Gas Turbine Brush Seal with Supported Tip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brush seals in gas turbine engines face challenges in effectively reducing leakage across the seal, indicating a need for improved designs that enhance sealing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A brush seal assembly featuring an annular bundle of bristles that axially and radially contacts multiple surfaces, with mounting rings to secure the bristles, allowing for adjustable engagement based on operational modes to manage pressure differentials and thermal deflections, thereby creating a more effective sealing mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a typical prior art brush seal is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the leakage reduction capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The brush seal is divided into multiple functional segments: a first bundle of bristles for axial contact with the first surface, a second bundle of bristles for radial contact with the second surface, and mounting rings that separate and support these bundles. This segmentation allows each segment to perform its specific sealing function independently, improving overall leakage reduction capability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The seal transitions from a single-dimensional axial brush configuration to a two-dimensional sealing approach by adding radial bristle contact. The second bundle of bristles extends radially outward to contact the second surface, creating sealing action in both axial and radial dimensions, thereby significantly reducing gas leakage through the seal interface
2Reliability
If the brush seal contacts both surfaces axially and radially, then the sealing performance improves, but the complexity of the seal structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting rings serve multiple functions simultaneously: they support both the first and second bundles of bristles, provide structural connection between the bundles, maintain the radial spacing between bristle tips, and facilitate installation and removal of the seal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby improving sealing reliability without proportionally increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting rings act as intermediary structures that mediate between the two bundles of bristles and the housing bore. They provide a stable mounting platform for the bristle bundles, transfer loads between the bristles and the housing, and maintain the precise geometric relationship between axial and radial sealing surfaces, thereby enhancing sealing efficiency with minimal added complexity
Data Source
AI summary
As assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine. This assembly includes a component and a brush seal. The component includes a first surface and a second surface. The brush seal includes an annular bundle of bristles which extends longitudinally along an axis to a bundle tip. The bundle of bristles axially contacts the first surface at the bundle tip. The bundle of bristles proximate the bundle tip axially overlaps the second surface, and the bundle of bristles is operable to radially contact the second surface.