Direct Damping Research Articles

Parametric instability analysis of rotors under anisotropic boundary conditions

Ensuring rotor stability is a major concern in engineering, as instabilities can lead to catastrophic failures. Existing literature shows that anisotropic boundary conditions significantly affect the parametric instability characteristics of rotors under periodical axial loads. However, there is little literature systematically analyzing the formation mechanism of parametric resonance under these boundary conditions or providing a detailed classification of the parametric instability regions. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive parametric instability analysis of a rotor subjected to periodic axial loads under anisotropic boundary conditions. A novel approach based on the multiple scales method is proposed to address anisotropy in the boundary conditions. Using this approach, the analytical boundaries of the parametric instability regions are derived, and a proof regarding the absence of certain parametric resonances is presented. These analytical solutions are validated by numerical results obtained from the discrete transition matrix method, which form the basis for systematically investigating the effects of anisotropy in direct or cross-coupling stiffness/damping coefficients on the rotor instability. The key scientific contributions of this work include: Deriving analytical instability boundaries, providing a more efficient alternative to purely numerical methods while maintaining high accuracy; Demonstrating the absence of parametric resonance of difference type under both isotropic or anisotropic boundary conditions; Discovering that anisotropy in stiffness coefficients can induce self-interaction within a given forward or backward whirl mode, as well as interaction between two forward or two backward whirl modes, leading to additional instability regions; Reducing anisotropy in direct damping coefficients may increase critical dynamic load coefficients, potentially enhancing rotor safety; If the cross-coupling stiffness coefficients exceed the threshold for triggering intrinsic instability, the rotor may become unstable in all operating conditions. All these findings offer insights into the stability management of rotors under various operating conditions and provide valuable guidance for designing and operating safer, more efficient rotor systems.

Dynamic and Phase-Frequency Characteristics of Rotor Instability Induced by Steam Flow Excited Vibration in Seals

Steam flow excited vibration in seals seriously affects the seal-rotor stability. A mesh deformation based on user-defined functions was adopted to establish the multi-frequency whirl model, and the reliability of the simulation method was verified by experiments. The average effective damping and working ability of the fluid were proposed to analyse the stability of the seal. The mechanism of seal instability induced by steam flow excited vibration was revealed through the phase-frequency characteristics of exciting forces and displacements. The results show that direct damping decreases gradually with an increase in frequency, and the cross-coupling damping tends to be stable over 15 Hz. The average effective damping is more sensitive and accurate in predicting the seal stability. Effective damping decreases with increased frequency. Therefore, the rotor stability is decreased. Near the 12 Hz and 24 Hz frequencies, the average effective damping of eccentricity fluctuates, so the seal stability is poor. The negative effect of exciting forces increases, and the seal stability is improved when the eccentricity increases. When the phase difference between the excitation force and displacement changes, the seal stability decreases. The fundamental reason for rotor instability induced by steam flow excited vibration in seals is the sharp changes of phase difference caused by pressure fluctuations.

Numerical Investigations of Static and Dynamic Characteristics of a Novel Staggered Labyrinth Seal with Semi-Elliptical Structure

In order to optimize sealing performance, a novel labyrinth seal with semi-elliptical teeth (SET) structure is proposed in this paper, which includes semi-elliptical teeth and a series of cavities. The simulation results calculated by the numerical methods are compared with the experimental and theoretical results, and static and dynamic characteristics of the novel SET structure are further investigated. The numerical simulations of labyrinth seals with the SET structure demonstrate high accuracy and reliability, with a maximum relative error of less than 6% as compared to experimental results, underscoring the validity of the model. Notably, leakage rates are directly influenced by pressure drop and axial offset, with optimal sealing achieved at zero axial displacement. The direct damping coefficient increases as the pressure drop increases while the other dynamic coefficients decrease. Additionally, the stability results show that the novel SET structure exhibits higher stability for positive axial offsets. The novel model and corresponding results can provide a meaningful reference for the study of sealing structure and coupled vibration in the field of fluid machinery.

