Brush Seal Leakage Performance With Gaseous Working Fluids at Static and Low Rotor Speed Conditions

• Published in: Journal of engineering for gas turbines and power 1993-04, Vol.115 (2), p.397-403
• Main Authors: Carlile, J. A, Hendricks, R. C, Yoder, D. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200104 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Components; 330103 - Internal Combustion Engines- Turbine; ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS; AIR; Applied sciences; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; DATA; ELEMENTS; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FLUID FLOW; FLUIDS; Gas engines; Gas turbines; GASES; HELIUM; INFORMATION; Leakage (fluid); LUBRICANTS; NONMETALS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PERFORMANCE TESTING; Pressure measurement; RARE GASES; ROTORS; SEALS; SUBSONIC FLOW; TESTING; Thermal effects
• ISSN: 0742-4795; 1528-8919
• DOI: 10.1115/1.2906722

The leakage performance of a brush seal with gaseous working fluids at static and low rotor speed conditions was investigated. This report includes the leakage results for air, helium, and carbon dioxide at several bristle/rotor interferences. In addition, the effects of packing a lubricant into the bristles and also of reversing the pressure drop across the seal were investigated. Results were compared to that of an annular seal at similar operating conditions. In order to generalize the results, they were correlated using corresponding state theory. The brush seal tested had a bore diameter of 3.792 cm (1.4930 in.), a fence height of 0.0635 cm (0.025 in.), and 1800 bristles/cm-circumference (4500 bristles/in.-circumference). Various bristle/rotor radial interferences were achieved by using a tapered rotor. The brush seal reduced the leakage in comparison with the annular seal, up to 9.5 times. Reversing the pressure drop across the brush seal produced leakage rates approximately the same as that of the annular seal. Addition of a lubricant reduced the leakage by 2.5 times when compared to a nonlubricated brush seal. The air and carbon dioxide data were successfully correlated using the corresponding state theory. However, the helium data followed a different curve from the air and carbon dioxide data.