Modeling of erosion wear in labyrinths seals using CFD approach

This study addresses erosion rates in labyrinth seals (LS) using Finnie’s model to assess the effect of particle impact on Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Erosion wear was investigated based on Ti alloy’s density and surface hardness and modeled using COMSOL with incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for turbulent [Formula: see text] flow. SiC spherical particles of 100[Formula: see text]m, 150[Formula: see text]m, and 200[Formula: see text]m were added to the model, with inlet velocities corresponding to Reynolds numbers 200 and 2000. Results demonstrated that for Re = 200, the erosion rate reached a maximum of [Formula: see text] mg/m 2 s on the initial labyrinth teeth, while at Re = 2000, erosion decreased to 0.15 mg/m 2 s. The rotation of the rotor reduced leakage by 0.64% under static conditions and pressure differences were reduced by up to 22.56% for low inlet velocities. The hardness and density of the Ti alloy have negligible impact on erosion. The study highlights Finnie’s model feasibility for predicting erosion, providing the fundamentals for optimizing LS designs in turbomachinery.