Abstract
A new type of shaft seal was specifically designed to separate water and air with a low frictional torque. The proposed water-sealing system, which was implemented as a shaft seal, has two hydrated seal lips fabricated from polyvinyl formal. An aqueous solution of polyethylene glycol, which is a non-Newtonian fluid, was injected between the seal lips to support the lubrication and sealing action at the dynamic seal faces. These configurations are based on a biomimetic approach, namely, the mechanism in a natural synovial joint. The water-sealing system exhibited a lower frictional torque than that of oil and mechanical seals, and the friction was not influenced by the applied water pressure. The prevention of water leakage from the water phase to the air phase was also confirmed for water pressure up to 0.8MPa. The proposed water-sealing system may contribute to the improvement of the recovery efficiency of natural energy systems utilizing water flows, tidal currents, and ocean currents, in which the rotating speed of a shaft is low under high water pressure.
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