超临界二氧化碳干气密封多场耦合多自由度动力学特性研究

Multi-field Coupling and Multi-degree-of-freedom Dynamics of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Dry Gas Seals

  • 摘要: 针对某核动力无人潜航器超临界二氧化碳(SCO2)动力循环系统200 kW透平-电机-压气机动力部件,开展了压气机轴端干气密封方案优化设计和动力学性能评估研究。为可靠评估SCO2干气密封动力学性能,建立了SCO2干气密封多尺度多物理场数学模型,提出了一种综合考虑实际气体效应、湍流效应、离心惯性效应及阻塞效应的全三维多频摄动数值预测方法,用于研究SCO2干气密封多场耦合、多自由度下的动力学特性。计算分析了4种进口压力(10、11、12、13 MPa)、3种进口温度(80、100、120 ℃)和3种出口压力(2、3、4 MPa)下,SCO2干气密封的泄漏量、开启力、气膜压力和温度分布,以及气膜动态刚度和阻尼,阐明了SCO2干气密封多尺度多物理场耦合机理,揭示了运行工况对其动力学特性的影响规律。结果表明:提高进口压力会使气膜压力升高,密封出口温降加剧,开启力与泄漏量增大,且有利于气膜稳定性;提高进口温度对气膜压力分布影响较小,但会导致温度显著上升,开启力与泄漏量减小,不利于气膜稳定;提高出口压力会提升气膜压力,使密封出口温度升高,开启力增大而泄漏量减小,有助于提升密封在低频扰动下的抗干扰能力,但对气膜恢复平衡稳定的能力影响较小。为确保干气密封安全运行,进口温度不宜低于80 ℃,出口压力不宜低于2 MPa。

     

    Abstract: Nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) offer exceptional endurance, high maneuverability, and strong stealth capabilities, positioning them as critical components of future deep-sea equipment systems. The supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) Brayton cycle, characterized by high cycle efficiency, compact configuration, and minimal auxiliary components, provides a viable pathway toward modular and miniaturized nuclear reactor designs for such platforms. Within a 200 kW turbine-motor-compressor power module developed for a nuclear UUV, the SCO2 compressor serves as the core energy conversion component whose operational performance directly governs overall system efficiency, safety, and operational flexibility. The shaft-end dry gas seal (DGS) acts as a critical sealing element, offering near-zero leakage performance that significantly enhances cycle thermal efficiency. Nevertheless, under inclined and swaying hull motions, mounting misalignment, thermal deformation, and multi-source excitations, the DGS is susceptible to face rubbing and film instability failures. Consequently, investigating the dynamic characteristics of SCO2 DGS under multi-source disturbances is essential for advancing deep-sea nuclear UUV technology. Existing studies predominantly simplify the gas film as a linear spring-damper system and employ perturbation-based linear analysis methods. The isothermal model is widely adopted, and although conjugate heat transfer approaches can better capture temperature distributions, the multi-physics coupling mechanisms behind macroscopic performance, particularly the interplay among real-gas property variations, turbulence effects, centrifugal inertia, and sonic choking, remain inadequately elucidated, limiting both predictive depth and engineering guidance. To address these gaps, this study first conducted an optimal design of the compressor shaft-end dry gas seal for the targeted 200 kW SCO2 power module. A multi-scale, multi-physics mathematical model was then established, and a novel fully three-dimensional multi-frequency perturbation numerical method was developed, comprehensively incorporating real-gas effects, turbulence effects within the microscale clearance, centrifugal inertia effects in the radial momentum equation, and choking flow conditions at the seal exit. A systematic parametric study covering four inlet pressures (10, 11, 12, and 13 MPa), three inlet temperatures (80, 100, and 120 ℃), and three outlet back pressures (2, 3, and 4 MPa), amounting to 36 operating conditions, was performed. And the steady-state leakage rate, opening force, film pressure and temperature fields, and frequency-dependent dynamic stiffness and damping coefficients were computed and analyzed. Results demonstrate that increasing inlet pressure elevates film pressure, intensifies the outlet temperature drop, amplifies both opening force and leakage, and enhances film stability. Raising inlet temperature exerts minor influence on pressure distribution but markedly elevates the temperature field, reduces opening force and leakage, and degrades stability. Increasing outlet back pressure raises the overall film pressure level, elevates exit temperature, increases opening force while suppressing leakage, and strengthens the seal’s resistance to low-frequency external disturbances, though its influence on restoring equilibrium at higher frequencies remains limited. To ensure safe operation, the inlet temperature should be maintained above 80 ℃ and the outlet pressure above 2 MPa; violating these thresholds may trigger excessive leakage or negative damping, jeopardizing seal integrity. These findings elucidate the multi-scale coupling mechanisms from flow structure, energy transfer, phase-state transitions, and stability criteria perspectives, clarifying the intrinsic influence of key operating parameters on seal dynamic performance. The proposed methodology and results provide concrete design guidelines for reliable, long-life dry gas seals in advanced marine nuclear power systems.

     

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