, wherein a rope seal is disposed adjacent a distal end of the turbine buckets in each i

1. A steam turbine comprising a rotor supporting a plurality of turbine buckets, the rotor including shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped bucket hook formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets, wherein a rope seal is disposed adjacent a distal end of the turbine buckets in each interface between the bucket hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. 2. A steam turbine according to claim 1, wherein the rope seal comprises braided metal sheathing surrounding a composite matrix. 3. A steam turbine according to claim 2, wherein the composite matrix is ceramic. 4. A steam turbine according to claim 1, wherein the rope seal has a diameter between {fraction (1/16)} th inch and {fraction (3/16)} th inch. 5. A steam turbine according to claim 1, wherein the rope seal is formed of a material such that after the seal is put through at least one engine operating cycle, the seal will deform into the interface. 6. A steam turbine according to claim 1, wherein the rope seal is disposed in each interface between the bucket hooks and an axially loaded surface of the shaped grooves, respectively. 7. A steam turbine according to claim 1, wherein the rope seal is a braided rope seal. 8. A method of constructing a steam turbine including a plurality of buckets with bucket hooks and a rotor with grooves shaped corresponding to the bucket hooks, the method comprising:inserting a rope seal in each of the rotor grooves; andsecuring the buckets in the rotor grooves, respectively, via the bucket hooks, whereby the rope seal is disposed adjacent a distal end of the buckets in each interface between the bucket hooks and the grooves. 9. A rotor assembly for a steam turbine including a plurality of shaped grooves for receiving a corresponding plurality of turbine buckets via complementary-shaped bucket hooks formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets, wherein a rope seal is disposed adjacent a distal end of the turbine buckets in each interface between the bucket hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. 10. A rotor assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rope seal comprises braided metal sheathing surrounding a composite matrix. 11. A rotor assembly according to claim 10, wherein the composite matrix is ceramic. 12. A rotor assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rope seal has a diameter between {fraction (1/16)} th inch and {fraction (3/16)} th inch. 13. A rotor assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rope seal is formed of a material such that after the seal is put through at least one engine operating cycle, the seal will deform into the interface. 14. A rotor assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rope seal is disposed in each interface between the bucket hooks and an axially loaded surface of the shaped grooves, respectively. 15. A rotor assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rope seal is a braided rope seal.