An analysis method of pressure characteristic for cylindrical intershaft gas film seal considering centrifugal expansion, rotor misalignment, and precession

To improve the weaknesses of large leakage and wear of dual-rotor intershaft labyrinth seal in aero-engines, the cylindrical gas film seal of metal rubber with a compliant feature is proposed to substitute this conventional seal. According to the dual-rotor operating condition, an analysis method of gas film pressure is presented considering the complex condition of rotor tilt, centrifugal expansion effect, and rotor circular precession. The characteristics of gas film pressure distribution are computed and comparisons are conducted in a complex operating state that the tilt rotor is in forward/backward circular precession under a homodromous/counter-rotating condition with/without the influence of centrifugal expansion. Besides, the formation mechanism of the gas film pressure caused by rotor rotational direction and circular precession direction is revealed. Also, the influence of rotor speed and seal ring speed on gas film pressure is analyzed when the rotor is tilted. The results indicate that for the dual-rotor cylindrical gas film seal with high rotating speed, the rotor tilt and centrifugal expansion effect have significant influence on the gas film pressure distribution, and the rotors’ rotational direction as well as rotor circular precession direction determines the maximum gas film pressure distribution area. The maximum pressure under a homodromous condition with backward precession is the highest; the maximum pressure under a homodromous condition with forward precession is the lowest. The former is 1.33% and 1.68% higher than the latter, respectively, with/without consideration of centrifugal expansion. The study method, which is generally suitable for the cylindrical gas film seal with single-rotor/dual-rotor, lays the foundation of performance analysis under complex operating conditions.