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A Comparison of Single and Double Lip Rim Seal Geometries

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Savov, SS 
Atkins, NR 
Uchida, S 

Abstract

The effect of the purge flow, engine-like blade pressure field, and mainstream flow coefficient are studied experimentally for a single and double lip rim seal. Compared to the single lip, the double lip seal requires less purge flow for similar levels of cavity seal effectiveness. Unlike the double lip seal, the single lip seal is sensitive to overall Reynolds number, the addition of a simulated blade pressure field, and large-scale nonuniform ingestion. In the case of both seals, unsteady pressure variations attributed to shear layer interaction between the mainstream and rim seal flows appear to be important for ingestion at off-design flow coefficients. The double lip seal has both a weaker vane pressure field in the rim seal cavity and a smaller difference in seal effectiveness across the lower lip than the single lip seal. As a result, the double lip seal is less sensitive in the rotor-stator cavity to changes in shear layer interaction and the effects of large-scale circumferentially nonuniform ingestion. However, the reduced flow rate through the double lip seal means that the outer lip has increased sensitivity to shear layer interactions. Overall, it is shown that seal performance is driven by both the vane/blade pressure field and the gradient in seal effectiveness across the inner lip. This implies that accurate representation of both, the pressure field and the mixing due to shear layer interaction, would be necessary for more reliable modeling.

Description

Keywords

4012 Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering, 40 Engineering, 4001 Aerospace Engineering

Journal Title

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power: Transactions of the ASME

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0742-4795
1528-8919

Volume Title

139

Publisher

ASME