STABILITY OF CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS BY APPLICATIONS OF DAMPER SEALS

This paper surveys the applications of damper seals to provide the stable operation with respect to rotordynamics of centrifugal compressors. Damper seals are applied as sealing devices at the division wall of back-to-back compressors and at the balance piston of in-line compressors. They consist of a roughened surface on the stator that is typically created by a pattern of holes. Rotordynamically stable operation is shown by a lack of or a small bounded amount of SSV (subsynchronous vibration) at the first fundamental lateral critical frequency. Experience plots showing the use of damper seals will be presented. Case histories of the use of damper seals will be given. Stability analysis and full load full pressure test results will be reviewed. The test results show no SSV at the first critical frequency with the damper seals.