Method for the reduction of leakage in labyrinth seals by adapting the seal geometry to match the flow conditions

Abstract

In this paper a method for reducing leakage in labyrinth seals is presented. This method is based on CFD calculations and consists in the analysis of the phenomenon of gas kinetic energy carry-over in chambers of the seal between gaps. It belongs to the group of geometrical inverse problems and is designed for seals of given outside dimensions. For straight through labyrinth seals it enables determining the number of teeth and their optimal arrangement. This method was developed based on numerical and experimental tests. Examples of numerical calculations presented in this paper prove that this method is effective for straight through seals. We obtained the reduction of leakage ranging from 8.7 to 9.4% relative to the initial geometry with no change in the outside dimensions of the seal.