The feasibility of eliminating contact in a noncontacting flexibly mounted rotor (FMR) mechanical face seal is studied. The approach for contact elimination is based on a parametric study using FMR seal dynamics. Through clearance adjustment it is possible to reduce the maximum normalized relative misalignment between seal faces and, therefore, eliminate seal face contact. Clearance is measured by proximity probes and varied through a pneumatic adjustment mechanism. Contact is determined phenomenologically from pattern recognition of probe signals and their power spectrum densities as well as angular misalignment orbit plots, all calculated and displayed in real-time. The contact elimination strategy is experimentally investigated for various values of stator misalignment and initial rotor misalignment. Contrary to intuition but compliant with the parametric study, the experimental results show that for the seal under consideration contact can be eliminated through clearance reduction. [S0742-4795(00)01503-9]

Issue Section:
Gas Turbines: Structures and Dynamics
Keywords:
seals (stoppers), failure (mechanical), rotors, gas turbines, mechanical contact
Topics:
Clearances (Engineering), Rotors, Stators, Probes, Signals
1.
Buck
, Jr.,
G. S.
,
1980
, “
A Methodology for Design and Application of Mechanical Seals
,”
ASLE Trans.
,
23
, No.
3
, pp.
24
–
252
.
2.
Will
, Jr.,
T. P.
,
1982
, “
Experimental Observation of a Face-Contact Mechanical Shaft Seal Operation on Water
,”
Lubr. Eng.
,
38
, No.
12
, pp.
767
–
772
.
3.
Etsion
,
I.
, and
Burton
,
R. A.
,
1979
, “
Observation of Self-Excited Wobble in Face Seals
,”
ASME J. Lubr. Technol.
,
101
, No.
4
, pp.
526
–
528
.
4.
Metcalfe
,
R.
,
1982
, “
Dynamic Whirl in Well-Aligned, Liquid-Lubricated End-Face Seals with Hydrostatic Tilt Instability
,”
ASLE Trans.
,
25
, No.
1
, pp.
1
–
6
.
5.
Sehnal
,
J.
,
Sedy
,
J.
,
Zobens
,
A.
, and
Etsion
,
I.
,
1983
, “
Performance of the Coned-Face End Seal with Regard to Energy Conservation
,”
ASLE Trans.
,
26
, No.
4
, pp.
415
–
429
.
6.
Etsion
,
I.
, and
Constantinescu
,
I.
,
1984
, “
Experimental Observation of the Dynamic Behavior of Noncontacting Conedface Mechanical Seals
,”
ASLE Trans.
,
27
, No.
3
, pp.
263
–
270
.
7.
Green
,
I.
,
1989
, “
Gyroscopic and Support Effects on the Steady-State Response of a Noncontacting Flexibly-Mounted Rotor Mechanical face Seal
,”
ASME J. Tribol.
,
111
, pp.
200
–
208
.
8.
Green, I., 1990, “Gyroscopic and Damping Effects on the Stability of a Noncontacting Flexibly-Mounted Rotor Mechanical Face Seal,” Dynamics of Rotating Machinery, Hemisphere Publishing, Bristol, PA, pp. 153–173.
9.
Lee
,
A. S.
, and
Green
,
I.
,
1994
, “
Higher Harmonic Oscillation in a Flexibly Mounted Rotor Mechanical Seal Test Rig
,”
ASME J. Vibr. Acoust.
,
116
, No.
2
, pp.
161
–
167
.
10.
Lee
,
A. S.
, and
Green
,
I.
,
1995
, “
Physical Modeling and Data Analysis of the Dynamic Response of Flexibly Mounted Rotor Mechanical Seal
,”
ASME J. Tribol.
,
117
, No.
1
, pp.
130
–
135
.
11.
Lee
,
A. S.
, and
Green
,
I.
,
1995
, “
An Experimental Investigation of the Steady-State Response of a Noncontacting Flexibly Mounted Rotor Mechanical Face Seal
,”
Trans. ASME, J. Tribol.
,
177
, No.
1
, pp.
153
–
159
.
12.
Zou, M., and Green, I., 1997, “Real-Time Condition Monitoring of Mechanical Face Seal,” Proceedings the 24th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology, London, Imperial College, pp. 423–430.
13.
Zou
,
M.
, and
Green
,
I.
,
1999
, “
Clearance Control of a Mechanical Face Seal
,”
STLE Tribol. Trans.
,
42
, No.
3
, pp.
535
–
540
.
14.
Salant, R. F., Miller, A. L., Kay, P. L., Kozlowski, J., Kay, W. E., and Algrain, M. C., 1987, “Development of an Electrically Controlled Mechanical Seal,” Proceedings 11th International Conference on Fluid Sealing, BHRA, pp. 576–595.
15.
Heilala, A. J., and Kangasneimi, A., 1987, “Adjustment and Control of a Mechanical Seal Against Dry Running and Severe Wear,” Proceedings 11th International Conference on Fluid Sealing, BHRA, pp. 548–575.
16.
Etsion
,
I.
,
Palmor
,
Z. J.
, and
Harari
,
N.
,
1991
, “
Feasibility Study of a Controlled Mechanical Seal
,”
Lubr. Eng.
,
47
, No.
8
, pp.
621
–
625
.
17.
Wolff
,
P.
, and
Salant
,
R. F.
,
1995
, “
Electronically Controlled Mechanical Seal for Aerospace Applications: Part II—Transient Tests
,”
Tribol. Trans.
,
38
, No.
1
, pp.
51
–
56
.
18.
Zou, M., Dayan, J., and Green, I., 1999, “Parametric Analysis for Contact Control of a Noncontacting Mechanical Face Seal,” Proceedings of Vibration, Noise & Structural Dynamics, Venice Italy, April 28–30, 1999, pp. 493–499.
19.
Green
,
I.
,
1987
, “
The Rotor Dynamic Coefficients of Coned-Face Mechanical Seals with Inward or Outward Flow
,”
ASME J. Tribol.
,
109
, No.
1
, pp.
129
–
135
.
20.
Dayan, J., Zou, M., and Green, I., 1999, “Sensitivity Analysis for the Design and Operation of a Noncontacting Mechanical Face Seal,” J. Mech. Eng. Sci., in print.
21.
Zou, M., 1998, “Real-Time Monitoring and Control of a Noncontacting Mechanical Face Seal,” Ph.D. thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
Copyright © 2000
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.