Brush seal leakage performance with gaseous working fluids at static and low rotor speed conditions

Abstract

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 to 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 non-lubricated brush seal. The air and carbon dioxide data were successfully correlated using corresponding state theory. However, the helium data followed a different curve than the air and carbon dioxide data.