Shape Optimization of a Labyrinth Seal Applying the Simulated Annealing Method

Abstract

In the present work, an environment for the shape optimization of a labyrinth seal is described. A program for a parameterized, automated grid generation is coupled with a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) flow solver and an optimization algorithm. Standard optimization strategies, like gradient-based methods, mostly are trapped to local optima. Therefore, the simulated annealing method is applied. It allows the finding of global minima or maxima of arbitrary functions.