Sealing characteristics study according to the length of labyrinth seal for ammonia compressor by computational analysis

As the importance of developing eco-friendly equipment getting increase, studying and developing compressor for ammonia that is one of the eco-friendly fuel are demanded. The type of the seal, called labyrinth seal, is used in this compressor. The labyrinth seal is a type of a mechanical seal that provides a winding path and prevent leakage of gases and fluid. In this study, analyzed flow characteristics of the labyrinth seal by its length and tried to find the efficient length for the labyrinth seal as the initial design stage. By considering geometry, allowable length, material properties and boundary conditions, calculated reduction rate of mass flow rate compared to the plain model. In the range of design criteria that is target mass flow rate, allowable length, reduction rate and volume of the model, selected an appropriate design length that is 150mm for the initial design.