Turbulence Intensity Characteristics of a Magnetoliquid Seal Interface in a Liquid Environment

Abstract

In a liquid environment, the turbulence intensity of the interfacial layer between the magnetic and sealing medium fluids in magnetic liquid seals directly affects the layer stability. Reducing the maximum turbulence intensity of the fluid interface layer effectively improves the stability of the magnetic fluid rotary seal. In this study, we simulated magnetic fluid sealing devices with different structures in liquid environments using the FLUENT software. The simulation results were verified through experimental analyses of the turbulence intensity at the sealing interface. The maximum turbulence intensity of the liquid interface layer increased with increasing shaft speed. At the same speed, the turbulence intensity was maximized at the shaft interface before gradually decreasing in a multistage linear pattern along the radial direction. A magnetic liquid seal with an optimized structure (OS) in the liquid environment was designed based on these results. The maximum turbulence intensity of the liquid interface layer in the OS was independent of the rotation speed and was more than 20% lower than that that in the traditional structure. These results provide a reference for designing magnetic liquid sealing devices.