Experiments conducted at the Texas A&M Turbomachinery Laboratory and field applications have shown that pocket damper seals (PDS) can be used to suppress vibrations in compressors. A mathematical model is presented for the notched PDS. The notch is a prominent feature in all the PDS manufactured in recent times. The notch is provided at the exit blades of the PDS to act as a diverging clearance, which is one of the conditions for the damper seal to perform satisfactorily The model to be presented has been adapted from a theory previously developed to predict the direct stiffness and damping coefficients. The flow equations are numerically solved and a computer program is developed correspondingly. The predictions from this notched model are compared with the existing model to highlight the effect of the notch in the analysis. These predictions correlate well with the experimental results from the notched PDS. Also experimental results from testing of a two bladed PDS are compared to the code predictions thus validating the notched model. The notched model performs satisfactorily to predict the direct damping coefficients. Coastdown tests are conducted on a four bladed eight pocket PDS with a partial arc notch of large radius across the exit blades. The PDS offers positive direct damping which increases with an increase in seal inlet pressure. The low stiffness of the test rig combined with the negative stiffness of the seal made it impracticable to conduct testing above inlet pressures of 64.7 psia (4.461 bar). The existing theoretical models are compared with the experimental data collected up to 64.7 psia (4.461 bar).

This thesis presents numerical predictions for the leakage and direct stiffness coefficients of pocket damper seals. Modifications made to earlier flow-prediction models are discussed. Leakage and static pressure measurements on straight-through and diverging configurations of eight-bladed and twelve-bladed seals were used for code validation and for calculation of seal discharge coefficients. Higher than expected leakage rates were measured in the case of the twelve-bladed seal, while the leakage rates for the eight-bladed seals were predicted reasonably accurately. Results are presented for shake tests conducted on the seals at pressures of up to 1000 Psi (6.90 MPa). Test variables included pressure drop across the seals and rotor speed. The experimentally obtained stiffness coefficients are compared to results of a rotordynamic damper seal code, which uses the corrected mass flow-rate calculation method. Results show that the code under-predicts the magnitude of the seal's stiffness for most test cases. However, general trends in the frequency dependency of the direct stiffness are more accurately predicted. The expectation of high values of negative stiffness in diverging seals is confirmed by the results, but the frequency at which the sign of the stiffness becomes positive is considerably lower than is predicted. In addition to presenting high-pressure test data, this thesis also attempts to provide some insight into how seal parameters can be modified to obtain desired changes in seal stiffness.

This thesis presents numerical predictions for the leakage and direct stiffness coefficients of pocket damper seals. Modifications made to earlier flow-prediction models are discussed. Leakage and static pressure measurements on straight-through and diverging configurations of eight-bladed and twelve-bladed seals were used for code validation and for calculation of seal discharge coefficients. Higher than expected leakage rates were measured in the case of the twelve-bladed seal, while the leakage rates for the eight-bladed seals were predicted reasonably accurately. Results are presented for shake tests conducted on the seals at pressures of up to 1000 Psi (6.90 MPa). Test variables included pressure drop across the seals and rotor speed. The experimentally obtained stiffness coefficients are compared to results of a rotordynamic damper seal code, which uses the corrected mass flow-rate calculation method. Results show that the code under-predicts the magnitude of the seal's stiffness for most test cases. However, general trends in the frequency dependency of the direct stiffness are more accurately predicted. The expectation of high values of negative stiffness in diverging seals is confirmed by the results, but the frequency at which the sign of the stiffness becomes positive is considerably lower than is predicted. In addition to presenting high-pressure test data, this thesis also attempts to provide some insight into how seal parameters can be modified to obtain desired changes in seal stiffness.