Oilers/Plant Tenders (HHC) Civil Service Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Oilers/Plant Tenders Exam with our comprehensive quiz. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations to excel in your civil service test. Start your preparation now!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What type of packing is often designed to reduce friction and wear in turbine applications?

  1. Labyrinth packing

  2. Cylindrical packing

  3. O-ring packing

  4. Gasket packing

The correct answer is: Labyrinth packing

Labyrinth packing is specifically engineered to prevent leakage while simultaneously minimizing friction and wear, which is crucial in turbine applications. This type of packing consists of a series of grooves and channels that create a complex flow path for the working fluid, effectively increasing resistance to gas or fluid flow and reducing the likelihood of wear on the rotating components. By maintaining a close tolerance without making direct contact, labyrinth packing allows for efficient operation of turbines while extending the lifespan of the equipment. This design approach addresses the challenges faced in high-speed turbine systems, where traditional packing methods might lead to higher friction and potential damage due to contact wear. Labyrinth packing's strategic design makes it particularly suitable for applications with high operational demands, where maintaining efficiency and reliability is paramount.