Design of magnetic brush composite seal

¹ Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China
² Beijing Haibao Sealing Technology Co., Ltd. China

Published online: 13 April 2026

Abstract

Brush seal is a mechanical sealing method that achieves sealing by the relative high-speed friction between brushes and the sealed object. It is a non-contact sealing method that overcomes some of the disadvantages of traditional mechanical seals in different media conditions, axial offset, and temperature changes. Brush seals are generally installed at both ends of the shaft or on the sealing surface of pumps, valves, and other equipment. When the equipment is working, the sealed object and the brush ring form relative motion, forming a sealed space inside the brush ring, and the pressure inside the sealing ring gradually rises, thus achieving sealing. Brush seals have good adaptability, can adapt to different working conditions, and have a simple structure, easy maintenance, and long service life. Therefore, they are widely used in some special industries such as petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Although brush seals have unique advantages, there are also some shortcomings. For example, due to the difficulty in maintaining the perfect high-quality surface matching between the bristles and the shaft, brush wear may occur, resulting in a decline in sealing performance. In this study, a new type of magnetic brush seal was designed and manufactured. The magnetic force was used to ensure the high-quality surface between the bristles and the shaft. The brush seal was tested and analyzed on a bearing seat test bench. The main research contents are as follows: Firstly, the materials and manufacturing processes required for the magnetic brush seal were studied, mainly through ANSYS Electronics. Then, a brush seal sample was made, and finally, the experimental device was designed and applied.