Design optimisation of labyrinth seals using LES

Labyrinth seals are extensively used in gas turbines to control leakage between components. In this research, the effects of geometry on the sealing performance are investigated. To obtain the best sealing performance, an investigation is undertaken into the possibility of optimising labyrinth seal...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mathematical modelling of natural phenomena 2021, Vol.16, p.2
Main Authors: Tyacke, J.C., Dai, Y., Watson, R., Tucker, P.G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cartesian coordinates
Design
Design optimization
Exploitation
Gas turbines
Genetic algorithms
Geometry
Labyrinth seals
Large eddy simulation
Leakage
Sealing
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Labyrinth seals are extensively used in gas turbines to control leakage between components. In this research, the effects of geometry on the sealing performance are investigated. To obtain the best sealing performance, an investigation is undertaken into the possibility of optimising labyrinth seal planforms using a genetic algorithm (GA). Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used for its ability to accurately capture the complex unsteady behaviour of this type of flow. Three hundred LES calculations are carried out. By making use of a large number of processors, an optimum geometry can be achieved within design cycle timescales. The optimised design shows a leakage reduction of 27.6% compared to the baseline geometry. An immersed boundary method (IBM) is used with LES to generate complex geometries on a background Cartesian grid. The GA is inherently parallel, and this enables the exploitation of the reliability and accuracy benefit of LES as demonstrated.
ISSN:0973-5348
1760-6101
DOI:10.1051/mmnp/2020056