Abstract
A floating ring seal (FRS) has been employed as a noncontact type seal, which seals in high-pressure liquid oxygen (LOX) for the rocket engine turbopump. Plain annular seals are known to have a significant impact on rotordynamic stability, however a dynamic behavior of FRS has rarely been focused on. The objectives of the present study are to evaluate the rotordynamic fluid forces of FRS experimentally. Accurate data are needed to predict and prevent unstable vibration, and it is even more essential to design a stable rotor system using multidisciplinary optimal design based on dynamics design for a rocket engine turbopump.
