Experimental Studies of Magnetic Fluid Seals and Their Influence on Rolling Bearings

Abstract

There are many seals designed for rolling bearings. One interesting perspective is the application of magnetic fluid seals for this purpose, because they are an alternative to commonly-used solutions and combine the advantages of contactless seals (e.g. labyrinths) and contact seals (e.g. rubber lip seals), therefore they have low resistance moment and high tightness. This publication describes rolling bearings and a magnetic fluid seal system in terms of the maximum sealing pressure, which was compared to the results of numerical simulations, and the influence of the magnetic field on the bearing torque was also investigated. The tests were carried out for various types of seal stage shapes. Different magnetic circuit configurations have been considered i.e. the main magnetic flux passing through the seals or rolling bearings (steel or ceramic). Studies have shown that a magnetic field increases the torque in the bearing and magnetic fluid seals may reduce the torque because part of the magnetic flux passes through the seal elements. This result is important because it shows that it