Cyclic behavior and shear strength of exterior reinforced concrete beam-column joints with inclined columns

The adoption of inclined columns results in inclined beam-column joints (BCJs). Although the behavior of regular BCJs have been widely investigated, researches on the cyclic behavior and shear strength of inclined BCJs are limited, and further investigations are required to ensure seismic safety of the frames adopting inclined columns. In this work, cyclic behavior of inclined BCJs was first experimentally studied by testing 3 exterior BCJ specimens. After that, a finite element model was developed and validated by the experimental results. The model was subsequently used for parametric study to reveal the effects of key parameters on the joint shear strength. In the end, a theoretical model based on the softened strut and tie model was proposed to estimate the joint shear strength of inclined BCJs. Results showed that the inclination caused an initial joint shear force under column axial load, leading to different joint behavior in positive and negative loading directions. The joint shear strength was increased in the inclination direction but declined in the other direction, while the ductility showed an opposite trend. Meanwhile, regardless of the inclination direction, energy dissipation and equivalent viscous damping of BCJs were reduced and stiffness degradation was slowed. The parametric study revealed that the inclination effect was amplified with higher inclinations. The overall joint shear strength can be effectively enhanced by adopting higher concrete strength and column axial load. Increasing the joint stirrup ratio was also beneficial for the shear strength, but its efficiency was relatively lower. Based on the comparison of the predicted joint shear strengths and those from experimental and numerical programs, it was proved that the modified strut and tie model was advantageous over the formulas in GB 50010 in capturing the shear strengths. This work contributes to understanding the cyclic behavior and shear strength of inclined BCJs to improve seismic safety of frames adopting inclined columns.

Directional damping design of viscoelastic composites via topology optimization

Design of architected functional materials that possess desired damping performance is a topic of great interest in both academic research and industrial applications. This study investigates the concept of ‘directional damping’ for viscoelastic composites and develops a topology optimization framework to achieve directional damping design. Microstructures with both load-bearing capacity and dominant damping in the prescribed direction are obtained by maximizing the loss factor while imposing stiffness constraints. An optimized directional damping microstructure design exhibits a loss factor 1.8 times higher than the isotropic design in the prescribed direction. It is found that the optimized configurations with curved viscoelastic strips are similar to wavy ‘suture’ lines in the beaks of woodpeckers, which possess outstanding energy absorption performance. We have also verified the superiority of the directional damping design through numerical simulations and experiments of the microstructured composites. The experiment results show significant reduction of peak response for the directional damping design compared to the isotropic counterpart. To demonstrate the application potential of the optimized unit cell microstructures, a novel conceptual airless tire that exhibits improved stiffness and shock absorption performance is designed and validated through both numerical simulations and experiments.

Dynamic Performance of Liquid Smooth Annular Seal Operating in the Transition Regime

Abstract This paper presents the experimental leakage and rotordynamic performance for a liquid smooth annular seal operating in the transition regime. The test conditions include pressure differentials up to 64 bars with 1∼2 bar increments for 6 rotor speeds (2.5, 3.8, 5, 7.5, 8.8, and 10 krpm), as well as nonrotating rotor case under zero preswirl condition. The rotordynamic coefficients for all the test conditions are obtained by pseudo-random excitation of the seal at multiple subsynchronous frequencies. By considering the transition Reynolds number (1000 < Re < 3000) and the Taylor Number (Ta) versus Axial Reynolds Number (Rez), the variations in the direct stiffness coefficients (K) can used as an indicator of the flow regime transition boundaries. The direct stiffness K resulting from the Lomakin and hydrodynamic effects significantly drops until Rez reaches ∼1500. For higher Rez, K increases mainly due to hydrodynamic effects. When K drops, the cross-coupled stiffness k, the direct damping C and the cross-coupled virtual mass m increase while the cross-coupled damping c and virtual mass M decrease. None of predictions based on either laminar or turbulent flow show the variations in rotordynamic coefficients obtained from experimental results. The leakage is not highly influenced by rotor speeds for low speed cases crossing laminar boundary as ΔP increases, however, results for higher speeds in the superlaminar region show reduced leakage rates as rotor speed increases.

