Search results

1 – 10 of over 5000
Article
Publication date: 1 March 1990

Mechanical face seals were first introduced more than 70 years ago for sealing rotating shafts. As the technology of mechanical seals was improved over the years, they were found…

Abstract

Mechanical face seals were first introduced more than 70 years ago for sealing rotating shafts. As the technology of mechanical seals was improved over the years, they were found to offer significant advantages over the existing methods of sealing, for example, with soft packed glands. These benefits included reduced leakage and the elimination of the need for regular maintenance. Today mechanical seals are widely used on centrifugal pumps, compressors, and similar equipment for liquid/gas or gas/gas sealing.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1995

Bill Wilson

Summarizes briefly the dramatic advances made in the reliability of mechanical seals for rotating shafts in the process chemical and petrochemical industries over the last 30…

1179

Abstract

Summarizes briefly the dramatic advances made in the reliability of mechanical seals for rotating shafts in the process chemical and petrochemical industries over the last 30 years. Shows that expected mean time before failure has improved from tens of days to years over that time.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 47 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Yun He, Fanghong Sun and Xuelin Lei

This study aims to obtain diamond-coated mechanical seals with improved sealing performance and considerable cost. To achieve this purpose, the study focuses on depositing…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to obtain diamond-coated mechanical seals with improved sealing performance and considerable cost. To achieve this purpose, the study focuses on depositing uniform, wear-resistant and easily polished diamond coatings on massive mechanical seals in a large-scale vacuum chamber.

Design/methodology/approach

The computational fluid dynamics simulation test and its corresponding deposition experiment are carried out to improve the uniformity of diamond films on massive mechanical seals. The polishing properties and sealing performance of mechanical seals coated with three different diamond films (microcrystalline diamond [MCD], nanocrystalline diamond [NCD] and microcrystalline/nanocrystalline diamond [MNCD]) and uncoated mechanical seals are comparatively studied using the polishing tests and dynamic seal tests to obtain the optimized diamond coating type on the mechanical seals.

Findings

The substrate rotation and four gas outlets distribution are helpful for depositing uniform diamond coatings on massive mechanical seals. The MNCD-coated mechanical seal shows the advantages of high polishing efficiency in the initial polishing process and excellent wear resistance and self-lubrication property in the follow-up polishing period because of its unique composite diamond film structures. The MNCD-coated mechanical seal shows the longest working life under dry friction condition, about 14, 1.27 and 1.9 times of that for the uncoated, MCD and NCD coated mechanical seals, respectively.

Originality/value

The effect of substrate rotation and gas outlets distribution on temperature and gas flow field during diamond deposition procedure is simulated. The MNCD-coated mechanical seal exhibits a superior sealing performance compared with the MCD-coated, NCD-coated and uncoated mechanical seals, which is helpful for decreasing the operating system shut-down frequency and saving operating energy consumption.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 70 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2019

Qiang He, Weifeng Huang, Ying Liu, Xiangfeng Liu, Yongjian Li and Yuming Wang

This paper aims to investigate the influence of the contact status between the seal ring and its support on the seal performance in hydrostatic mechanical face seal.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of the contact status between the seal ring and its support on the seal performance in hydrostatic mechanical face seal.

Design/methodology/approach

A thermal fluid-solid interaction (TFSI) model of hydrostatic mechanical face seal is further developed, in which the multi-body contacts between components are particularly given more attention. The numerical models of the flow field and complete seal assemblies are developed. A specific energy equation is obtained to simplify the calculation of film temperature. Based on the mechanism for the continuity condition of the physical quantities at the fluid–solid interface, the TFSI model uses an on-line iterative coupling method.

Findings

The contact status between seal ring and its support affects the seal performance significantly. The rotating ring and the stationary ring contribute differently because of the contact status difference.

