Mechanical behaviors of brush seals and sealing performance

The brush seal design and analysis software named Field CAL which was built independently. The mechanical behaviors of bristles are the main reasons of bristles 'low down' and hysteresis effect. The pressure field and flow field of brush seal were stimulated and the bristle mechanical behaviors were studied. The interactions between bristle mechanical behaviors and flow field influenced the sealing performance. Based on the cantilever beam theory and the calculated pressure distribution, bristle deflections in both the axial and circumferential directions were calculated utilizing the finite element method. The calculated results were compared with experimental results. The results show that the larger pressure gradients which are formed in radial and axial directions of the outlet of brush seal can close the clearance and blow down the bristles. It can maintain the steady sealing performance, when the states of working or clearance are changed. The research results are of referential value for the design and analysis of brush seals.