Mathematical modeling of brush seals

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based model of brush seals has been developed and tested against other workers' experimental data. In the model, the brush is treated as an axisymmetric, anisotropic porous region with nonlinear resistance coefficients. The resistance coefficients are chosen through calibration against measurements. The CFD model gives predictions of flow rate, pressure distribution, velocity field, and bending forces on the bristles. The bristle forces are used in a separate calculation to estimate bristle bending and reaction forces on the shaft and backing plate. Bending in both the axial direction and the orthogonal plane are considered.