Plenaries are general sessions that will be opening each day of the conference for the Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting.
Day & Time TBD
Dr. Prof. Jason Rabinovitch
Stevens Institute of Technology
Presentation Title: High-speed Compressible Flows and Space Exploration!
Abstract: High-speed compressible flows are relevant to a variety of different space applications. This talk will highlight ongoing research efforts related to two specific topics encompassing both engineering and planetary science applications: 1) modeling supersonic parachute inflations for Mars spacecraft, and 2) investigating the eruption mechanism of the Enceladus plume. The first topic addresses the challenges of modeling a single-point failure system for a multi-billion-dollar spacecraft during the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) phase of a mission, and the second topic focuses on a geophysical flow (the jets erupting from the south pole of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn), that potentially shares some similarities with terrestrial volcanism.
Biography: Jason Rabinovitch is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ, USA). Before Stevens, Jason was a Mechanical Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, where he worked in the Entry, Descent, and Landing & Formulation Group for ~6.5 years. He received a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University in 2008, a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2009, a M.Sc. in Fluid Mechanics from École Polytechnique (Paris) in 2010, and a Ph.D. in Aeronautics from Caltech in 2014. While at JPL, Jason was fortunate to work on a wide range of projects, from delivering flight hardware to the Mars 2020 mission, designing, implementing, and testing a low-density low-speed open jet fan-array wind tunnel for the (successful!) Mars Helicopter, to developing a hybrid rocket propulsion system for small satellites. His current research interests span a wide range of topics related to experimental and computational fluid mechanics applied to EDL, vehicle design, propulsion, and geophysical applications.
Day & Time TBD
Luis San Andrés
Professor Emeritus
Texas A&M University
Presentation Title: Wet Annular Seals in Multiphase Pumps: Leakage and Rotordynamic Force Coefficients and a Method to Promote Seal Direct Stiffness
Abstract: In the subsea oil and gas industry, multiphase pumps enable a long-distance tie back system and eliminate topside oil and gas separation stations. A persistent challenge to operate (vertical) centrifugal pumps handling (gas in liquid) mixtures is their poor reliability due to persistent sub synchronous vibrations (SSV). The gas volume fraction (GVF), changing over the life of the well, affects the dynamic forced performance of annular clearance seals, and which may lead to an increase in both lateral and axial rotor vibrations. The lecture presents measurements of leakage and dynamic force coefficients for a grooved seal and a wavy-clearance seal. The seals, short in axial length (L=0.342D), are typical as interstage bushing or impeller front wear ring seals. A mixture of air in ISO VG 10 oil with inlet gas volume fraction (GVF) ranging from 0 (just oil) to 0.8 (mostly air) lubricates the seals. The operating shaft speed equals 3.5 krpm (surface speed = 76.4 ft/s (23.3 m/s)) and the pressure ratio (inlet/exit) = 2.5 for the wavy seal and 2.9 for the grooved seal. Dynamic loads exerted on the seal housing with a single frequency (max. 140 Hz) serve to identify the frequency dependent rotordynamic force coefficients for each seal. Large vertical turbines/pumps have very low natural frequencies and often show subsynchronous vibrations. Local injection of air into the seals alleviates the issue as it reduces the amplitude of rotor motions. The lecture shows the outcome of measurements with local gas injection (GVF~0→10%) to demonstrate a uniform clearance annular seal recovers a positive dynamic stiffness, hence promoting rotor stability. The results validate a well-known practice used to stabilize large vertical pump systems.
Biography: Luis San Andrés, former Mast-Childs Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University (1991-2023), conducted experimental and analytical research on the rotordynamics of pump seals for rocket engine turbopumps and electrical submersible pumps and compressor seals for oil and gas applications. Luis is a Life Fellow of ASME, STLE, GPPS, and a member of the Industrial Advisory Committees for the Texas A&M Turbomachinery and Pump Symposia. Dr. San Andrés and graduate students published over 200 journal papers, several recognized as best in various international conferences.
ASME distinguished Dr. San Andrés with the 2022 Aircraft Engine Technology Award (International Gas Turbine Institute), the 2023 Mayo D. Hersey Award (Tribology Division), and the 2025 Henry R. Worthington Medal for his contributions to pump rotordynamics.