Leakage flow-induced excitation behavior and rotor instability in the high-speed supercritical CO2 scallop damper seals

As an innovative type of damper seal, the scallop damper seal (SDS) has shown greatly improved sealing performance for the high-compactness supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) turbomachinery, but leakage-induced excitation forces have an impact on the rotor stability. In this research, we improve the rotordynamic solution based on the multi-frequency elliptic whirling model for the S-CO2 seals and investigate the leakage-induced excitation behavior of SDS depending on seal geometry and operating condition. By comparing the results of a labyrinth seal and a full-partition pocket damper seal, we prove that SDS has better rotordynamic performance for the S-CO2 compressor. The results show that increasing the pressure drop favors greater direct stiffness and effective damping of the SDS. Inlet preswirl changes the direction of fluid-response force to coincide with the rotor motion, which is detrimental to rotor stability. Changing the cavity depth has no significant effect on the dynamic characteristics of the SDS, but shortening the cavity length reduces the direct stiffness to below zero. Supplementing the number of circumferential cavities increases the direct stiffness and effective damping but results in SDS not being able to be machined directly by milling cutters. The design with 12 circumferential cavities is recommended for the 100-kW-class S-CO2 compressor.

Effect of Reduced Oil Flow Rate on the Performance of a Load on Pad Journal Bearing: Flooded Versus Evacuated Conditions

Abstract Means to decrease the energy consumption of tilting pad journal bearings (TPJBs) without affecting their performance and structural integrity are mandatory in a cost efficient operation. Reducing the lubricant flow supplied to a bearing is a distinct method to diminish drag power losses along with savings in oil storage and pump equipment. However, a too low flow remains questionable in industrial practice. Starved flow conditions produce hot pad surfaces that could lead to Babbitt failure; and under certain loads, generate subsynchronous vibrations (SSV). This paper aims to resolve some of the issues above via measurements of the load performance conducted with a four-pad TPJB configured as load-on-pad (LOP) and having its ends sealed or open to make flooded and evacuated conditions. Prior measurements were conducted with the same bearing under load-between-pads (LBP); see Refs. [1] and [2]. The nominal supplied flow (Q) of ISO VG 46 oil at 60 °C is proportional to shaft speed (max. 12 krpm: 62.8 m/s surface speed). In the tests, the flow Qs ranges from 1.5 Q to just ¼ Q, and the applied units load reaches 2.07 MPa. Compared to the flooded bearing, the evacuated bearing produces a slightly larger eccentricity across the range of flow rates. For a unit load = 2.07 MPa and shaft speed of 6 or 12 krpm, the highest pad subsurface temperature reaches ∼130 °C for Qs below 50% nominal. For both bearings, flooded or evacuated, drag power losses decrease to ∼30% as the oil flow drops from 100% to 50% Q. As the oil flow increases to 1.5 Q, the drag power increases ∼10% for both bearing types at 6 krpm and for the flooded one at 12 krpm, while the evacuated bearing shows a reduction of ∼7%. The drag power grows as the static load increases; the evacuated bearing producing up to ∼ 40% lesser power loss than the flooded bearing. Both bearings produce similar size direct stiffnesses though largely orthotropic, Kyy ≫ Kxx. Direct damping coefficients Cxx ∼ Cyy increase with shaft speed and unit load but dramatically decrease as Qs drops, in particular for the evacuated bearing. The current measurements and those in Refs. [1] and [2] demonstrate that LOP and LBP bearings can safely operate with 50% of nominal flow thus saving drag power, and without too large pad, temperature rises. Alas, too low Qs produces a significant reduction in the damping coefficient orthogonal to the applied load direction. The effect is most evident in the LOP evacuated bearing, which is most prone to show SSV Hash.

Leakage and Rotordynamic Force Coefficients of a Labyrinth Seal and a Pocket Damper Seal Operating With Wet Gas

