Conceptual Design of Steam Turbine Labyrinth Seals Considering Thermal Compensation and Topology Optimization
Palavras-chave:
labyrinth seals, labyrinth seals design, labyrinth seals leakage, thermal compensation, topology optimizationResumo
Labyrinth seals (LS) are used in gas and steam turbines. These seals usually present thermal expansion in their fins, which can generate damages in the component with a subsequent increase of leakage. This problem can be explored and solved from the conceptual design stage in order to increase and optimize the seal performance. This work shows a methodology for the analysis and conceptual design of steam turbine labyrinth seals, considering thermal compensation and the topology optimization method (TOM). In this work, the TOM is applied as a tool for improving the seal thermal performance and it is implemented in the COMSOL CAE
software. As result, several conceptual designs of optimized labyrinth seals for steam turbines are obtained and compared with a non-optimized seal. For the steam turbine optimized seal, designs with 44%, 76% and 50% reduction in the average radial displacement of the fins were obtained. In addition, it was determined that, due to thermal expansion wear, in a non-optimized steam turbine seal a 42% increase in leakage through the seal can occur.
