AN EXPERIMENTAL-TECHNIQUE FOR PERFORMING 3D LDA MEASUREMENTS INSIDE WHIRLING ANNULAR SEALS

During the last several years, the Fluid Mechanics Division of the Tur bomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University has developed a unique facility with the experimental capability for measuring the flow field inside journal bearings, labyrinth seals and annular seals. The facil ity consists of a specially designed 3D LDA system which is capable of measuring the instantaneous velocity vector within 0.2 mm of a wall w hile the laser beams are aligned almost perpendicular to the wall. Thi s capability was required to measure the flow field inside journal bea rings, labyrinth seals and annular seals. A detailed description of th is facility along with some representative results obtained for a whir ling annular seal are presented.