Effects of seal face width on the contact characteristics between the end faces for contacting mechanical seals

Abstract

In order to research and master the effects of seal face width on the contact characteristics between the end faces for contacting mechanical seals, based on the contact fractal model and average film thickness fractal model of the seal face, the effects of seal face width on the contact characteristics between the end faces for contacting mechanical seals was analyzed by simulation calculation. The calculation results show that with the increasing seal face width, the film pressure factor of seal faces increased linearly, the average film thickness increased continuously, but the increase amplitude decreased gradually, the asperity bearing area ratio decreased rapidly at first and then changed slightly, the elastic contact area ratio increased approximately linearly, the elastic-plastic contact area ratio and the plastic contact area ratio decreased approximately linearly. There exist elastic, elastic-plastic and plastic deformed asperities at the same time between the seal faces. Among them, the proportion of elastic contact area was the largest and that of plastic contact area was the smallest.