Abstract Subsea centrifugal compressors commonly using labyrinth seals (LS) and pocket damper seals (PDS) must withstand the flow of oil in gas mixtures with a liquid volume fraction (LVF) up to 5%. This paper presents experimental results for the leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of a uniform clearance PDS and a similar size LS both supplied with wet gas. The shaft diameter D = 127 mm and the seal axial length L = 48 mm. In the tests, the seals' pressure ratio (inlet/exit) = 2.5, and the shaft speed reaches 5.25 krpm (surface speed = 35 m/s). The LS has a 17% larger radial clearance (Cr,LS = 0.230 mm > Cr,PDS = 0.196 mm) due to a manufacturing error. This paper extends prior work by Torres et al. (2022, “A Stepped Shaft Labyrinth Seal versus a Pocket Damper Seal: Leakage and Dynamic Force Coefficients Under Wet Gas Operation,” ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, 145(1), p. 011006) for the same two seal types with a stepped clearance configuration that promotes damping. When supplied with a dry gas, the LS leaks more because of its larger clearance. A loss coefficient (cd) is a fraction of the physical clearance that characterizes a seal's effectiveness in reducing leakage. The cd of both seals is nearly identical for operation with pure gas; the small differences are well within the experimental uncertainty. For operation with wet gas, the PDS cd decreases as the LVF increases whereas the LS cd increases, thus indicating the PDS is more effective to restrict wet gas leakage. When operating with pure gas, the direct stiffness (K) and effective damping (Ceff) of both seals are small in magnitude (K < 0.5 MN/m, Ceff < 2 kN-s/m) and often less than the experimental uncertainty. For wet gas operation and with shaft speed = 3 krpm and 5.25 krpm, the PDS produces Ceff < 0 for whirl frequencies below 50 Hz. In contrast, the LS Ceff > 0, although small in magnitude. The experimental results under wet gas operation are similar for operation with LVF equal to 3% and 5%. Unexpected low-frequency broadband motions appear when supplying the PDS with a wet gas. Although small in amplitude (<5 μm), the motions increase in severity as the mixture inlet LVF and shaft speed increase. The motions are entirely absent for tests with the LS. Experiments in which the mixture is drawn from the PDS cavities rule out liquid accumulation as the cause of the observed motions. The current test results serve as a reference for turbomachinery design engineers and aid in the validation of analytical predictive tools.

Rotordynamic characteristics of a novel labyrinth seal with partition walls and helical groove teeth

To improve the stability of the conventional labyrinth seal (LS), in this paper, four novel fully partitioned helically labyrinth seals (FPHGLS) were designed and they were in comparison with one FPPGLS. The influences of the preswirl ratio and the helical groove pitch on the leakage flow and rotordynamic characteristics were numerically investigated, using the transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method based on the multi-frequency elliptical whirling orbit model. The accuracy and availability of the present transient numerical method were demonstrated based on the experiment data. The results show that the partition walls design can significantly increase the direct damping and cross-coupling stiffness for labyrinth seals and the helical teeth design can significantly decrease the cross-coupling stiffness and tangential force. When the helical groove pitch is equal to the seal length, the leakage nearly remains unchanged. Compared to the baseline design (LS), the FPPGLS and the FPHGLS have similar and significantly larger direct stiffness and direct damping. The two designs possess positive direct stiffness throughout the frequency range. The FPPGLS and FPHGLS possess significantly higher direct damping (∼323.7% larger than LS). But the FPPGLS possesses the largest cross-coupling stiffness among three seals at two preswirl ratios. From preswirl ratio = 0.13–0.84, the cross-coupling stiffness of the FPHGLS decreases by 53.4-310.1% compared with the FPPGLS. Increasing the helical groove pitch increases both direct stiffness and direct damping and reduces cross-coupling stiffness, but it also leads to greater leakage losses. In general, the novel FPHGLS whose helical groove pitch is equal to seal length possesses superior rotordynamic characteristics and similar leakage characteristic. This work provides the reference of the seal design and safety operation for the turbomachinery.

Effect of Air-Liquid Homogeneous Mixture on the Linear Dynamic Characteristics of a Hydrostatic Journal Bearing

Abstract Water lubricated hydrostatic journal bearings are widely used to support radial load of pumps in nuclear power plants. In some situations, these pumps may be required to operate with a mixture of water and air. This compressible air–water mixture will alter the dynamic characteristics of the hydrostatic journal bearings and can have a significant impact on the vibration behavior of the entire pump shaft line. This work is a parametrical investigation of the rotordynamic characteristics of these bearings relative to the volume fraction of the ingested air. The compressibility, the density, and the viscosity of the air–water mixture depend on this volume fraction. In order to evaluate this influence, a homogeneous air-liquid mixture model were developed. Moreover, for low viscosity lubricants, inertia effects can also have an important impact on bearing rotordynamic coefficients. Therefore, the flow is modeled first with the Reynolds equation and then with the bulk flow system of equations to evaluate this impact. The results show the variation of the direct and cross-coupling stiffness and of the direct damping with the evolution of inertial effects and of the level of air contamination.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Experimental Results for the Dynamic Performance of Two Long Smooth Surface Annular Seals Operating With a Liquid in Air Mixture

