Comparison of the Load-Carrying Performance of Mechanical Gas Seals Textured With Microgrooves and Microdimples

Abstract

The effects of microgrooves and microdimples on the load-carrying performance of mechanical gas seals are compared in this study. Numerical model based on the Reynolds equation for compressible Newtonian fluid is utilized to investigate the load-carrying performance including the hydrodynamic pressure, the load-carrying force, and gas film stiffness of the gas seals. The results indicate that both microgrooves and microdimples can improve the load-carrying performance of mechanical gas seals, particularly under a small clearance condition. Furthermore, different texture patterns achieve optimal load-carrying performance at different area density, seal clearance, and depth: microgrooves with a low area density can obtain higher load-carrying force and gas film stiffness than the dimple patterns, but with high area density, elliptical dimples yield better load-carrying performance than the groove patterns.