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Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Vol. 40, Nos.

910, 2004

MODELING METHODS FOR PERFECTING SEALING UNITS OF PISTON COMPRESSORS AT THE DESIGN STAGE

I. K. Prilutskii,1 D. N. Ivanov,1 E. I. Zamolotskaya,1 A. N. Bessonnyi,2 and A. I. Prilutskii2

Efficiency, reliability, and operating life of piston compressors depend on the perfection of designs of their constituent units, distinctive amongst which are seals of pistons and glands operating with high and time-variable pressure differentials. Sealing units must meet two basic requirements: leak-tightness, which is defined by the permissible (safe) degree of gas leakage through the sealing unit under the compressor stage operating conditions set at the design stage; and operating life, which is characterized by the continuation of operation of the sealing unit with no change in the technical parameters of the compressor stage (efficiency, power consumed, temperature, etc.) at the level as demanded by the operating conditions. The leak-tightness of the seal with conventional split or ganged piston rings at a known maximum pressure differential p on the sealing unit depends on a host of design parameters: number of rings zr and their cross-sectional area br hr, interring spaces that depend on the dimensions of the pieces connecting the rings or on the ring spacing tr, radial clearance in the pistoncylinder pair p-c, running clearance in the ring lock l, presence or absence of lubricant, etc. To a first approximation, the required number of rings in the sealing unit of the piston can be determined by the proposed empirical relationship (zr 1) 5p 10p. (1)

The operating life of the sealing unit depends on the materials of the pistoncylinder friction pair, speed of motion of the piston, roughness of the contact surfaces of the friction elements, cooling conditions, overall pressure differential p in the seal as well as on the pressure distribution across the elements of the sealing unit. In medium- and high-pressure stages, the last of the referred factors determine to a large measure the rate of wear of the piston rings and the scheduled time for their replacement. In special-purpose compressors with one-way acting (unidirectional) pistons, the overall pressure differential in the sealing unit of high-pressure stages attains 2040 MPa, which, in accord with Eq. (1), increases the number of sealing rings to be installed on the piston to 11 zr 21 and, consequently, increases the axial dimensions of the cylinders. Experience of designing, computational analysis, experimental studies [13], and industrial use of sealing units of domestic piston compressors shows that excessive increase in the number of sealing rings does not reduce external leaking much and does not facilitate uniform distribution of pressure across the rings of the sealing unit.
1 2

St. Petersburg State University of Low-Temperature and Food Technology (SPbGUNiPT). NIIKhIMMASH OOO. Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftegazovoe Mashinostroenie, No. 9, pp. 2730, September, 2004.

0009-2355/04/0910-0545 2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

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A r Cylinder p (in housing)

AA l

p-c

pc()

Piston

hr

m Dp Dc

B Ring p (in housing)

BB r

br

br Piston r Dr B dr

Fig. 1. Schematic drawing of channels in the piston seal.

In most cases, sealing units are fitted with piston rings of identical designs. In such designs, the major part of the pressure differential is absorbed by the first and last sealing rings and the intervening rings of the sealing unit function at much lower pressure differentials, which, under the operating conditions, predetermines premature opening up of the locks of the extreme (end) rings and decline in the leak-tightness of the sealing unit as a whole. Thus, to reduce the overall dimensions of the sealing units of pistons and to make sure they operate efficiently and reliably, it is essential to specify and justify by calculations right at the design stage such designs as would guarantee during the operation uniform distribution of cycle-average pressure differential on each of the piston rings of the sealing unit. A possible design that would help achieve this goal is to make on the end faces of the piston rings radial by-pass channels [4] with a cross-sectional area r r (Fig. 1), whose number zrad.r on each of the piston rings is different and must obey relationship of the type zrad.r i = (i), where i = 1, 2, ..., zr is the serial number (sequence) of the rings in the sealing unit. Substantiation of the aforementioned design at the sealing ring design stage, because of the complex nature and mutual influence of the processes occurring in the working chamber and individual units of the positive-displacement machines, is possible in practice only by using advanced mathematical modeling methods. They are based on fundamental thermodynamic equations for media with variable masses and on empirical equations derived by variously planned (specified) full-scale tests of the compressors and expanding machines in a wide range of their design parameters and operating 546

m, kg/h 225.8 225.4 225.0 m, kg/h 2 1 0.008 0.006 0.004 3 6 9 zr 12 leak

Fig. 2. Parameters of the 5th stage of the 6VSh1.6-3/200 compressor versus number of piston rings zr in the sealing unit.