Abstract Compressors in subsea oil and gas production must handle wet gases to reliably operate for extended periods of time. Annular clearance seals contribute to compressor performance and do affect system rotordynamic stability. Prior experimental work with two smooth surfaces, uniform clearance seals supplied with a light oil in air mixture and undergoing similar operating conditions produced direct stiffnesses (K) with distinct trends as the liquid content increased to 8% in volume. Both seals differ in length and diameter albeit having similar radial clearance. Other force coefficients for both seals, namely, cross-coupled stiffness (k) and direct damping (C) increase as the inlet liquid volume fraction (LVF) grows. Rationale for the peculiar differences in centering stiffness (K) is missing. Hence, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and its predictions, the thrust of this paper, unveil flow field details (pressure, velocity fields, and liquid content evolution) for the oil in air mixture. Besides the CFD model, an enhanced bulk-flow model (BFM) also predicts the seals' leakage and dynamic force coefficients. Both models predict through flows agreeing well with the measured ones, the maximum difference is less than 16%. The BFM direct stiffness (K) does reproduce closely the experimental K whereas the direct damping coefficient (C) is up to ∼41% lower than the test result. The CFD model captures the variation trend of K versus inlet LVF for the first seal, albeit its magnitude is thrice the experimental stiffness. The CFD C agrees well with the test data for both seals, the largest difference is less than 10%. In spite of the complexity of the CFD model, significant differences with the experimental results persist, in particular for K. When considering the seal inlet corner as round, the CFD model produces a significant reduction in K to better approach the test result for a seal supplied with air. Attention to the seal geometry is paramount to produce accurate predictions.

Experimental Force Coefficients for a Fully-Partitioned Pocket Damper Seal and Comparison to Other Two Seal Types

Abstract Labyrinth seals (LSs), honeycomb seals (HCSs) and hole-pattern seals, pocket damper seals (PDSs), and fully-partitioned damper seals (FPDSs) serve as balance pistons on the discharge side of barrel-type centrifugal compressors. These seals, facing large pressure differentials along with significant changes in gas density, produce sizeable lateral forces that impact compressor stability and rotordynamic performance. There is extensive archival data on the dynamic forced performance of LS and textured surface seals. However, the experimental database for a FPDS is insufficient, thus a comprehensive comparison of their dynamic force performance against that of textured surface seals is missing. The paper presents experimentally derived rotordynamic force coefficients for a FPDS along with a direct comparison to published data for a HCS and a LS, both similar in size and in operating conditions. The dynamic load tests with the FPDS include operation at a shaft speed (Ω) of 10 krpm (rotor surface speed of 60 m/s) while supplied with air at Pin = 70 bar and Tin =10 °C, and a discharge at Pout = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.65 of Pin. The preswirl circumferential velocity at the seal inlet is low, approximately 6% of rotor surface speed. The FPDS having eight pockets × eight axial blades produces a direct stiffness (K) increasing with excitation frequency (ω), though K < 0 for the lowest pressure ratio PR = (Pout/Pin) = 0.25. The cross-coupled stiffness (k) is invariant to frequency whereas the direct damping (C) steadily decreases as ω/Ω → 1, and then increases for larger frequencies. Hence, the effective damping coefficient (Ceff = C − k/ω) is approximately constant for ω < Ω, while increasing for higher frequencies. For the three PRs, the FPDS leakage is roughly up to 26% larger than the HCS leakage, while the 20-blade LS leaks in between both. The comparison of results shows the LS has insignificant forces compared to those from the HCS and FPDS, both producing a comparable Ceff and similar crossover frequencies (Ceff > 0). The HCS produces a large direct stiffness (K), three to four times that of the FPDS. Comparison of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions for the FPDS against the experimental force coefficients shows significant differences, in particular an overestimation of direct stiffness as the frequency grows along with a lower direct damping for frequencies equal and above the shaft speed. Besides manufacturing considerations, a FPDS is a better alternative to a HCS whose large centering stiffness (K) may affect the compressor's critical speed, hence shortening the separation margin with respect to the operating speed.

