Brush seal
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorChristopher Wright
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A brush seal designed for use between regions of high pressure differential and in an environment in which there is disturbed flow has a bristle pack sub-divided into a plurality of bristle pack regions with a leaky diaphragm between each region. The brush seal may comprise an assembly of individual seals with diaphragms between them or a single bristle pack which is sub-divided by at least one internal diaphragm. The diaphragms are preferably compliant and designed to allow a predetermined leakage flow between bristle regions. The leakage flow has several functions: it causes the pressure differential across the whole seal assembly to be more evenly distributed, and by providing an amount of flow in each pack this acts to calm the bristles thus helping to ensure each bristle region effectively contributes to the seal performance.
Claims13
A multi-stage brush seal assembly for an annular leakage gap between regions of high pressure differential, comprising:
- a plurality of close-coupled bristle pack regions positioned one adjacent another in flow sequence;
- and
- partially compliant and leaky diaphragm means located between at least two adjacent bristle pack regions to act as a barrier therebetween and which, in use, provides a controlled low-level flow between the pack regions, wherein an upstream face of at least one leaky diaphragm means contacts a downstream face of an upstream bristle pack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.