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At least 73 records · Page 4

Theory versus experiment for the rotordynamic coefficients of annular gas seals. Part 2: Constant clearance and convergent-tapered geometry

The leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of constant-clearance and convergent-tapered annular gas seals were measured in an experimental test facility. The results are presented along with the theoretically predicted values. Of particular interest is the prediction that optimally tapered seals have significantly larger direct siffness than straight seals. The experimental results verify this prediction. Generally the theory does quite well, but fails to predict the large increase in direct stiffness when the fluid is pre-rotated.

Nelson, C. C.↗

Nonlinear rotordynamics analysis

The special nonlinearities of the Jeffcott equations in rotordynamics are examined. The immediate application of this analysis is directed toward understanding the excessive vibrations recorded in the LOX pump of the SSME during hot firing ground testing. Deadband, side force and rubbing are three possible sources of inducing nonlinearity in the Jeffcott equations. The present analysis initially reduces these problems to the same mathematical description. A special frequency, named the nonlinear natural frequency is defined and used to develop the solutions of the nonlinear Jeffcott equations as asympotic expansions. This nonlinear natural frequency which is the ratio of the cross-stiffness and the damping, plays a major role in determining response frequencies. Numerical solutions are included for comparison with the analysis. Also, nonlinear frequency-response tables are made for a typical range of values.

Day, W. B.↗

Rotordynamics

Research activities that can ultimately lead to optimum rotordynamics design for the space shuttle main engine are outlined. Achievements are summarized in: (1) improving analysis and simulation techniques; (2) defining forces which result from the rotor and surroundings; (3) determining the effect of rubbing; (4) improving balancing; (5) developing damping methods, i.e., eddy-current and damping seals; (6) establishing methods to quantify internal friction; and (7) developing supporting test apparatus.

Schutzenhofer, L. A.↗

Analysis and testing for rotordynamic coefficients of turbulent annular seals with different, directionally-homogeneous surface-roughness treatment for rotor and stator elements

A combined analytical-computational method has been developed to calculate the transient pressure field and rotordynamic coefficients for high-pressure annular seals. The solution procedure applies to constant-clearance or the convergent tapered geometries of multistage centrifugal pumps which may have different surface roughness conditions on the stator and rotor seal elements. In experimental calculations with the method, the turbulent equations of Hirs (1973) are modified slightly to account for different surface roughness conditions, and a perturbation analysis is employed to develop zeroth and first order perturbation equations. Zeroth equations are also used to define both the leakage and circumferential flow due to shear stresses around the stator and rotor surfaces. The solution to analytical equations for four different surface roughnesses confirm the predicted net damping for the seals. A round-holed stator pattern yielded the highest net damping and lowest leakage of all the seals tested.

Childs, D. W.↗

Advanced Rotordynamic Nonlinear Transient Simulation

Advanced rotordynamic nonlinear transient-simulation program, TRANSIM, developed to predict response of high-performance rotating machinery to variety of forcing functions. Works by modal superposition of rotor and casing subsystems. Transient response of system calculated by numerical integration of equations of motion, performed in modal coordinates. Resulting data transformed back into physical coordinates as required to determine user-requested loads and accelerations as function of time. Used to analyze Space Shuttle main engine high-pressure fuel turbopump. TRANSIM written in FORTRAN 77.

Becht, D. G.↗

Experimental verification and practical application of torquewhirl theory of rotordynamic instability

A theory developed by Vance in 1978 to explain the destabilizing effect of torque on a whirling rotor was experimentally verified. The measurements made on a specially designed test apparatus are described. New computer models were also developed to investigate the effect of torque on rotordynamic stability of multidisk flexible rotor bearing systems. The effect of torque was found to be most pronounced when the system is already marginally stable from other influences. The modifications required to include torque in a typical shaft transfer matrix are described, and results are shown which identify the type of rotor design most sensitive to load torque.