Measured Leakage and Rotordynamic Force Coefficients for Two Liquid Annular Seal Configurations: Smooth-Rotor/Grooved-Stator Versus Grooved-Rotor/Smooth-Stator

Abstract This paper reports and compares the experimental results of leakage and dynamic force coefficients for two liquid annular pressure seals, one having a smooth-rotor/circumferentially grooved stator (SR/GS), the other one with a circumferentially grooved rotor/smooth-stator (GR/SS). Differing only in the grooves’ location, the GR/SS seal’s geometry and operating conditions are representative of those in electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) used for oil recovery. Supplied with an ISO VG2 oil at 46 °C, both seals have the same diameter D = 102 mm, length-to-diameter ratio L/D = 0.5, and nominal land clearance Cr = 0.203 mm. The seals have 15 circumferential grooves with grooves and land lengths equal to 1.52 mm. Test variable ranges include (a) shaft speeds (ω) ranging from 2 to 8 krpm (shaft surface speed ∼ 43 m/s), and (b) pressure differences (ΔP) from 2 to 8 bar. Upstream of the test seals, three separate prerotation rings generate a range of inlet circumferential velocities (entrance swirl). Under all conditions, the GR/SS seal leaks about 10% less than the SR/GS seal. For both seals, the direct stiffnesses (KXX, KYY) have low magnitudes that drop with increasing ω; in some cases, they turn negative at 6 krpm. The GR/SS seal produces cross-coupled stiffnesses (KXY, KYX) that are ∼1.5 times larger than those for the SR/GS seal. Under the same conditions, the SR/GS seal is more stabilizing as its direct damping, and added mass coefficients are ∼ 20% larger than those for the GR/SS seal. Instability issues are likely to arise with either seal geometry because negative KXX and KYY drop a pump critical speed, aggravating the well-known destabilizing coefficients KXY and KYX. The whirl frequency ratio (WFR) combines the effects of the cross-coupled stiffness, direct damping and cross-coupled mass terms, thus providing a good basis for comparing two seals’ stability characteristics. Overall, the WFR magnitudes for the GR/SS seal are about three times higher than those for the SR/GS seal. Note that, irrespective of the inlet swirl condition, the GR/SS approaches a WFR ∼ 0.50 for operating shaft speeds greater than 4 krpm. At the lowest shaft speed (2 krpm), the WFR ≪ 0.5 for the low inlet preswirl ring, whereas WFR > 0.8 for the medium and high preswirl rings. For the SR/GS seal, the WFR ∼ 0.2 at the highest shaft speed of 6 krpm, and not affected by the inlet preswirl condition. On the other hand, at the lowest shaft speed, the WFR ranges from 0.5 to 0.75 for the SR/GS seal with medium and high preswirl rings. At this speed, the WFR = 0 with the low inlet preswirl ring. Hence, to enhance the operational stability, an effective swirl brake that could drop the inlet preswirl ratio upstream of a seal is helpful for the GR/SS seal out to 4 krpm and for the SR/GS seal out to 6 krpm.

Investigation of the Dynamic Behaviour of Fluid Film Journal Bearings with the Use of Bio-Lubricants

The dynamic performance of the journal bearings working with biolubricants and common oils has been tested. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method in ANSYS Fluent is used to simulate numerically the three-dimensional bearing models. The pressure distribution for the biolubricant oil; (AWS-100), synthetic oil; (SAE-10W40) and the mineral oil; (SAE-30) is presented. The dynamic coefficients of journal bearing are investigated under the three lubricant oils types. The results have shown that the use of biolubricant increases the maximum pressure, the reaction forces and the attitude angle and decreases oil film thickness compared with the use of other lubrication oils. The use of biolubricant increases the direct stiffness (Kxx), the cross coupled stiffness (Kxy) and the direct damping (Cxx, Cyy), while it decreases the cross coupled stiffness (Kyx) and the direct stiffness (Kyy). As a result of the use of biolubricants, the maximum value of the oil pressure has increased by 11.76% compared to the value of the maximum pressure in the case of using mineral oils.

