Effects of Geometry on Leakage Flow Characteristics of Brush Seal

In order to better application of brush seal in rotating machinery,the leakage flow characteristics of the brush seal considering geometry effects are numerically analyzed using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes( RANS) model coupling with a non-Darcian porous medium model. The reliability of the present numerical method is proved,which is in agreement with the experimental and numerical results from literatures. Three different bristle pack thicknesses,fence heights and initial clearances under different pressure ratios,rotational velocities and other operating conditions are utilized to investigate the effects of geometry modification on the brush seal leakage flow behaviors. It discusses the effectiveness of various geometry configurations outlining important flow features. The results indicate that the increase of fence height and clearance would lead to the increase of leakage rate. But the leakage is not linearly with respect to the bristle pack thickness,and the effect of rotational velocity is not obvious. Moreover,the detailed leakage flow fields and pressure distributions along the rotor surface,free bristle height,and fence height of the brush seals are also presented. The static pressure drop amplitude through the bristle pack and the pressure rise amplitude through the cavity would increase while the pressure differential increases. And the axial pressure is the main reason of bristle blow down. The results provide theoretical support for the brush seal structure optimal design.

Analysis of a tunnel failure caused by leakage of the shield tail seal system

This paper presents an analysis of a tunnel failure accident during shield tunnel construction on Foshan Metro Line 2 in China.The failure is caused by the leakage of the multilayer seal system,which consists of several brush seals at the tail of the shield.Four different failure modes for the multilayer seal system are discussed.A simple structural analysis of the brush seals is then conducted,and failure mode 4(failure due to brush seal deformation)is identified as a major reason for the Foshan tunnel accident.A finite element method(FEM)analysis is employed to validate the conclusions drawn from the simple structural analysis of the brush seals.