| Abstract: | A flat plate tester with various honeycomb geometries has been extended to develop a better understanding of the friction-factor behavior of honeycomb surfaces. The friction-factor-jump phenomenon, which is characterized by the dramatic drop and then rise of the friction-factor with increasing Reynolds number, has been explained by acoustic excitation of a large scale coherent flow structure from pressure fluctuation measurements inside the honeycomb cavities. A new friction-factor model based on the flat-plate-test results has been developed as a function of Mach number, dimensionless pressure, and honeycomb geometry variables. A rotordynamic analysis has been developed for centered, turbulent-annular-honeycomb-stator seals incorporating the new empirical friction-factor model for honeycomb-stator surfaces. The validity of the new analysis in predicting the rotordynamic and leakage characteristics has been compared to Moody's friction-factor model analysis and experimental data for a short (L /D = 1/6, 25.4 mm long) seal and a longer (L /D = 1/3, 50.8 mm long) seal. The comparisons show that the new honeycomb friction-factor model greatly improves the predictions of leakage and rotordynamic coefficients compared to Moody's friction-factor model for both the short and longer seal, especially, for direct stiffness and cross-coupled stiffness. The new honeycomb friction-factor model predicts leakage and rotordynamic coefficients better for the short than the longer seals. |
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