Vance, J. M.↗

Theory versus experiment for the rotordynamic coefficients of annular gas seals. II - Constant-clearance and convergent-tapered geometry

The leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of constant-clearance and convergent-tapered annular gas seals were measured in an experimental test facility. The results are presented along with the theoretically predicted values. Of particular interest is the prediction that optimally tapered seals have significantly larger direct stiffness than straight seals. The experimental results verify this prediction. Generally the theory does quite well, but fails to predict the large increase in direct stiffness when the fluid is pre-rotated.

Nelson, C. C.↗

Rotordynamic coefficients and leakage flow of parallel grooved seals and smooth seals

Based on Childs finite length solution for annular plain seals an extension of the bulk flow theory is derived to calculate the rotordynamic coefficients and the leakage flow of seals with parallel grooves in the stator. Hirs turbulent lubricant equations are modified to account for the different friction factors in circumferential and axial direction. Furthermore an average groove depth is introduced to consider the additional circumferential flow in the grooves. Theoretical and experimental results are compared for the smooth constant clearance seal and the corresponding seal with parallel grooves. Compared to the smooth seal the direct and cross-coupled stiffness coefficients as well as the direct damping coefficients are lower in the grooved seal configuration. Leakage is reduced by the grooving pattern.

Nordmann, R.↗

Comparison of Hirs' equation of Moody's equation for determining rotordynamic coefficients of annular pressure seals

The rotordynamic coefficients of an incompressible-flow annular pressure seal were determined using a bulk-flow model in conjunction with two different friction factor relationships. The first, Hirs' equation, assumes the friction factor is a function of Reynolds number only. The second, Moody's equation, approximates Moody's diagram and assumes the friction factor is a function of both Reynolds number and relative roughness. For each value of relative roughness, Hirs' constants were determined so that both equations gave the same magnitude and slope of the friction factor. For smooth seals, both relationships give the same results. For rough seals (e/2 H sub 0 = 0.05) Moody's equation predicts 44% greater direct stiffness, 35% greater cross-coupled stiffness, 19% smaller cross-coupled damping, 59% smaller cross-coupled inertia, and nominally the same direct damping and direct inertia.

Nelson, Clayton C.↗

Comparison of Hirs' equation with Moody's equation for determining rotordynamic coefficients of annular pressure seals

The rotordynamic coefficients of an incompressible-flow annular pressure seal were determined using a bulk-flow model in conjunction with two different friction factor relationships. The first, Hirs' equation, assumes the friction factor is a function of Reynolds number only. The second, Moody's equation, approximates Moody's diagram and assumes the friction factor is a function of both Reynolds number and relative roughness. For each value of relative roughness, Hirs' constants were determined so that both equations gave the same magnitude and slope of the friction factor. For smooth seals, both relationships give the same results. For rough seals, Moody's equation predicts 44 percent greater direct stiffness, 35 percent greater cross-coupled stiffness, 19 percent smaller cross-coupled damping, 59 percent smaller cross-coupled inertia, and nominally the same direct damping and direct inertia.

Nelson, C. C.↗

Asymptotic expansions in nonlinear rotordynamics

This paper is an examination of special nonlinearities of the Jeffcott equations in rotordynamics. The immediate application of this analysis is directed toward understanding the excessive vibrations recorded in the LOX pump of the SSME during hot-firing ground testing. Deadband, side force, and rubbing are three possible sources of inducing nonlinearity in the Jeffcott equations. The present analysis initially reduces these problems to the same mathematical description. A special frequency, named the nonlinear natural frequency, is defined and used to develop the solutions of the nonlinear Jeffcott equations as singular asymptotic expansions. This nonlinear natural frequency, which is the ratio of the cross-stiffness and the damping, plays a major role in determining response frequencies.

Day, William B.↗

Experimental rotordynamic coefficient results for honeycomb seals

Test results (leakage and rotordynamic coefficients) are presented for seven honeycomb-stator smooth-rotor seals. Tests were carried out with air at rotor speeds up to 16,000 cpm and supply pressures up to 8.2 bars. Test results for the seven seals are compared, and the most stable configuration is identified based on the whirl frequency ratio. Results from tests of a smooth-rotor/smooth-stator seal, a teeth-on-stator labyrinth seal, and the most stable honeycomb seal are compared.