A Stepped Shaft Labyrinth Seal Verses A Pocket Damper Seal: Leakage and Dynamic Force Coefficients Under Wet Gas Operation

Abstract Modern turbomachinery favors pocket damper seals (PDS) which produce more effective damping than labyrinth seals (LS). Liquid tolerant compressors enable deep sea oil and gas (O&G) facilities; and seals supplied with a two-phase flow can have an impact on the stability and leakage of O&G turbomachinery. This paper details results for the leakage and force coefficients of a stepped shaft PDS and LS. The seals operate with speeds up to 5250 rpm and pressure ratios (inlet/exit) = 2.5–4.2. The seals are supplied with an oil-in-air mixture with liquid volume fraction (LVF) up to 10%. Both seals feature the same shaft diameter D = 127 mm, axial length L = 0.38D, four blades (and eight pockets). The LS has a 15% larger clearance than the PDS. Operating with pure gas, the PDS is 25% more effective to restrict leakage than the LS. The effective clearance of the PDS decreases as LVF increases whereas that for the LS increases. The direct stiffness (K) for both seals is small and becomes negative as LVF increases. The PDS produces greater direct damping (C) when operating with an identical LVF. The PDS C grows as the LVF increases. Predictions of leakage agree with measurements, whereas force coefficients are roughly half of the experimental results. Changes in LVF produced subsynchronous vibrations (SSV) in the PDS, but not so in the LS. The results are a reference for the design of seals operating with two-phase flow.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of the Influence of Gas Content on the Rotordynamic Force Coefficients for a Circumferentially Grooved Annular Seal for Multiple Phase Pumps

Abstract Pumping efficiency and rotordynamic stability are paramount to subsea multiphase pump operation since, during the life of a well, the process fluid transitions from a pure liquid to a mixture of gas in the liquid to just gas. Circumferentially grooved seals commonly serve as balance pistons in pumps while also restricting secondary flow. Prior experimental results obtained with a grooved seal operating with a mixture of air and mineral oil show the seal rotordynamic force coefficients vary significantly with the gas volume fraction (GVF). This paper, complementing an exhaustive experimental program, presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to predict the leakage and dynamic force coefficients of a circumferentially grooved seal supplied with air in an oil mixture with a GVF varying from 0 to 0.7. The test seal has 14 grooves, an overall axial length of 43.6 mm, and radial clearance of 0.211 mm. The 127 mm diameter rotor spins at constant angular speed (Ω = 3500 rpm). The mixture enters the seal at a supply pressure (Pin) of 2.9 bar(a), and the seal exit pressure (Pout) is 1 bar(a). The CFD two-phase flow simulations utilize the Euler–Euler multiphase model to predict the mass flowrate and the pressure field as a function of the operating conditions. Using a multi-frequency shaft orbit motion method, the CFD simulations deliver the variations of reaction force on the rotor with respect to the excitation frequency. For a pure liquid condition (GVF = 0), both the CFD and experimental results produce constant stiffness, damping, and added mass coefficients. The experimental and CFD results demonstrate the seal rotordynamic force coefficients are quite sensitive to the GVF. When introducing a small amount of air into the oil (GVF = 0.1), the direct damping coefficient increases by approximately 10%. For operation with a mixture with inlet GVF > 0.1, the cross-coupled stiffness coefficients develop strong frequency-dependent characteristics. In contrast, the direct damping coefficient has a negligible variation with excitation frequency. The CFD predictions, as well as the experimental results, evidence that air injection in a liquid stream can significantly change the seal rotordynamic characteristics, and thus can affect the rotordynamic stability of a pump. An accurate CFD analysis provides engineers to design reliable grooved seals operating under two-phase flow conditions.

Linear modal instabilities around post-stall swept finite wings at low Reynolds numbers

Linear modal instabilities of flow over untapered wings with aspect ratios$AR=4$and 8, based on the NACA 0015 profile, have been investigated numerically over a range of angles of attack,$\alpha$, and angles of sweep,$\varLambda$, at chord Reynolds numbers$100\le Re\le 400$. Laminar base flows have been generated using direct numerical simulation and selective frequency damping, as appropriate. Several families of unstable three-dimensional linear global (TriGlobal) eigenmodes have been identified and their dependence on geometric parameters has been examined in detail at$Re=400$. The leading global mode A is associated with the peak recirculation in the three-dimensional laminar separation bubble formed on the wing and becomes unstable when recirculation reaches$\textit {O}(10\,\%)$. On unswept wings, this mode peaks in the midspan region of the wake and moves towards the wing tip with increasing$\varLambda$, following the displacement of peak recirculation; its linear amplification leads to wake unsteadiness. Additional amplified modes exist at nearly the same and higher frequencies compared to mode A. The critical$Re$has been identified and it is shown that amplification increases with increasing sweep, up to$\varLambda \approx 10^\circ$. At higher$\varLambda$, all global modes become less amplified and are ultimately stable at$\varLambda =30^\circ$. An increase in amplification of the leading mode with sweep was not observed over the$AR=4$wing, where tip vortex effects were shown to dominate.

