Investigation of the Dynamic Characteristics of an Eccentric Annular Seal on the Basis of a Transient CFD Method with Three Whirl Models

Abstract

Many annular seals suffer eccentricity because of rotor–stator misalignment or the deflection of a flexible rotor, which has a strong influence on the vibration characteristics and stability of rotating machines. In this article, a transient CFD method based on three whirl models is employed to research the dynamic characteristics of annular seals at various static eccentricities. The influence of the whirl amplitude on the dynamic characteristics of eccentric annular seals are also explored. The results of the transient CFD method are compared with the bulk flow model results and the experimental results. It is shown that the transient CFD method possesses high prediction precision for direct damping, with a maximum error of 25%. Negative kyx increases by 166% when the static eccentricity ratio is increased from 0 to 0.5. The dynamic characteristics of the annular seal operating at high static eccentric ratio are sensitive to whirl amplitude, and the model with an amplitude of 1% Cr has great advantages for the prediction of direct virtual-mass, while the model with an amplitude of 10% Cr has great advantages for the prediction of cross-coupled damping.