Elrod, David A.↗

Theory versus experiment for the rotordynamic coefficients of labyrinth gas seals. II - A comparison to experiment

An experimental test facility is used to measure the leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of teeth-on-rotor and teeth-on-stator labyrinth gas seals. The test results are presented along with the theoretically predicted values for the two seal configurations at three different radial clearances and shaft speeds to 16,000 cpm. The test results show that the theory accurately predicts the cross-coupled stiffness for both seal configurations and shows improvement in the prediction of the direct damping for the teeth-on-rotor seal. The theory fails to predict a decrease in the direct damping coefficient for an increase in the radial clearance for the teeth-on-stator seal.

Childs, D. W.↗

Rotordynamic forces on centrifugal pump impellers

The asymmetric flow around an impeller in a volute exerts a force upon the impeller. To study the rotordynamic force on an impeller which is vibrating around its machine axis of rotation, the impeller, mounted on a dynamometer, is made to whirl in a circular orbit within the volute. The measured force is expressed as the sum of a steady radial force and an unsteady force due to the eccentric motion of the impeller. These forces were measured in separate tests on a centrifugal pump with radically increased shroud clearance, a two-dimensional impeller, and an impeller with an inducer, the impeller of the HPOTP (High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump) of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine). In each case, a destabilizing force was observed over a region of positive whirl.

Franz, R.↗

The rotordynamic forces on a centrifugal pump impeller in the presence of cavitation

Fluid-induced rotordynamic forces on a centrifugal pump impeller whirling along a trajectory eccentric to its undeflected position in the presence of cavitation were measured using the experimental facility described by Jery (1987). The force measured is a combination of a steady radial force due to the volute asymmetries and an unsteady force due to the eccentric motion of the rotor. It was found that, compared to the noncavitation condition, a cavitation corresponding to a head loss of 3 percent had little effect upon the unsteady force. However, a lesser degree of cavitation at the design point, was found to increase the destabilizing force for a particular set of whirl ratios.

Franz, R.↗

Seal-rotordynamic-coefficient test results for a model SSME ATD-HPFTP turbine interstate seal with and without a swirl brake

The predictions of Scharrer's (1988) theory for rotordynamic coefficients of labyrinth gas seals were compared with measurements for a model SSME Alternate Turbopump Development High-Pressure Fuel Turbopump with and without swirl brakes. Using the test apparatus described by Childs et al. (1986, 1990), tests were conducted with supply pressures up to 18.3 bars and speeds up to 16,000 rpm. Seal back pressure was controlled to provide four pressure ratios at all supply pressures. No measurable difference in leakage was detected for the seal with and without the swirl brakes. Comparisons of the measurement results for the seal without a swirl brake with the Scharrer theory showed that the theory can be used only to provide design guidelines; systematic differences were observed between theory and experiment due to changes in running speed, supply pressure, and pressure ratio.

Childs, D. W.↗

Measurements of the rotordynamic shroud forces for centrifugal pumps

An experiment was designed to measure the rotordynamic shroud forces on a centrifugal pump impeller. The measurements were done for various whirl/impeller speed ratios and for different flow rates. A destabilizing tangential force was measured for small positive whirl ratios and this force decreased with increasing flow rate.

Guinzburg, A.↗

Interrelated rotordynamic effects of cylindrical and conical whirl of annular seal rotors

In the present comprehensive method for annular-seal dynamic coefficients computations, the rotor-excitation effects of the uniform lateral-eccentricity mode and the angular eccentricity are treated as interrelated, by recognizing the fluid-exerted moments resulting from each. The computational procedure is a FEM perturbation model in which the zeroth-order, undisplaced-rotor flow solution in the clearance gap is obtained through a Petrov-Galerkin approach. The full matrix of rotordynamic coefficients is obtained. The computational model is verified against a bulk-flow model for a simple case involving a straight annular seal.

Baskharone, E. A.↗