Rotordynamic Analysis of See-through-type Labyrinth Seal Using 3D CFD

Abstract

Labyrinth seals are commonly used in various kinds of turbomachinery to reduce leakage flow. In the present 3D CFD analysis of see-through-type labyrinth air seal, the methodology of determining leakage and rotordynamic coefficients is suggested with the relative coordinate system for steady-state simulation. The leakage flow and rotordynamic forces predicted by using different solvers and turbulent models of FLUENT are compared with the results of the existing bulk-flow analysis code LABYSEAL.FOR and experiment. The present CFD result of direct stiffness(K) shows only improvement in prediction. The results of leakage and rotordynamic coefficients as well as computing time are sensitive against the used solver and turbulent model.

Prediction of leakage and rotordynamic coefficients for the circumferential-groove-pump seal using CFD analysis

“…Recently, Ha and Choe [8] utilized Rao [9]'s relative coordinate system to do a steadystate analysis on a plain seal with a simple form, examining the three-dimensional velocity and dynamic pressure distributions due to whirl speed, and presented a relatively simple method to determine rotordynamic coefficients. Later, Ha [10] proposed a method to predict leakage and rotordynamic coefficients by applying this steady-state analysis method to the labyrinth seal.…”