🔍 Key Concepts

• Difference between labyrinth seals and carbon seals in turbines • Meaning of straight-through vs stepped flow path in gland seals • How the steam path changes direction around seal teeth or rings in the illustration

💭 Think About

• Look closely at the shape of the sealing elements around the rotor: do they look like teeth creating many small clearances, or solid rings that rub lightly on the shaft? • Trace the steam leakage path from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side: does it pass straight along the shaft axis, or does it move through chambers at different radial levels? • Compare the axial alignment of the seal sections: are all clearances at the same radius, or do they form a series of radial steps?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify whether the dark sealing pieces at label A are contact rings (carbon) or non-contact teeth (labyrinth) • Determine if the leakage path between rotor and casing stays at one radius (straight-through) or alternates between larger and smaller radii (stepped). • Confirm that your chosen description matches BOTH the seal type (labyrinth vs carbon) and the flow path (straight-through vs stepped).