• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.154-159
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• 2016

This paper presents an experimental study of the leakage performance and endurance performance of a mechanical face seal in the 7-ton-class turbopump of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 2 third-stage engine. We install a mechanical face seal between the fuel pump and turbine to prevent the mixing of the fuel and turbine gas. We design and manufacture a prototype mechanical face seal, which has two parts, namely, a bellows seal assembly and mating ring. We set up a test facility to measure the leakage and endurance of the mechanical face seal. For the similarity tests, we use water under real operating conditions such as high rotational speed, high temperature, and high pressure. Through investigation of the leakage and carbon wear rate, it is possible to evaluate the performance of the mechanical face seal. The results of the leakage and endurance performance test demonstrate the absence of any leakage from the prototype mechanical face seal after a trial run and clarify that the acceptable wear rate fully satisfies the turbopump requirements. Finally, we install a qualified mechanical face seal in a 7-ton-class turbopump and perform a validation test in the turbopump real-propellant test facility in the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The test results confirm that the mechanical face seal works well under real operating conditions.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.24-33
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• 2002

The basic equations are derived for the analysis of a staggered labyrinth gas seal which are generally used in high performance compressors and steam turbines. The Bulk-flow is assumed for a single cavity control volume and the flow is assumed to be completely turbulent in circumferential direction. Moody's wall-friction-factor formula is used for the calculation of wall shear stresses in the single cavity control volume. For the reaction force developed by the seal, linearized zeroth-order and first-order perturbation equations are developed for small motion about a centered position. Integration of the resultant first-order pressure distribution along and around the seal defines the rotordynamic coefficients of the staggered labyrinth gas seal. Theoretical results of leakage and rotordynamic characteristics for the staggered labyrinth gas seal are compared with those of the plain seal and see-through labyrinth seal.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.75-81
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• 2020

In this paper, we present an experimental investigation of the leakage and endurance performances of mechanical face seals in a 75-tonf turbopump for the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II first-stage engine. A mechanical face seal is used between the fuel pump and turbine to prevent mixing of the fuel and turbine gas. However, excessive leakage occurs through the carbon attached to the mechanical face seal bellows. To reduce this leakage, we redesign the mechanical face seal such that the contact area between the fuel and carbon is reduced, height of the carbon nose is reduced, and stiffness of the bellows is increased. Then, we conduct static and dynamic leakage tests and endurance tests to compare the performances of the original and modified mechanical face seals. The investigation of the leakage of the old and new mechanical face seals confirms that the leakage performance is significantly improved, by 80%, in the new design in comparison with the old design. The endurance tests demonstrate that the average wear rate of carbon in the new mechanical face seal is 0.1094 ㎛/s. The service lifetime is predicted to be 4,200 s, which is 28 times greater than the requirement. Finally, we present a new mechanical face seal in a 75-tonf turbopump, and perform a validation test in the real-propellant test facility at the NARO Space Center. Based on the test results, we can confirm that the modified mechanical face seal works well under real operating conditions.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.11-15
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• 2007

The mechanical face seal has been tested in Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARl) for turbopump applications. In the turbopump under current development, the mechanical face seal is installed between fuel pump and turbine to prevent a mixture of fuel and combustion gas. Generally the mechanical face seal in turbopump is exposed to severe environment because of great rotational speed, high temperature of combustion gas and high level of pressure difference. Thus a series of tests were performed to guarantee the reliability of mechanical face seal by means of simulating the practical operating conditions. The tests were conducted up to 20,000 rpm with pressure difference of 800 kPa and temperature of 620 K In addition several carbon materials for mechanical face seal were conducted to the tests to compare the life time. During the tests, the performance against leakage was monitored and the carbon wear was also measured to estimate the life of a mechanical face seal The results show that the leakage flow rates of mechanical face seal is ignorable compared to an overall flow rate of fuel pump. The carbon material which has the finest wear resistance was found during the tests. Lastly no critical failure of mechanical face seal was found during the tests and the reliability of mechanical face seal for turbopump was successfully proved.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.187-191
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• 2009

