Experimental Investigation on Leakage Loss and Heat Transfer in a Straight Through Labyrinth Seal

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Micio ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Luca Innocenti ◽  
Francesco Simonetti
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Labyrinth Seals ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Stationary Test

Labyrinth seals are extensively used in turbomachinery to prevent high pressure gas from flowing into a region of low pressure. Because of thermal expansions and centrifugal forces, the actual seal clearance can vary based on engine conditions. Pressure ratio, Reynolds number, tip geometry, and seal clearance all affected the sealing performance. This paper deals with its influence on the leakage flow and heat transfer coefficient through a thirteen teeth straight through labyrinth seal. Three gaps were experimentally investigated using a stationary test rig. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers between 5000 and 50000 and pressure ratios between 1.0 and 2.7. Cavity pressure measurements along the seal were also performed in order to characterize each constriction. In addition, 2D PIV measurements were made on the plane containing the seal teeth to obtain a high local resolution of the velocity distribution and the flow field within the seal. Experimental results show a strong influence of clearance on both leakage loss and heat transfer as well as on the development of the flow fields. A simplified model to calculate the leakage mass flow rate is presented and validated comparing its prediction capability with experimental data. In order to improve the agreement between numerical and experimental results a correction of published correlations is proposed.

Optimization of Labyrinth Seal for Screw Compressor

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Selvaraji ◽  
Sam P. Joseph ◽  
N. Nirmal
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Lubricating Oil ◽  
Screw Compressor ◽  
Labyrinth Seals ◽  
Gas Leakage ◽  
Working Medium

There is a growing demand for compressed air in the industry for various applications. Majority of industrial requirements is in line with screw compressor operating range. Design and construction of screw compressors are demanding tasks that require advanced calculations and theoretical knowledge. Clearances play a major role in the performance and reliability aspects of a screw compressor. Seals are provided in compressors to fit around rotor shafts in order to prevent the leakage of lubricating oil and working medium. However there is a small clearance between the seal and rotor shaft, which can cause potential leakage of the working medium. The performance of the compressor is directly related to the leakage rate through the seals. The labyrinth seal is a special type of seal, used in screw compressors and turbo-machinery for sealing purpose. Labyrinth seal is a non-contacting type seal that uses a tortuous path to minimize the gas leakage. The pressure drop occurs at each labyrinth tooth as the medium is squeezed between the labyrinth tooth and the rotor. The leakage through the seal is directly related to the labyrinth profile and also the clearance between the rotor and the labyrinth tooth. The present work is carried out to reduce the leakage through the labyrinth seal by optimising the tooth profile and operating clearances. Heat transfer analysis is carried out on the housing of the labyrinth seal to find out the boundary temperature of the seal. Also the heat transfer analysis on the labyrinth seal followed by Thermo-structural analysis is carried out to find out the accurate operating clearance of the seal. By using CFD as a tool, the optimisation is carried out on different design configurations of labyrinth seal by comparing the deviation in leakage rates. Effect of rotor speed, width of seal and pressure ratio on air leakage rate is also investigated. A set of labyrinth seals has been designed based on the above optimisation and tested in the compressor. The results have been compared with the CFD prediction.

Effects of Reynolds Number and Pressure Ratio on Leakage Loss and Heat Transfer in a Stepped Labyrinth Seal

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Willenborg ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
S. Wittig
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Local Heat Transfer ◽  
Local Heat ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Sealing Performance

The influence of Reynolds number and pressure ratio on the operating characteristics of a stepped labyrinth seal was experimentally determined. The geometries investigated represent designs of a stepped labyrinth seal typical for modern jet engines. Heat transfer and discharge measurements were obtained for two plane models with various seal clearances. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers and pressure ratios. Independent variation of Reynolds number and pressure ratio was obtained by adjusting the back pressure at the seal exit for a given pressure ratio. Dimensionless discharge coefficients, describing the sealing performance, were derived from the measured leakage rates. Pressure ratio, Reynolds number, tip geometry and seal clearance all affected the sealing performance. Finite element calculations were employed to calculate the local heat transfer coefficients from the measured wall and gas temperatures. Averaging of the local values yielded mean heat transfer coefficients and mean Nusselt numbers. The heat transfer was mainly determined by the Reynolds number. Compressibility effects on the heat transfer were observed to be very small.

Effects of Pressure Ratio and Fin Pitch on Leakage Flow Characteristics in High Rotating Labyrinth Seals

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Xin Yan ◽  
Zhenping Feng
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Geometrical Structure ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Rotational Axis ◽  
Labyrinth Seals ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Leakage Flow Rate

Labyrinth seals represent an important flow element in the sealing equipment of modern turbomachinery industries. The straight-through and stepped labyrinth seal are widely used in modern steam turbine due to their comparable simple structure and low manufactured costs. The influence of pressure ratio and fin pitch on the leakage flow characteristics of the straight-through and stepped labyrinth seals is numerically determined. The pressure ratio is defined as the outlet static pressure divided by the inlet total pressure. The fin pitch varied in the fixed axial distance of the labyrinth seal. The geometries investigated represent designs of the straight-through and stepped labyrinth seal typical for modern steam turbines. The leakage flow fields in the high rotating straight-through and stepped labyrinth seals are obtained by the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solution using the commercial software FLUENT with the fixed seal clearance and fins geometrical structure. The effect of the rotational axis is also taken into account in numerical computations. Numerical simulations covered a range of pressure ratio and fin pitch for the straight-through and stepped labyrinth seals. Dimensionless discharge coefficients, describing the sealing performance, are calculated from the simulation results. The numerical results show that pressure ratio and fin pitch both affects the sealing performance with the fixed seal clearance and fin geometrical structure. The leakage flow rate decreases with the decreasing fin pitch for both the straight-through and stepped labyrinth seal at the fixed pressure ratio. Furthermore, the leakage flow rate decreases with the increasing pressure ratio at the fixed fin pitch for two kinds of labyrinth seals in the present study. This research provides technical support for improved design of labyrinth seals in turbomachinery.

