Experimental study on friction coefficient of liquid film lubricated mechanical seals with laser micro-texturing

Abstract

The friction coefficient was a key parameter for expressing the friction characteristics of the seal faces. The friction coefficient of the end faces of unbalanced mechanical seals with laser-textured micro-pores surface and spiral grooves surface were tested on the self-designed mechanical seal testing device, and compared with conventional smooth surface contacting mechanical seal. The experimental sealed medium was 25 °C water, the sealed medium pressures p=03 ∼ 0.9 MPa, and the rotating speeds n=1000 ∼ 3000 rpm. A series of experimental data of friction coefficient were obtained through experiments under different medium pressures and rotating speeds. The experimental results show that the friction coefficient of mechanical seals with laser surface micro-texturing were significantly lower than that of smooth surface mechanical seal, and the effect of spiral grooves end face on improve friction characteristics was better than that of micro-pores end face. Both medium pressure and rotating speed had influenced on the friction coefficient of mechanical seals with laser surface micro-texturing. The friction coefficient of micro-textured end face decreased with the increasing medium pressure, and it first decreased with the increasing rotating speed, and changes little when the rotating speed reaches a certain value.