A leakage performance test and an endurance performance test of a 75 ton class turbopump mechanical face seal are performed using water under high speed and high temperature environment. A prototype mechanical face seal is manufactured for the purpose of sealing of fuel between a fuel pump and turbine. By simulating operating condition experimentally, the leakage rate and seal carbon wear rate are obtained to evaluate the performance of the prototype mechanical face seal. The test results show the acceptable leakage performance and reasonable wear tendency as well.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.66-72
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• 2006

Leakage reduction through annular type labyrinth seals of steam turbine is necessary for enhancing their efficiency and the precise prediction method of seal leakage is needed. In this study, numerical analysis for leakage prediction of the combination-type-staggered-labyrinth seal has been carried out using FLUENT 6 which is commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code based on FVM (Finite Volume Method) and SIMPLE algorism. The present CFD results are verified with the theoretical analysis based on Bulk-flow concept which has been mainly used in predicting seal leakage. Comparing with the result of Bulk-flow model analysis, the leakage result of CFD analysis shows good agreement within 7.1% error.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2004년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.1715-1720
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• 2004

This paper presents the characteristics of internal clearances for the interstage of blades and shaft gland seals on the steam turbine which are installed in tandem compound. Internal clearances was changed when the rotor turned in the cylindrical sleeve bearing due to the generation of oil film wedge. This presented concern is very useful to prevent the rubbing damage of seal edge between the fixed and moving parts in steam turbine due to the misalignment at the rotating and stationary parts. This method is applied for the unbalanced clearances distribution to the left and right sides in the turbine casing. A considerable amount of unbalanced clearances distribution trend is determined according to the rotating speed of rotor, size and type of proceeding bearing, oil viscosity, surface roughness of bearing and shaft, oil temperature, oil pressure and bearing load.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.43-48
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• 2007

Leakage reduction through annular type labyrinth seals of steam turbine is necessary for enhancing their efficiency. In this study, modified geometry of the original combination-type-staggered-labyrinth seal has been suggested and numerical analysis for leakage prediction has been carried out for the modified-combination-type-staggered-labyrinth seal both based on bulk-flow model and using the CFD code FLUENT. The theoretical analysis based on bulk-flow model yields leakage reduction of the modified combination type staggered labyrinth seal by about 11%. Comparing with the result of Bulk-flow model analysis, the leakage result of CFD analysis shows reasonable agreement within 9.8% error.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.400-408
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• 2009

Optimization of seal geometries can reduce significantly the energetic losses in a hydraulic seal [1], especially for high head runner turbine. In the optimization process, a reliable prediction of the losses is needed and CFD is often used. This paper presents numerical experiments to determine an adequate CFD model for straight, labyrinth and stepped hydraulic seals used in Francis runners. The computation is performed with a finite volume commercial CFD code with a RANS low Reynolds turbulence model. As numerical computations in small radial clearances of hydraulic seals are not often encountered in the literature, the numerical results are validated with experimental data on straight seals and labyrinth seals. As the validation is satisfactory enough, geometrical optimization of hydraulic seals using CFD will be studied in future works.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회논문집
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• pp.442-447
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• 2007

A very abnormal vibration was occurred at the LP(low pressure) turbine continuously during the pre-operation for a 550MW class USC(ultra super critical) steam turbine. This vibration was initiated at the rotating speed of about 3,450rpm and then the vibration amplitude was highly increased the number by $2{\sim}3$ times with the increase of the rotating speed to the rated speed(3,600rpm). In this paper, this abnormal vibration named spike vibration. This spike vibration was caused by the rubbing between the rotating bucket tip seal and the Lower Half of spill strip. Also, this paper presents the mechanism of the spike vibration and the proper method to eliminate this abnormal vibration problem. This result would be good practice to find the solution of similar high vibration in the USC steam turbines for power plant as well as industrial rotating machineries.