Labyrinth Seal

The labyrinth seal is a controlled leakage seal used to prevent high-pressure gas leaking out of the case to the atmosphere and minimizes internal leakage. The labyrinth seal consists of one or more sharp-edged ridges machined on the outside diameter of a rotating shaft or on the inside diameter of a sealing passage.
Labyrinth seal usually made of special aluminium alloys with high wear resistance. The grain type of these alloys is very important in terms of metallurgy.
As it is clear from the name of the labyrinths, these types of seals are toothed and are located with a small clearance from the rotating shaft or axis. The shape of these teeth and their number affects the amount of leakage and pressure drop they create.
Usually, fluid pressure is high on one side of the labyrinth and fluid pressure is low on the other side, and sometimes the type of fluid on both sides is different. When the high-pressure fluid passes through the small distance between the shaft and the labyrinth, it becomes a vortex or a twisting state and its pressure breaks to a certain extent, and in the same way, it enters the next stage of the labyrinth and another amount of pressure breaks. Depending on the opinion of the designer, to reach a certain pressure, the number of these teeth and their distance from the shaft are determined.
The manufacturing processes of these parts are sensitive due to their important function.