scholarly journals Experimental Rotordynamic Coefficient Results for Teeth-on-Rotor and Teeth-on-Stator Labyrinth Gas Seals

1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Childs ◽  
J. K. Scharrer

An experimental test facility is used to measure the rotordynamic coefficients of teeth-on-rotor and teeth-on-stator labyrinth gas seals. Direct damping coefficients are presented for these seals for the first time. The results are presented for the two seal configurations at identical operating conditions, and show that, in a rotordynamic sense, the teeth-on-stator seal is more stable than the teeth-on-rotor seal, for inlet tangential velocity in the direction of rotation.

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Childs ◽  
J. K. Scharrer

An experimental test facility is used to measure the leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of teeth-on-rotor and teeth-on-stator labyrinth gas seals. The test results are presented along with the theoretically predicted values for the two seal configurations at three different radial clearances and shaft speeds to 16,000 cpm. The test results show that the theory accurately predicts the cross-coupled stiffness for both seal configurations and shows improvement in the prediction of the direct damping for the teeth-on-rotor seal. The theory fails to predict a decrease in the direct damping coefficient for an increase in the radial clearance for the teeth-on-stator seal.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Childs ◽  
C. E. Nelson ◽  
C. Nicks ◽  
J. Scharrer ◽  
D. Elrod ◽  
...  

A facility and apparatus are described for determining the rotordynamic coefficients and leakage characteristics of annular gas seals. The apparatus has a current top speed of 8000 cpm with a nominal seal diameter of 15.24 cm (6 in.). The air-supply unit yields a seal pressure ratio of approximately 7. The inlet tangential velocity can also be controlled. An external shaker is used to excite the test rotor. The apparatus has the capability to independently calculate all rotordynamic coefficients at a given operating condition with one excitation frequency.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Nelson ◽  
D. W. Childs ◽  
C. Nicks ◽  
D. Elrod

An experimental test facility is used to measure the leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of constant-clearance and convergent-tapered annular gas seals. The results are presented along with the theoretically predicted values. Of particular interest is the prediction that optimally tapered seals will have significantly larger direct stiffness than straight seals. The experimental results verify this prediction. Generally the theory does quite well, but fails to predict the large increase in direct stiffness when the fluid is prerotated.


1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Childs ◽  
D. Elrod ◽  
K. Hale

Test results are presented for leakage and rotordynamic coefficients for seven honeycomb seals. All seals have the same radius, length, and clearance; however, the cell depths and diameters are varied. Rotordynamic data, which are presented, consist of the direct and cross-coupled stiffness coefficients and the direct damping coefficients. The rotordynamic-coefficient data show a considerable sensitivity to changes in cell dimensions; however, no clear trends are identifiable. Comparisons of test data for the honeycomb seals with labyrinth and smooth annular seals shows the honeycomb seal had the best sealing (minimum leakage) performance, followed in order by the labyrinth and smooth seals. For prerotated fluids entering the seal, in the direction of shaft rotation, the honeycomb seal has the best rotordynamic stability followed in order by the labyrinth and smooth. For no prerotation, or fluid prerotation against shaft rotation, the labyrinth seal has the best rotordynamic stability followed in order by the smooth and honeycomb seals.


Author(s):  
Dara W. Childs ◽  
David A. Elrod ◽  
Keith Hale

Test results (leakage and rotordynamic coefficients) are presented for an interlock and tooth-on-stator labyrinth seals. Tests were carried out with air at speeds out to 16,000 cpm and supply pressures up to 7.5 bars. The rotordynamic coefficients consist of direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients. Damping-coefficient data have not previously been presented for interlock seals. The test results support the following conclusions: (a) The interlock seal leaks substantially less than labyrinth seals. (b) Destabilizing forces are lower for the interlock seal. (c) The labyrinth seal has substantially greater direct damping values than the interlock seal. A complete rotordynamics analysis is needed to determine which type of seal would yield the best stability predictions for a given turbomachinery unit.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara W. Childs ◽  
Jonathan Wade

Selected test results are presented for an annular gas seal using a smooth rotor and a hole-pattern-roughness stator for a supply pressure of 70 bar, three pressure ratios, three speeds up to 20,000 rpm, two clearances, and three preswirl ratios. Dynamic data include frequency-dependent direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients. Static data include leakage and upstream and downstream pressures and temperatures. Very good agreements are found between measurements and predictions from a two-control-volume bulk-flow model.