conditions. At the final modeling stage usually a specific applied computation program is proposed. The complexity of this program depends on the level of the problems to be solved and on the requirements of the major users of the program. We have developed an applied program for calculating the parameters of the operating processes in the compressor stages (expander, air motor, etc.), whose complexity level was dictated by a strong desire for getting comprehensive information about the processes that occur in the working chamber of the stage and in the interring spaces of the piston seal in interrelationship with the dynamic motion of the shutoff systems of various types of automatic valves. Distinctive Features of the Developed Program 1. Possibility of designing compressors, expanders, and air motors differing in moving mechanisms, stage types, designs and arrangement of the gas-distributing systems and sealing units within the stage, type of the working gas, specialties of the lubricating and cooling systems, etc. 2. Possibility of differentiated and integrated assessment of the mutual influence of gas-dynamic, thermal, massexchange, and mechanical processes on the efficiency, reliability, and operating life of the stage of the positive-displacement machines and individual units and elements of the stage. 3. Publishing a complete catalog of basic data and calculation results as integral and current parameters in digital and graphic form. Analysis of these data helps obtain exhaustive information about the operation of the stage as a whole and its individual units and recommend at the planning stage specific changes in the design that facilitate heightening of the technical level of the rebuilt (reconditioned), upgraded, or used machine. 4. Qualitative and quantitative adequacy of the results of calculation by this program with the results of full-scale tests of the compressors and expanders, which has been corroborated by pertinent reports of the industrial associations SibKriotekhnika OAO, Borets OOO, NIIKhIMMASH (Scientific Research and Design Institute of Chemical Machine Building), Kompressor OAO, Sumy Scientific and Technical Center, and other organizations. 5. Ease of use of the procedures and programs of calculation by users. Let us examine the potential for practical application of the proposed computing program with reference to optimization of the design of the piston seal of the 5th compression stage of the compressor 6VSh1.6-3/200 characterized by the following parameters: cylinder diameter 28 mm, piston stroke 60 mm, shaft rotation speed 1470 rpm, suction pressure 7.84 MPa, discharge (delivery) pressure 20.1 MPa, nominal clearance in the seal 0.5 m, relative crank radius 0.115, and relative dead space of the stage 0.165. 547

p, MPa 25
0

25
0

15
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

15
2 3

4 5 6 7 8

120

240

360

120

240

, deg

360

Fig. 3. Pressure distribution in the interring spaces of the seal of the one-way acting piston l = 0.2 mm = const: a) without radial channels and b) with radial channels.

The basic sealing unit of the stage is fitted with nine split piston rings of rectangular cross-section with a clearance in the lock l = 0.2 mm. The sealing unit separates the working chamber and the casing where the pressure equals the atmospheric. Thus, in a single working cycle the maximum pressure drop in the sealing unit is 20 MPa and the minimum is 7.74 MPa. In the first stage of the numerical experiment, an analysis was made of the effect of the number of sealing rings zr on the leak-tightness of the piston seal. The computational analysis data are plotted in Fig. 2. It is evident from these data that if the number of rings in the piston seal is greater than that in the basic version, the leak-tightness of the seal characterized by absolute m or relative leak degree of external leakage increases. However, the mass flow rate of the gas through the stage m at a given nominal clearance nom = 0.5 m changes negligibly, rising roughly by 0.4%. Consequently, increased number of rings hardly affects the delivery of the compressor as a whole. Based on this, in later computational analysis the number of rings in the piston seal was taken as constant (zr = 9). It is known that the wear resistance of a sealing unit depends a great deal on the pattern of distribution of pressure p and pressure differential p across the rings. The pressure distribution across the basic sealing unit of the 5th stage of the 6VSh1.6-3/200 compressor is shown in Fig. 3a, where curve 0 corresponds to the parameters of the gas in the working chamber and the curves 19 represent the rings with the respective serial number. Analyzing the obtained data we would state that the maximum current pressure differential is typical for the first sealing ring at the start of the supercharging process ( = 300 and p1 12 MPa). On the last ring the pressure differential hardly depends on the shaft rotation angle and attains values p9 4 MPa, which points to the critical condition of gas leaking through the last sealing ring. The variation in the cycle-average pressures in the interring spaces pav (Fig. 4b, curve 1) and the pressure differential across individual rings pav (Fig. 4c, curve 1) of the sealing unit has a similar pattern. Thus, the conventional outfitting of the seal of the cylinder having a one-way acting piston with piston rings identical in design, regardless of their number, obviously leads to increased wearing of the end rings of the sealing unit and to shortening of its service life. An alternative solution to this problem could be furnishing the seal with rings having a variable clearance in the lock li = (i) or with a variable number of radial channels of identical cross-section made on the end faces of the piston rings zrad.r i = (i). However, such designs could be considered suitable only when attendant complication of the technology of

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zrad.r 15
2 1

a
12 8 4
2

pav, MPa

b
4 pav, MPa

2 1

0 1 3 5

c Fig. 4. Distribution of average pressures across the piston seal of the 5th stage of the 6VSh1.6-3/200 compressor for a variable number radial end-face channels: 1) zrad.r = 0 and 2) zrad.r = (i).

