Abstract
Brush seals employ compact bristle assemblies to control leakage in high-pressure applications such as turbines, providing enhanced performance and reduced wear compared with labyrinth seals. This work employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and porous media to numerically investigate the distributions of leakage, pressure, velocity, and temperature across different pressure ratios and heat fluxes. Leakage increased linearly with the pressure ratio; however, incorporating heat flux reduced its magnitude. The pressure drop was largely observed at the bristle fence height, generating radial gradients that facilitate the "blow-down effect," thereby exacerbating wear. Velocity profiles exhibited intricate patterns, encompassing jet discharges at bristle tips and recirculation zones. The temperature distribution revealed a maximum at the bristle tips, influenced by convection and friction. The results highlight that both pressure ratio and heat flux significantly influence seal performance. These results offer critical insights for refining brush seal design and improving operational durability in high-pressure, high-temperature conditions.
Key Words
brush seal; CFD simulation; frictional heat; leakage; porous media
Address
Altyib Abdallah Mahmoud Ahmed: 1) Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Engineering, Kunming 650500, China; 2) Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Nyala, Nyala 63311, Sudan
Juan Wang, Meihong Liu: Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Engineering, Kunming 650500, China
Abdoelkareem Ishag Idrees Abakar: Electrical Engineering Department, Hugh Baird College, Liverpool, L20 7EW, United Kingdom
Aboubaker I.B. Idriss: 1) Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Nyala, Nyala 63311, Sudan; 2) College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Abdelgalal O. I. Abaker: Department of Administrative Sciences, Applied College, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
