Influence of a Honeycomb Facing on the Heat Transfer in a Stepped Labyrinth Seal

The influence of a honeycomb facing on the heat transfer of a stepped labyrinth seal with geometry typical for modern jet engines was investigated. Heat transfer measurements were obtained for both a smooth stator and a stator lined with a honeycomb structure. In addition, an LDV system was used with the scaled up geometry to obtain a high local resolution of the velocity distribution in the seal. The experiments covered a wide range of pressure ratios and gap widths, typical for engine operating conditions. Local heat transfer coefficients were calculated from the measured wall and gas temperatures using a finite element code. By averaging the local values, mean heat transfer coefficients were determined and correlations for the global Nusselt numbers were derived for the stator and the rotor. The LDV results showed strong geometrical effects of the honeycomb structure on the development of the flow fields for the honeycomb seal. The distribution of the local heat transfer coefficients are compatible with the flow features identified by the LDV results and reveal a significantly reduced heat transfer with the honeycomb facing compared to the smooth facing.