Effects of Reynolds Number and Pressure Ratio on Leakage Loss and Heat Transfer in a Stepped Labyrinth Seal

2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 815-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Willenborg ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
S. Wittig
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Local Heat Transfer ◽  
Local Heat ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Sealing Performance

The influence of Reynolds number and pressure ratio on the operating characteristics of a stepped labyrinth seal was experimentally determined. The geometries investigated represent designs of a stepped labyrinth seal typical for modern jet engines. Heat transfer and discharge measurements were obtained for two plane models with various seal clearances. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers and pressure ratios. Independent variation of Reynolds number and pressure ratio was obtained by adjusting the back pressure at the seal exit for a given pressure ratio. Dimensionless discharge coefficients, describing the sealing performance, were derived from the measured leakage rates. Pressure ratio, Reynolds number, tip geometry, and seal clearance all affected the sealing performance. Finite element calculations were employed to calculate the local heat transfer coefficients from the measured wall and gas temperatures. Averaging of the local values yielded mean heat transfer coefficients and mean Nusselt numbers. The heat transfer was mainly determined by the Reynolds number. Compressibility effects on the heat transfer were observed to be very small.

A Numerical Study of Heat Transfer and Flow Structure in Channels With Miniature V Rib-Dimple Hybrid Structure on One Wall

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Yu Rao ◽  
Yanlin Li
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Turbulent Flow ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Hybrid Structure ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Nusselt Numbers ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Flow Mixing

This paper presents a numerical study on turbulent flow and heat transfer in the channels with a novel hybrid cooling structure with miniature V-shaped ribs and dimples on one wall. The heat transfer characteristics, pressure loss and turbulent flow structures in the channels with the rib-dimples with three different rib heights of 0.6 mm, 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm are obtained for the Reynolds numbers ranging from 18,700 to 60,000 by numerical simulations, which are also compared with counterpart of a pure dimpled and pure V ribbed channel. The results show that the overall Nusselt numbers of the V rib-dimple channel with the rib height of 1.5 mm is up to 70% higher than that of the channels with pure dimples. The numerical simulations show that the arrangement of the miniature V rib upstream each dimple induces complex secondary flow near the wall and generates downwashing vortices, which intensifies the flow mixing and turbulent kinetic energy in the dimple, resulting in significant improvement in heat transfer enhancement and uniformness.

Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer Past a Turbine Blade With a Squealer-Tip

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huitao Yang ◽  
Sumanta Acharya ◽  
Srinath V. Ekkad ◽  
Chander Prakash ◽  
Ron Bunker
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Reynolds Stress ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Reynolds Stress Model ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer

Numerical calculations are performed to simulate the tip leakage flow and heat transfer on the squealer (recessed) tip of GE-E3 turbine rotor blade. A squealer tip with a 3.77% recess of the blade span is considered in this study, and the results are compared with the predictions for a flat-tip blade. The calculations have been performed for an isothermal blade with an overall pressure ratio of 1.32, an inlet turbulence intensity of 6.1%, and for three different tip gap clearances of 1%, 1.5% and 2.5% of the blade span. These conditions correspond to the experiments reported by Azad et al. [1]. The calculations have been performed for three different turbulence models (the standard high Re k-ε model, the RNG k-ε and the Reynolds Stress Model) in order to assess the capability of the models in correctly predicting the blade heat transfer. The predictions show good agreement with the experimental data, with the Reynolds stress model calculations clearly providing the best results. Substantial reductions in the tip heat transfer and leakage flow is obtained with the squealer tip configuration. With the squealer tip, the heat transfer coefficients on the shroud and on the suction surface of the blade are also considerably reduced.

Heat Transfer in a “Cover-Plate” Preswirl Rotating-Disk System

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pilbrow ◽  
H. Karabay ◽  
M. Wilson ◽  
J. M. Owen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Rotating Disk ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Turbine Disk ◽  
Cover Plate ◽  
Blade Cooling ◽  
Nusselt Numbers ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Cooling Air ◽  
Plate System

In most gas turbines, blade-cooling air is supplied from stationary preswirl nozzles that swirl the air in the direction of rotation of the turbine disk. In the “cover-plate” system, the preswirl nozzles are located radially inward of the blade-cooling holes in the disk, and the swirling airflows radially outward in the cavity between the disk and a cover-plate attached to it. In this combined computational and experimental paper, an axisymmetric elliptic solver, incorporating the Launder–Sharma and the Morse low-Reynolds-number k–ε turbulence models, is used to compute the flow and heat transfer. The computed Nusselt numbers for the heated “turbine disk” are compared with measured values obtained from a rotating-disk rig. Comparisons are presented, for a wide range of coolant flow rates, for rotational Reynolds numbers in the range 0.5 X 106 to 1.5 X 106, and for 0.9 < βp < 3.1, where βp is the preswirl ratio (or ratio of the tangential component of velocity of the cooling air at inlet to the system to that of the disk). Agreement between the computed and measured Nusselt numbers is reasonably good, particularly at the larger Reynolds numbers. A simplified numerical simulation is also conducted to show the effect of the swirl ratio and the other flow parameters on the flow and heat transfer in the cover-plate system.

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