Sharper Labyrinth Seal Edges to Allow Greater Clearance Without Increased Leakage

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Rhode ◽  
M. J. Guidry
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Energy Generation ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Turbulence Energy ◽  
Resistance Increase ◽  
Leakage Resistance ◽  
Edge Sharpness ◽  
Damage Susceptibility

Abstract A numerical study was undertaken to examine the effects of utilizing sharper edges for increasing the leakage resistance of advanced labyrinth seal configurations. Such an increase allows the designer to enlarge the extremely small knife clearance, providing a seal with less damage susceptibility at the same leakage rate. The maximum possible leakage resistance increase from changing three cavity edges to perfectly sharp ones was estimated from the present computations. In addition, previous measurements of the edge sharpness effect on the leakage through orifices are appropriately utilized to obtain a rough estimate of the resistance increase for generic seals. The latter allows consideration of a broader range of application. Further, turbulence energy generation contours reveal that only one particular cavity edge needs to be sharpened in order to obtain a significantly increased leakage resistance.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of Secondary Flow in Gas Turbine Disc Cavities, Including Conjugate Heat Transfer

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-H. Ho ◽  
M. M. Athavale ◽  
J. M. Forry ◽  
R. C. Hendricks ◽  
B. M. Steinetz
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Conjugate Heat Transfer ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Temperature Fields ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Turbine Disc

A numerical study of the flow and heat transfer in secondary flow elements of the entire inner portion of the turbine section of the Allison T-56/501D engine is presented. The flow simulation included the interstage cavities, rim seals and associated main path flows, while the energy equation also included the solid parts of the turbine disc, rotor supports, and stator supports. Solutions of the energy equations in these problems usually face the difficulty in specifications of wall thermal boundary conditions. By solving the entire turbine section this difficulty is thus removed, and realistic thermal conditions are realized on all internal walls. The simulation was performed using SCISEAL, an advanced 2D/3D CFD code for predictions of fluid flows and forces in turbomachinery seals and secondary flow elements. The mass flow rates and gas temperatures at various seal locations were compared with the design data from Allison. Computed gas flow rates and temperatures in the rim and labyrinth seal show a fair 10 good comparison with the design calculations. The conjugate heat transfer analysis indicates temperature gradients in the stationary intercavity walls, as well as the rotating turbine discs. The thermal strains in the stationary wall may lead to altered interstage labyrinth seal clearances and affect the disc cavity flows. The temperature, fields in the turbine discs also may lead to distortions that can alter the rim seal clearances. Such details of the flow and temperature fields are important in designs of the turbine sections to account for possible thermal distortions and their effects on the performance. The simulation shows that the present day CFD codes can provide the means to understand the complex flow field and thereby aid the design process.

Simulation and Experimental Investigation of a New Type of Combined Seal Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Li ◽  
Xiaoli Fu ◽  
Shenglin Yan
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Internal Resistance ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Geometric Parameters ◽  
Inlet Flow ◽  
New Type ◽  
Leakage Characteristics ◽  
Nozzle Structure ◽  
Better Than

Abstract Based on the study of leakage characteristics of labyrinth seal structure (LSS), a new type of combined seal structure (CSS) consisting of the labyrinth structure and the nozzle structure has been proposed. The sealing characteristics of CSS and LSS are compared by means of numerical simulation and experiments, and the effects of the internal resistance of the device, structural geometric parameters and other factors on the leakage characteristics of CSS are studied. The results illustrate the following conclusions: (a) When the inlet flow is 12 m3/h and the internal resistance of the device is 2000–4000 Pa, the leakage rate of CSS decreases by 30%–40% in comparison with that of LSS, which indicates that the performance of CSS is much better than that of LSS. (b) The leakage rate increases as the internal resistance of the device increases. When the internal resistance of the device increases from 2000 Pa to 8000 Pa, the leakage rate increases from 26% to 72%. (c) When the internal resistance of the device is constant, the larger the inlet flow, the smaller the leakage rate. (d) The choice of nozzle radius in structural geometric parameters is more important for the leakage rate than the tooth height and teeth numbers. When the nozzle radius decreases, ΔPAB (pressure difference between the labyrinth structure and the nozzle structure) and the leakage rate decrease accordingly.

