Repairability analysis of the energy gas turbine rotor blade second stage shroud by high-temperature brazing

The article considers the repair of the energy gas turbine rotor blade second stage shroud. The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of the repair consisting of the replacement of both labyrinth and honeycomb seals by the high-temperature brazing process. All the steps of the repair process were discussed and the results of microscopic metallographic evaluation using a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope were presented. Several advantages related to the use of this technology were indicated.

The Influence of the Axial Rub Added in the Radial Rub on the Wear of the Seal Fins during the High Speed Rub of Labyrinth-Honeycomb Seal

Labyrinth-honeycomb seals are a state-of-the-art sealing technology commonly used in aero-engine interstage seal. The undesirable severe rub between the seal fins and the honeycomb due to the clearance change may induce the cracking of the seal fins. A pervious study investigated the wear of the seal fins at different radial incursion rates. However, due to the axial thrust and mounting clearance, the axial rub between the seal fins and the honeycomb may occur. Hence, this paper focuses on the influence of the axial rub added in the radial rub on the wear of the seal fins. The rub tests results, including rubbing forces and temperature, wear rate, worn morphology, cross-sectional morphology and energy dispersive spectroscopy results, are presented and discussed. Overall, the participation of the axial rub leads to higher rubbing forces, temperature, and wear rate. The tribo-layer on the seal fin is thicker and the cracks are more obvious at high axial incursion rate. These phenomena indicate the axial rub has a negative influence on the wear of the seal fins and should be avoided.

Experimental Analyses of a Static to Static Flex Seal and a Honeycomb Seal

Improvements in turbine performance are increasingly driven by the need to control leakage both in the main gas path as well as in the secondary air flow system. Seals for static to static interfaces have a wide usage in gas turbine for component interface locations and are becoming more important as engines reach higher temperature targets and compressor pressure ratios. Both flex and honeycomb seals have been used for many years during other OEM seal service upgrades. These seals are designed to be capable of sustaining low leakage operation whilst achieving long lifetimes. To determine the sealing capability of honeycomb and flex seals an advanced hydraulically actuated rig was designed and constructed. A series of leakage performance tests were carried out that accurately simulate engine conditions, including pressure and relative axial and radial movements. The results of these tests are compared against previously presented data on standard membrane seals. Compared to the membrane seal, the flex seal has approximately 60% lower equivalent clearance when tested with uneven (triangular) grooves. This reduction was due to the bending of the seal and subsequent closing of the seal gap under pressure. The flex and membrane seal performed similarly well under more nominal conditions. The honeycomb seal achieved a consistently low leakage under all pressure loadings. All three sealing types have their place in the required technology mix which is essential when aiming for maximized engine performance and lifetime.

Flat Plate Honeycomb Seals Friction Factor Analysis

Among the various types of seals used in gas turbine secondary air system to guarantee sufficient confinement of the main gas path, honeycomb seals perform well in terms of enhanced stability and reduced leakage flow. Due to the large amount of honeycomb cells typically employed in real seals, it is generally convenient to treat the sealing effect of the honeycomb pack as an increased distributed friction factor on the plain top surface. That is why, this analysis is focused on a simple configuration composed by a honeycomb facing a flat plate. In order to evaluate the sealing performance of such honeycomb packs, an experimental campaign was carried out on a stationary test rig where the effects of shaft rotation are neglected. The test rig was designed to analyze different honeycomb geometries so that a large experimental database could be created to correlate the influence of each investigated parameter. Honeycomb seals were varied in terms of hexagonal cell dimension and depth in a range that represents well actual honeycomb packs employed in industrial compressors. For each geometry, seven different clearances were tested. This work reports the findings of such experimental campaign whose results were analyzed in order to guide actual seals design and effective estimates of shaft loads. Static pressure measurements reveal that the effects of investigated geometrical parameters on friction factor correlate well with a corrected Mach number based on the cell depth. The presence of acoustic effects in the seals was further investigated by means of hot wire anemometry. Acoustic forcing due to flow cavity interaction was found to be characterized by a constant Strouhal number based on cell geometry. Numerical simulations helped in the identification of system eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies providing an explanation to the friction factor enhancement triggered at a certain flow speed. Finally, the generated dataset was tested comparing the predicted leakage flow with experimental data of actual seals (with high pressure and high rotational speed) showing a very good agreement.

Experimental investigation of thermal-hydraulic characteristics of direct-flow honeycomb seal at the injection of cooling air.

Experimentally studied the influence of operational and geometrical parameters on flow resistance and heat transfer in honeycomb seals. The relationship between the nature of changes in the degree of intensification of hydraulic resistance, heat and vortex structure in the space of the cell. The effect of blowing cooling air through the surface of the honeycomb structure on the thermal hydraulic characteristics of the seal.

Improving the design of the seal gaps in the flow of the pumping unit GTK-10-4.

Describes the methods of modernization seal the radial clearance of the gas turbine by using the honeycomb structure at the periphery of the wheel. Discusses the gas-dynamic and thermal engineering problems using honeycomb seals in turbomachinery.