Prediction of Leakage Flow Rate and Blow-Down in Brush Seals via 2D CFD Simulation with Porosity Correction

Abstract

Brush seals are extensively used in rotating equipment, such as gas turbines and compressors, providing effective sealing while accommodating radial, axial, and angular movements between components. In this study, the performance of brush seals with and without clearances was predicted through axisymmetric 2D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations using a porous media model. Because the accurate modeling of a brush seal requires the appropriate porosity to be determined and the flow resistance to be calculated, a porosity correction was performed based on the brush seal’s geometry and pressure ratio. The corrected porosity was then used to calculate the flow resistance and the leakage flow rate was predicted. Based on the results, the corrected porosity significantly improved the accuracy of the previously unreliable leakage flow rate predictions, regardless of the presence of clearances. For cases with a clearance, the blow-down effect was determined through CFD simulations for the given geometry and was compared with experimental data. The leakage flow rate predictions were highly accurate, with a relative error of less than 5% across a pressure ratio range of 1.5–4.

Keywords

• brush seal
• porosity correction factor
• flow resistance
• leakage flow rate
• blow-down