Author(s):  
Philip D. Brown ◽  
Dara W. Childs

Test results are presented for rotordynamic coefficients of a hole-pattern annular gas seals at supply pressures to 84 bar and running speeds to 20,200 RPM. The principal test variable of interest was negative preswirl. Preswirl signifies the circumferential fluid flow entering a seal, and negative preswirl indicates a fluid swirl in a direction opposite to rotor rotation. The influences of pressure ratio and rotor speed were also investigated. Measured results produce direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients that are a function of excitation frequency Ω. Changes in pressure ratio had only small effects on most rotordynamic coefficients. Cross-coupled stiffness showed slightly different profiles through the mid-range of Ω values. Increasing rotor speed significantly increased cross-coupled stiffness and cross-coupled damping. At 10,200 RPM, high negative inlet preswirl produced negative cross-coupled stiffness over an excitation frequency range of 200–250 Hz. Negative preswirl did not affect direct stiffness and damping coefficients. Effective damping combines the stabilizing effect of direct damping and the destabilizing effect of cross-coupled stiffness. The cross-over frequency is the precession frequency where effective damping transitions from a negative value to a positive value with increasing frequency. At 20,200 RPM with a pressure ratio of 50%, peak effective damping was increased by 50%, and the cross-over frequency was reduced by 50% for high-negative preswirl versus zero preswirl. Hence, reverse swirl can greatly enhance the stabilizing capacity of hole-pattern balance-piston or division-wall seals for compressors. A two-control-volume model that uses the ideal gas law at constant temperature was used to predict rotordynamic coefficients. The model predicted direct rotordynamic coefficients well, but substantially under predicted cross-coupled rotordynamic coefficients especially at high negative preswirls.


Author(s):  
Jeff Agnew ◽  
Dara Childs

Measured rotordynamic coefficients are presented for a flexure-pivot-pad journal bearing (FPJB) in a load-between-pad configuration with: (1) an active, and (2) locked integral squeeze film damper (ISFD). Prior rotordynamic-coefficient test results have been presented for FPJBs (alone), and rotor-response results have been presented for rotors supported by FPJBS with ISFDs; however, these are the first rotordynamic-coefficient test results for FPJBs with ISFDs. A multi-frequency dynamic testing regime is employed. For both bearing configurations, quadratic curve fits provide good representation of the real portions of the dynamic-stiffness coefficients yielding a direct stiffness and a direct added-mass coefficient. The imaginary portions are well represented by linear curve fits, implying constant, frequency-independent direct-damping coefficients. Direct stiffness coefficients are ∼50% lower for the active-damper configuration, and direct damping coefficients are only modestly lower. The combination of ∼50% reduction in direct stiffness with a modest drop in direct damping indicates a very effective squeeze-film damper application. Added-mass coefficients are normally lower for the active-damper configuration, and all coefficient trends (for changes in loading and shaft speed) are “flatter” for the active flexure pivot-pad damper bearing. The measured rotordynamic coefficients are used to calculate the whirl frequency ratio and indicate high stability for both bearing configurations.


Author(s):  
Alexander O. Pugachev ◽  
Clemens Griebel ◽  
Stacie Tibos ◽  
Bernard Charnley

In this paper, a hybrid brush pocket damper seal is studied theoretically using computational fluid dynamics. In the hybrid sealing arrangement, the brush seal element with cold clearance is placed downstream of a 4-bladed, 8-pocket, fully partitioned pocket damper seal. The new seal geometry is derived based on designs of short brush-labyrinth seals studied in previous works. Transient CFD simulations coupled with the multi-frequency rotor excitation method are performed to determine frequency-dependent stiffness and damping coefficients of pocket damper seals. A moving mesh technique is applied to model the shaft motion on a predefined whirling orbit. The rotordynamic coefficients are calculated from impedances obtained in frequency domain. The pocket damper seal CFD model is validated against available experimental and numerical results found in the literature. Bristle pack in the brush seal CFD model is described as porous medium. The applied brush seal model is validated using the measurements obtained in previous works from two test rigs. Predicted leakage characteristics as well as stiffness and damping coefficients of the hybrid brush pocket damper seal are presented for different operating conditions. In this case, the rotordynamic coefficients are calculated using a single-frequency transient simulation. By adding the brush seal, direct stiffness is predicted to be significantly decreased while effective damping shows a more moderate or no reduction depending on excitation frequency. Effective clearance results indicate more than halved leakage compared to the case without brush seal.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document