Hydrodynamic Lubrication in Seals With Cavitation : 1st Report, Effect of Cavity Pressure on Lubricating Film

Abstract

Hydrodynamic film in a face seal is analyzed by a new numerical technique, in which mass continuity is preserved in a ruptured film and thus the cavitation boundary is automatically settled. In the experiment the pressure in the cavities is manually controlled and the film thickness is measured. It is shown that the load capacity increases with a rise of negative pressure by cavitation, while on the other hand, the seal operates under starved condition with the development of cavitation, since the suction of liquid decreases as the cavity pressure approaches ambient pressure.