Directional Damping of Plasmons at Metal-Semiconductor Interfaces.

ConspectusOver the past decade, it has been shown that surface plasmons can enhance photoelectric conversion in photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and other optoelectronic applications through their plasmonic absorption and damping processes. However, plasmonically enhanced devices have yet to routinely match or exceed the efficiencies of traditional semiconductor devices. The effect of plasmonic losses dissipates the absorbed photoenergy mostly into heat and that has hampered the realization of superior next-generation plasmonic optoelectronic devices. Several approaches are being explored to alleviate this situation, including using gain to compensate for the plasmonic losses, designing and synthesizing alternative low-loss plasmonic materials, and reducing activation barriers in plasmonic devices and physical thicknesses of photoabsorber layers to lower the plasmonic losses. A newly proposed plasmon-induced interfacial charge-transfer transition (PIICTT) mechanism has proven to be effective in minimizing energy loss during interfacial charge transfer. The PIICTT leads to a damping of metallic plasmonics by directly generating excitons at the plasmonic metal/semiconductor heteronanostructures. This novel concept has been proven to overcome some of the limitations of electron-transfer inefficiencies, renewing a focus on surface plasmon damping processes with the goal that the plasmonic excitation energies of metal nanoparticles can be more efficiently transferred to the adjacent semiconductor components in the absence and presence of an effective interlayer of carrier-selective blocking layer (CSBL). Several theoretical and experimental studies have concluded that efficient plasmon-induced ultrafast hot-carrier transfer was observed in plasmonic-metal/semiconductor heteronanostructures. The PIICTT mechanism may well be a general phenomenon at plasmonic metal/semiconductor, metal/molecule, semiconductor/semiconductor, and semiconductor/molecule heterointerfaces. Thus, the PIICTT presents a new opportunity to limit energy loss in plasmonic-metal nanostructures and increase device efficiencies based on plasmonic coupling. The nonradiative damping of surface plasmons can impact the energy flux direction and thereby provide a new process beyond light trapping, focusing, and hot carrier creation.In this Account, we draw much attention to the benefits of interfacial plasmonic coupling, highlighting recent pioneering discoveries in which plasmon-induced interfacial charge- and energy-transfer processes enable the generation of hot charge carriers near the plasmonic-metal/semiconductor interfaces. This process is likely to increase the photoelectric conversion efficiency, constituting "plasmonic enhancement". We also discuss recent advances in the dynamics of surface plasmon relaxation and highlight exciting new possibilities for plasmonic metals and their interactions with strongly attached semiconductors to provide directional energy fluxes. While this new research area comes on the heels of much elaborate research on both metal and semiconductor nanomaterials, it provides a subtle but important refinement in understanding the optoelectronic properties of materials with far-reaching consequences from fundamental interface science to technological applications. We hope that this Account will contribute to a more systematic description of interface-coupled plasmonics, both fundamentally and in terms of applications toward the design of plasmonic heterostructured devices.

Rotordynamic characteristic of water lubricated plain journal bearing under transient load

Transient startup operating parameter has a serious influence on the stability of water-lubricated bearings. In this study, CFD method was used to predict the rotordynamic coefficients of water lubricated bearings under transient loads. The stiffness and damping coefficients versus transient time for water-lubricated bearings are given. The stiffness and damping coefficients versus different transient loads for water-lubricated bearings are also given. The results show that the stiffness and damping coefficients will increase rapidly in a very short time. With the increase of impact time, both of them come to a steady value. With the increase of impact load, the direct stiffness and the direct damping coefficients of water lubricated bearing will increase. The value of cross-coupling stiffness and the cross-coupling damping coefficients will decrease.