International Journal of Engineering and Technology

Today the radial-face contacts seals are the most wide-spread type of sealers of the aircraft engine rotor supports. In the paper the main shortcomings of the radial-face contact seals are specified the removal of which will result in increase in the operating range in terms of the pressure and temperature of the sealing air, reduction of leakages and extension of life-time. On the basis of the literature, patents and catalogues of the manufacturing companies the modern trends of improvement of the sealing structure are considered. The innovative technical solution for the radial-face contact seal with oil lubrication has been developed allowing increasing its efficiency. In order to increase the sealing reliability the hydrodynamic grooves of unique form made with the use of a laser are used. High sealing efficiency is ensured due to the simultaneous application of principles of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic lubrication. The method of calculation of seal properties has been suggested. The results of testing the new type of sealing for the engine rotor support as part of a moving-base simulator and aircraft gas-turbine engine have been presented.