Analysis of the impact of the labyrinth seal geometric parameters on the leakage

This paper includes results of experimental research and CFD calculations concerning gas flow in segments of straight through labyrinth seals of fixed length and varying number of teeth. Relation between the number of teeth and the leakage is analyzed in this paper. Authors determined the range of teeth number for which the minimum leakage was achieved. They focused particularly on the analysis of geometry with maximum number of teeth which fell within the range of the minimum leakage. For this geometry they examined the relation between the thickness of the teeth and the distribution of gas pressure and velocity along the seal and the leakage size. Data presented in this paper indicate that the teeth thickness has a significant impact on the flow parameters