A single control volume, Iwatsubo based bulk flow method for the calculation of these coefficients is developed and implemented. The method herein uses a unique iterative
technique to first identify the mass flow rate based on pressure drops across the individual
teeth, which is then used in the governing sets of continuity and momentum equations. The
method is applicable to different teeth geometries and arrangements. A parametric analysis
of the effect of mass flow rate on rotor dynamic coefficients is performed and suggests that a
small variation in mass flow rate does not significantly detract from the accuracy of the
predicted dynamic coefficients; the mass flow rate calculation implemented in this paper is
sufficiently accurate. Furthermore, the inclusion of some tangential momentum parameters
has been previously proposed to improve the accuracy of the Iwatsubo method. However,
from the current analysis the inclusion of such parameters is also shown to have little effect
on the rotor dynamic coefficients and does not lead to improved correlation with
experimental data. Comparisons to experimental data suggest that the method herein is
reasonable for use as a design tool to predict the trends and actual values of cross-coupled
stiffness, the most important seal parameter in rotor dynamic analyses. The method is also
shown to be useful in predicting the order of magnitude of principal stiffness and damping
coefficients.