Bionic sandwich structure with excellent load-bearing and thermal insulation performance and its application in labyrinth seal

In high-parameter environments, the turbulence in the gap circulation of labyrinth seals increases the frictional resistance between the fluid and the stator/rotor walls, generating heat and causing an increase in the solid temperature of the sealing structure flow. The load-bearing and thermal insulation performance of seal structures are key technologies to ensure the normal operation of equipment. Inspired by the gastropod shell in the Indian deep-sea hydrothermal vents, a bionic sandwich structure with excellent load-bearing and thermal insulation performance is proposed. Isoparametric element method is adopted to analyze the thermal shock resistance and force transmission mechanism of the bionic structure. The thermal conduction control equation and static equation are derived in detail to characterize the load-bearing and thermal insulation performance of the bionic structure. The bionic structure is further applied to the labyrinth seal. The influence of layer arrangement order and layer thickness ratio of the bionic structure on the load-bearing and thermal insulation performance of the labyrinth seal is explored, Finally, it is verified on the seal structure that the layer arrangement of the bionic prototype has the optimal comprehensive performance in load bearing and thermal insulation.