HSCT Anticipated Seal Needs Turbomachinery Seals Combustor Seals

The High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) engine concept is a large mixed flow turbofan similar in construction to current military fighter engines. The mission, however, is quite different. The engine will operate for long periods of time at very high Mach numbers and high altitudes. The engine is required to have very low emissions and noise levels to be acceptable in commercial service. Current thrust levels are in the 55000 lb range. At the current supercruise speed requirement of Mach 2.4, the engine inlet temperature will be at least 380 F. This is the lowest cycle temperature expected anywhere in the propulsion system.Seals will be exposed to operate at this temperature and higher for thousands of hours without failure. Durability, cost, and weight will all be very important in determining the type of seals selected for a successful HSCT engine.