Analysis of a Test Case for Annular Seal Flows

Abstract

The paper presents a theoretical investigation of the flow field inside a 50 percent eccentricity, synchronously whirling, annular seal. The numerical results are obtained using a specific rotordynamic method based on the perturbed form of the averaged full Navier-Stokes equations. Experimental data for this seal are provided by Morrison et al. (1994, 1995) and Morrison and Winslow (1995). The calculated flow field (stator pressures and shear stresses, distributed forces, velocity and turbulent kinetic energy distributions) is in good qualitative agreement with the measured one. It is evidenced that the particular form of the pressure field is due to a great pressure recovery effect in the exit section. This problem could be used as a test case for annular seal flows, but the high eccentricity is at the limit of a perturbation-based method.