Experimental Study of Centrifugal Pumps with Brush Seals

Abstract

For pump systems supplying components of liquid rocket engines and engine installations, the magnitude of fluid flow through the free edges of the blades significantly affects the energy parameters of pump impellers and turbines, as well as the supply units as a whole. One of the possible methods to reduce leaks is the use of brush seals, which are located directly on the free edges of the blades of the semi-open impeller. This method has both advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages, it should be noted that the brush seal is a hydraulic resistance that prevents fluid flow from the pressure side of the blade to the suction side, leading to an increase in the efficiency coefficient and head of centrifugal pumps, as well as the use of centrifugal force, which acts not on the fluid in the interblade space. The main disadvantage of brush seals is the possibility of their partial destruction and the ingress of bristles into the pump's flow area.