The Lubrication Regimes of Mechanical Face Seals

Abstract:

Mechanical face seals are usually described as contacting seals because their faces are in partial contact during static conditions. However, many experiments demonstrated that this contact is not maintained during operation. Indeed a full fluid film can separate the seal surfaces leading to lower friction and wear. In this paper, the mechanisms of lubrication taking place at the seal interface are reviewed and analyzed through simulations and experiments. It is shown that several lubrication regimes can be experienced, depending on the operating conditions and on the seal design. At low speed values the lubrication regime is mixed and turns to hydrodynamic lubrication regime when the speed is increased. At higher rotation velocity, the dissipated power generates thermal gradients and leads to thermally controlled lubrication regime. The transition between the lubrication regimes is also discussed and dimensionless parameters controlling the transition are proposed.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 630)
• Pages: 255-266
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.630.255
• Online since: September 2014
• Authors: Noël Brunetière*
• Keywords: Fluid Sealing, Lubrication Regimes, Mechanical Seals

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