making and assembling of the upgraded sealing unit is adequately balanced by increasing its wear resistance while retaining the efficiency parameters under the conditions of use. Let us discuss the proposed designs in more detail. Performance of the Sealing Unit for zrad.r i = (i). In Fig. 3b is shown the distribution of current pressures in the interring spaces of the upgraded sealing unit, on the end of each piston ring of which have been made radial channels with a cross-sectional area r r in a number zrad.r i. Comparison of the data in Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b clearly shows that radial channels on end piston rings facilitate reduction of current pressure differentials across the rings. In the upgraded sealing unit, the maximum current pressure differential on the first sealing ring also corresponds to the start of the supercharging process ( = 300) but does not exceed p1 8.5 MPa (instead of 12 MPa for the basic version of the seal). The current pressure differentials on the rings on the low-pressure cavity side equalize, diminish to the minimum (pi 1.21.5 MPa), and are virtually independent of the shaft rotation angle. The obtained data correspond to specific principle of making radial channels on end faces of piston rings zrad.r i = (i), detection of which is indeed the major goal in conducting numerical experiment. The shape of the curve zrad.r i = (i) for the aforementioned ring and its operating conditions is shown in Fig. 4a (curve 2). For a sealing unit of an unspecified design, this shape persists under two specific conditions: if the cycle-average pressure in the interring spaces of the sealing unit drops practically linearly; and if the cycle-average pressure drop on each sealing ring is roughly of the same level. The pattern of change of the cycle-average pressure pav and of the pressure differential pav on the rings of the upgraded piston seal is shown in Fig. 4b, c (curves 2). Within the constraints of the numerical experiment, a linear pattern of pressure drop across the sealing unit and roughly equal pressure drop across the rings (at the 1.4 MPa level) are attained for the noted shape of the curve zrad.r i = (i) and set cross-sectional area of the radial channels r r = 0.16 0.16 mm2. At

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2 1 0

1 2

a
12 8 4 0
1 4 3

pav, MPa

b
pav, MPa 4 2 0 1 3 5 7 i 9
1 3 4

Fig. 5. Distribution of average pressures across the seal of the piston of the 5th stage of the 6VSh1.6-3/200 compressor for a variable clearance in the lock of the sealing rings: 1) 1 = i = 0.2 mm at = 1; 2) at = (i) and 3, 4) at = (i), 1 = 0.9 and 1.5 mm, respectively.

larger geometric dimensions of the channels r and r the pattern of pressure distribution across the sealing unit persists, but external leaking of the gas increases. The results of the numerical experiment show that for a fixed total cross-section of the radial channels on an individual ring preference must be given to the versions with increased number of radial channels zrad.r i at the minimum crosssectional area of the individually taken channel. In this case, the machine time spent for searching the ideal version of pressure distribution across the sealing unit at which pi = (i) const is shortened. Performance of the Sealing Unit at li = (i). Anticipating the possibility that the numerical experiment data can be applied to sealing units that differ from each other in design, we shall present the function li = (i) in a dimensionless form. For this purpose, we shall take the clearance in the lock of the first sealing ring 1 as a unity and the clearance in the lock of the ith ring as proportional to 1, i.e., i = 1. With due regard for the adopted notations, the distribution of the cycle-average pressure pav and pressure differential pav across the sealing unit at 1 = i = 1 (Fig. 5, curves 1) corresponds to a set of rings with a clearance in the lock 1 = i = 0.2 mm, i.e., corresponds to the basic version of the sealing unit. The parameters of the function = (i), which meet the condition of linear pressure distribution across the sealing unit (Fig. 5a, curve 2) were determined in the numerical experiment. Comparison of the curves of the functions = (i) and zrad.r = (i) shown in Figs. 4 and 5 helps conclude that they are qualitatively identical. In essence, this was to be expected because the radial and axial channels in the piston seal upon upgrading should be conventionally regarded as local resistances, the rate of gas flow through which can be described by Saint Venant Wentzel equations.

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The clearance in the lock of the sealing rings l may vary with the diameter of the cylinder of the working chamber in a wide range. Taking account of this fact, an assessment was made of the effect of the size of the clearance in the lock of the first ring of the sealing unit 1, keeping the parameters of the function = (i) and the cylinder diameter D = 28 mm unchanged. In the course of the numerical experiment, the size of the clearance 1 varied in the range 0.21.5 mm. Based on the numerical experiment data plotted in Fig. 5b and c (curves 3 and 4) we may note the following: for fixed parameters of the function = (i) const and for a variable clearance in the locks of the sealing rings li 1, the increase of 1 poorly affects the distribution of the cycle-average pressure pav and pressure differential pav across the rings of the sealing unit but causes increased external leaking through the sealing unit. Thus, radial channels made on the end faces of the piston rings and outfitting of the piston seals with rings having a variable clearance in the lock help significantly reduce normal forces in the ringcylinder friction pairs and, consequently, if all other conditions are the same, extend the service life of the seals prior to their scheduled replacement. Optimum design parameters of the sealing unit as a whole and its constituent elements must be ensured by using advanced procedures and applied computational programs approved in practice.

REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. I. I. Novikov, V. P. Zakharenko, and B. S. Lando, Lubricant-Free Piston Seals in Compressors [in Russian], Mashinostroenie, Leningrad (1981). B. S. Fotin (ed.), Piston Compressors [in Russian], Mashinostroenie, Leningrad (1987). M. I. Frenkel, Piston Compressors [in Russian], Mashinostroenie, Leningrad (1969). L. G. Kuznetsov, D. N. Ivanov, Yu. I. Molodova, et al., Determination of leak-tightness of compressor stages with due regard for wearing of piston seals during use, Khlod. Tekh., No. 3 (2004).

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