THE IMPACT OF SELECTED PARAMETERS ON PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION IN THE FACE THROTTLE OF A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP AUTOMATIC BALANCING DEVICE

Abstract

Face throttles are a necessary functional element of non-contact face seals and automatic balancing devices of centrifugal pumps of different constructions. To calculate the hydrodynamic forces and moments acting on the rotor and fluid flow through the automatic balancing device, it is necessary to know the pressure distribution in the cylindrical and face throttle when considering all important factors which predetermine fluid flow. The face throttle surfaces are moving, which leads to unsteady fluid flow. The movement of the walls of the face throttle causes an additional circumferential and radial flow, which subsequently leads to the additional hydrodynamic pressure components. The paper analyses viscous incompressible fluid flow in the face throttle of an automatic balancing device taking into account the axial and angular displacements of throttle’s surfaces and the inertia component of the fluid. The effect of local hydraulic losses as well as random changes in the coefficients of local hydraulic resistance at the inlet and outlet of the throttle is analysed.