Compliant Brush Shroud Casing Development for Aircraft Engine Compressors

The proposed Phase II program will optimize the design and manufacturing process of a compliant brush shroud casing. Recent tests at Wright Laboratories with staged brush seals have demonstrated significantly increased blade to shroud rub tolerance of acompliant casing. Phase I of the program is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of two innovative brush shroud designs with lower cost and weight than staged brush seals. This will be achieved by eliminating the front and back plates of conventionalbrush seals and incorporating the compliant casing only in the forward section of the blade chord where the effect of reduced tip clearance is most significant. Phase II will down select an optimum brush shroud design and manufacturing process by furthertesting at Wright Laboratories and establish a target life-cycle cost based on current repair costs. Phase II will also include fabrication of a compliant shroud casing for technology demonstration in an advanced military engine program at GE AircraftEngines.