Global engineering group Trelleborg AB, through Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, has seen to the launch of the revolutionary Ultra-High Temp Fire Seal, specially designed to enable aircraft manufacturers develop engines that run more efficiently, sustainably, and safely.
Specialised fire seals primarily help ensure the safety of passengers onboard by acting as a barrier to prevent airflow from one area of a plane to another during normal operating conditions. They are used in the fuselage, pylons, thrust reversers and engine applications. However, even more crucially, fire seals serve to contain a fire to one section of an aircraft and enable the airplane to land safely within a 15-minute period.
Quinn Collett, Airframe General Manager, explained: “The hotter an engine runs, the more thrust is obtained from the same amount of fuel, making the engine more efficient with lower fuel consumption – aircraft designers aim to run engines at continuously higher temperatures with the latest options operating at +600°F and beyond, significantly higher than their predecessors.”
The Ultra High Temp Seal is proven to operate at a temperature range from -40 °C/-40°F to +315°C/+600°F while meeting various fire seal requirements. The product is estimated to last for some 60,000 flight cycles (take off, flight and landing), dependent on application. In addition, the Ultra-High Temp Seal can be a drop-in replacement for seals that do not currently meet all fire seal requirements, such as high temperature operation, or for customers seeking extended life than that provided by their existing seals.
The Ultra-High Temp Seal also aced a full test program to prove the product’s capabilities at different compression loads. In heat soak tests, the Ultra High Temp Seal performed significantly better than other fire seals; in all cases it was below a 15% permanent set target. Finally, as the product eliminates the need for thermal protection of sealing elements, it provides further weight-saving and part count reduction, making for easier assembly and maintenance.
“Up until now, no high temperature fire seals existed that could operate up to +600 °F and also meet all fire seal requirements of customers. The Ultra High Temp Seal is completely unique and can successfully operate in high temperature aircraft engine applications thanks to its patent-pending design which overcomes the inherent silicone characteristic of relaxation/compression set at elevated temperatures; a major cause of failure in a fire seal’s ability to perform against all requirements,” Collett said.