No abstract

Labyrinth seals are utilized inside turbomachinery to provide noncontacting control of internal leakage. These seals can also play an important role in determining the rotordynamic stability of the machine. Traditional labyrinth seal models are based on bulk-flow assumptions where the fluid is assumed to behave as a rigid body affected by shear stress at the interfaces. To model the labyrinth seal cavity, a single, driven vortex is assumed and relationships for the shear stress and divergence angle of the through flow jet are developed. These models, while efficient to compute, typically show poor prediction for seals with small clearances, high running speed, and high pressure.* In an effort to improve the prediction of these components, this work utilizes three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model the labyrinth seal flow path by solving the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations. Unlike bulk-flow techniques, CFD makes no fundamental assumptions on geometry, shear stress at the walls, as well as internal flow structure. The method allows modeling of any arbitrarily shaped domain including stepped and interlocking labyrinths with straight or angled teeth. When only leakage prediction is required, an axisymmetric model is created. To calculate rotordynamic forces, a full 3D, eccentric model is solved. The results demonstrate improved leakage and rotordynamic prediction over bulk-flow approaches compared to experimental measurements.

A high speed damper test rig has been assembled at Texas A&M University to develop rotordynamic dampers for rocket engine turbopumps that operate at cryogenic temperatures, such as those used in the space shuttle main engines (SSMEs). Damping is difficult to obtain in this class of turbomachinery due to the low temperature and viscosity of the operating fluid. An impact damper has been designed and tested as a means to obtain effective damping in a rotorbearing system. The performance and behavior of the impact damper is verified experimentally in a cryogenic test rig at Texas A&M. Analytical investigations indicate a strong amplitude dependence on the performance of the impact damper. An optimum operating amplitude exists and is determined both analytically and experimentally. In addition, the damper performance is characterized by an equivalent viscous damping coefficient. The test results prove the impact damper to be a viable means to suppress vibration in a cryogenic rotorbearing system.

Recent studies have demonstrated that sCO2 in a closed-loop recompression. Brayton cycle offers equivalent or higher cycle efficiency when compared with supercritical- or superheated-steam cycles at temperatures relevant for CSP applications. With funding under the SunShot initiative, the authors are developing a high-efficiency sCO2 turbo-expander for the solar power plant duty cycle profile and novel compact heat exchangers for the sCO2 Brayton cycle. However, no test loop exists to test the turbine and heat exchangers under development. Therefore, a customized test loop is being developed at Southwest Research Institute that will accommodate the full test pressures (80 to 280 bar) and temperatures (45 to 700°C) of the proposed Brayton cycle. The paper describes the design methodology to predict the pipe flow behavior and thermal growths as well as material selection. A customized natural gas fired heater is currently being designed, since no heater like it is available currently.

Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles could be a more efficient alternative to steam Rankine cycles for power generation from coal. Using existing labyrinth seal technology, shaft-end-seal leakage can result in a 0.55–0.65% points efficiency loss for a nominally 500 MWe sCO2 power cycle plant. Low-leakage hydrodynamic face seals are capable of reducing this leakage loss and are considered a key enabling component technology for achieving 50–52% thermodynamic cycle efficiencies with indirect coal-fired sCO2 power cycles. In this paper, a hydrodynamic face seal concept is presented for utility-scale sCO2 turbines. A 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with real gas CO2 properties is developed for studying the thin-film physics. These CFD results are also compared with the predictions of a Reynolds-equation-based solver. The 3D CFD model results show large viscous shear and the associated windage heating challenge in sCO2 face seals. Following the CFD model, an axisymmetric finite-element analysis (FEA) model is developed for parametric optimization of the face seal cross section with the goal of minimizing the coning of the stationary ring. A preliminary thermal analysis of the seal is also presented. The fluid, structural, and thermal results show that large-diameter (about 24 in.) face seals with small coning (of the order of 0.0005 in.) are possible. The fluid, structural, and thermal results are used to highlight the design challenges in developing face seals for utility-scale sCO2 turbines.