Effects of Inlet Preswirl and Cell Diameter and Depth on Honeycomb Seal Characteristics

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Yan ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zhenping Feng
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Increase ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Cell Diameter ◽  
Total Temperature ◽  
Honeycomb Seals ◽  
Honeycomb Cell

Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solutions are employed to investigate the discharge and total temperature increase characteristics of the stepped labyrinth seal with honeycomb land. First, the relations between the windage heating number and the circumferential Mach number at different Reynolds numbers for different honeycomb seals are calculated and compared with the experimental data. The obtained numerical results show that the present three-dimensional periodic model can properly predict the total temperature increase in honeycomb seals. Then, a range of pressure ratios, three inlet preswirl ratios, four sizes of honeycomb cell diameter, and nine sizes of cell depth are selected to investigate the influence of inlet preswirl ratios and honeycomb geometry sizes on the discharge and total temperature increase characteristics of the stepped labyrinth seal. It shows that the leakage rate increases with the increase in cell diameter, and the cell depth has a strong influence on the discharge behavior. However, the influence of the inlet preswirl on the leakage rate is found to be little in the present study. For the total temperature increase characteristic, the inlet preswirl ratio and pressure ratio have more pronounced influence than those of cell depth and diameter. Furthermore, the relations between the leakage rate and cell depth and diameter, as well as the relations between the windage heating power and cell depth and diameter, are not monotonic functions if the pressure ratio is kept constant.

Numerical Investigations of Leakage Performance Degradations in Labyrinth and Flexible Seals Due to Wear

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinbo Dai ◽  
Xin Yan ◽  
Kun He ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zhenping Feng
Keyword(s):  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Labyrinth Seals ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Numerical Investigations ◽  
Forward Bending ◽  
The Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Wear Damage

Abstract The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods are utilized to investigate the leakage performance degradations in two kinds of flexible seals (i.e. forward bending and backward bending) and two kinds of shroud labyrinth seals (i.e. with straight fins and chamfered fins) in rubbing events. With the existing experimental data, FEA methods for contacting simulations and CFD methods for leakage rate and flow pattern predictions are carefully examined. The wear characteristic and leakage performance between labyrinth seals and flexible seals are compared before and after rub. The results show that, in rubbing process, the labyrinth seal with straight (symmetrical) fins is likely to undergo the mushrooming damage, whereas the labyrinth seal with chamfered (asymmetrical) fins is likely to undergo the tooth-bending damage. In rubbing process, compared with the labyrinth seal, the flexible seal has a superior characteristic in resisting the wear damage due to increased flexibility of fin. For a labyrinth seal with 0.3mm design clearance and a flexible seal with 0.15mm design clearance, the 0.5mm radial displacement of rotor will result in 110% increase of leakage rate for labyrinth seal, and 7% increase of leakage rate for flexible seal after wear. Under the same conditions, the forward bending flexible seal has a lower leakage rate than the backward bending flexible seal before and after rub.

Effects of Labyrinth Fin Wear on Aerodynamic Performance of Turbine Stages: Part II — Mushrooming Damages

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinbo Dai ◽  
Xin Yan
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Aerodynamic Loss ◽  
Solution Methods ◽  
Isentropic Efficiency

Abstract The main function of labyrinth seal is to control leakage flow in clearance that involves with rotating and stationary parts. Therefore, the effective of clearance gap in labyrinth seal is critical to sealing, heat transfer and vibration characteristics. However, due to the mechanical expansions, vibrations, thermal stress, misalignment of seal components in transient periods of startup, shutdown and hot restart, the stationary and rotating parts of the labyrinth seal are likely to contact each other, causing wear damages in labyrinth fin. Mushrooming damages are often occurred in the rubbing events when labyrinth fin is made of soft material compared with the opposite component. To investigate how mushrooming damage affects the leakage performance of labyrinth seal, many numerical and experimental studies have been carried out in last decades. However, little attention has been paid on the influence of labyrinth fin mushrooming on aerodynamic performance of turbine stages. In this study, using the RANS equations solution methods, the effect of labyrinth fin mushrooming on isentropic efficiency, leakage rates, outlet flow angles, reaction degrees, profile static pressure distributions and flow fields in turbine stages were investigated at three different mushrooming radii and three effective clearances. It shows the leakage rate is increased with increasing the mushroom radius and effective clearance. At the same effective clearance, as the mushrooming radius increases from 0.2mm to 0.4mm, the leakage rate is increased by about 0.19–0.32%, and the overall isentropic efficiency is decreased by 0.78%. At the same mushrooming radius, as the effective clearance increases from 1mm to 1.4mm, the leakage rate is increased by 0.21–0.31%, and the overall isentropic efficiency is decreased by 0.65%. As mushroom radius and effective clearance increase, the secondary flows near hub and shroud are intensified and developed along axial direction, causing pronounced aerodynamic loss in turbine stages.

Numerical Investigation of an Improved Gas and Steam Turbine Seal

1996 ◽  
Vol 210 (6) ◽  
pp. 477-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
M H Gordon ◽  
U M Kelkar ◽  
M C Johnson
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Numerical Investigation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Optimal Shape ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Brush Seal ◽  
Sealing Mechanism

A numerical study has been conducted to assess the viability of a new sealing mechanism for gas and steam turbines. This new static-to-rotating sealing mechanism is mounted on flexible legs which permit radial movement and is designed to take advantage of the hydro-dynamic pressure forces, which result from fluid leaking around the seal, to maintain an ideally small and constant clearance. Relatively simple seal geometries have been numerically tested to find an optimal shape. These results indicate that a substantial sealing improvement (between two and four times less leakage) relative to a labyrinth seal is possible. Although these results show that a brush seal is more effective than the present seal, the present seal is designed to operate in high-speed and high-temperature environments in which the brush seal would degrade.

scholarly journals Experimental and numerical study on the performance of the smooth-land labyrinth seal

2016 ◽  
Vol 760 ◽  
pp. 012033 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Szymanski ◽  
S Dykas ◽  
W Wróblewski ◽  
M Majkut ◽  
M Strozik
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Labyrinth Seal

Experimental and Computational Analysis of a Gas Compressor Windback Seal

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Morrison ◽  
Adnan Al-Ghasem
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Computational Analysis ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Screw Thread ◽  
Shaft Speed ◽  
Flow Paths ◽  
Carry Over

A gas windback seals is similar to a labyrinth seal except the cavity is one continuous channel which winds around the shaft like a screw thread. One application is in gas compressors to isolate lubrication oil from the gas flow paths. A CFD based study of clearance, pressure ratio, and shaft speed has been performed. One seal geometry was experimentally studied to provide verification of the CFD accuracy. An empirical model for the leakage rate has been developed which fits the data with a standard deviation of 0.8%. The effects of pressure ratio and shaft speed upon the leakage rate are independent of each other. Analysis of the CFD results indicate that the kinetic energy carry over coefficient is substantially less for the windback seal operating at low differential pressures and gas densities than for a labyrinth seal operating under typical conditions.

A numerical study of three-dimensional turbulent channel flow at large Reynolds numbers

1970 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Deardorff
Keyword(s):  
Scale Effects ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Turbulent Channel Flow ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Uniform Grid ◽  
Turbulence Energy ◽  
Vertical Diffusion

The three-dimensional, primitive equations of motion have been integrated numerically in time for the case of turbulent, plane Poiseuille flow at very large Reynolds numbers. A total of 6720 uniform grid intervals were used, with sub-grid scale effects simulated with eddy coefficients proportional to the local velocity deformation. The agreement of calculated statistics against those measured by Laufer ranges from good to marginal. The eddy shapes are examined, and only theu-component, longitudinal eddies are found to be elongated in the downstream direction. However, the lateralveddies have distinct downstream tilts. The turbulence energy balance is examined, including the separate effects of vertical diffusion of pressure and local kinetic energy.It is concluded that the numerical approach to the problem of turbulence at large Reynolds numbers is already profitable, with increased accuracy to be expected with modest increase of numerical resolution.

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