Originality/value

The contact status between the seal ring and the ring seat is key to gain an insight into the performance of the hydrostatic mechanical face seal thus provides guidance for mechanical seal design.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 71 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2023

Haocheng Bi, Muming Hao, Baojie Ren, Sun Xinhui, Tianzhao Li and Kailiang Song

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the monitoring of the friction condition of mechanical seals.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the monitoring of the friction condition of mechanical seals.

Design/methodology/approach

Acoustic emission signals from the friction of the seal end face were obtained, and their bispectral characteristics were extracted. The variation of non-Gaussian information with the degree of friction was investigated, and by combining bispectral characteristics with information entropy, a bispectral entropy index was established to represent the friction level of the seal end face.

Findings

In the start-up stage, the characteristic frequency amplitude of the micro-convex body contact is obvious, the friction of the end face is abnormal, the complexity of the system increases in a short time and the bispectral entropy rises continuously in a short time. In the stable operation stage, the characteristic frequency amplitude of the micro-convex body contact varies with the intensity of the seal face friction, the seal face friction is stable and the bispectral entropy fluctuates up and down for a period of time.

Originality/value

The bispectral analysis method is applied to the seal friction monitoring, the seal frequency domain characteristics are extracted, the micro-convex body contact characteristic frequency is defined and the bispectral entropy characteristic index is proposed, which provides a certain theoretical basis for the mechanical seal friction monitoring.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2023-0242/

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 75 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2007

Emel Ceyhun Sabir and Erdem Koç

The main purpose of the study is to develop a theoretical model being capable of analysing the sealing and hydrodynamic‐hydrostatic lubrication mechanisms occuring between the…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of the study is to develop a theoretical model being capable of analysing the sealing and hydrodynamic‐hydrostatic lubrication mechanisms occuring between the mating surfaces of mechanical face seals.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical model developed is based on solving the governing basic lubrication equation (Reynolds differential equation) by employing a finite difference method. The main lubrication machanism is assumed to be converging‐diverging wedge which is formed by the relative tilt of the sealing surfaces. The non‐dimensional Reynolds equation was solved to give the pressure distribution and consequently the load and moment acting on the movable seal ring. The aim of the model is to predict the non‐dimensional hydrodynamic and hydrostatic load carrying capacity of the system.

Findings

Theoretical model developed is capable of estimating the hydrodynamic and hydrostatic behaviour of mechanical radial face seals. It is shown that a converging‐diverging wedge mechanism produces hydrodynamic pressure which in turn maintains the seperation of the surfaces. The tilt appears to be caused mainly by bearing misalignment. It has been shown that hydrostatic load or pressure centre is an important parameter for load balance of moving seal ring. It is easy and useful to calculate the dimensional parameters defined taking into account the different geometrical and operating parameters.

Originality/value

This paper offers a quick and easy opportunity to examine the hydrodynamic behaviour of movable seal ring of a mechanical face seal and provides a considerable contribution to the lubrication and sealing research area. With the general theoretical model developed, the behaviour of the seal ring can be modelled and estimated.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 59 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2018

Han Qing, LiangXi Xie, Lu Li and Chuang Jia

This paper aims to establish a numerical model to calculate contact pressure for rectangular vane sealing surface of hydraulic rotary actuator. Numerical model can be applied to…

126

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to establish a numerical model to calculate contact pressure for rectangular vane sealing surface of hydraulic rotary actuator. Numerical model can be applied to solve the steady-state Reynolds equation after the oil film thickness and the contact pressure distribution curve of the vane sealing surface are obtained.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors established the numerical model of contact pressure base on the theory of elastic after, the Reynolds equation is solved by the inverse solution.

Findings

The relationship between the oil film thickness of vane sealing surface and the contact pressure on different sealing location for hydraulic rotary actuator is obtained. At the same time, the lubrication state on the surface of seal is also found when the hydraulic rotary actuator runs stably.

Originality/value

The study shows that the lubricating state of the vane sealing surface is mixed lubrication, when the rotor of the hydraulic rotary actuator is running stably at a certain speed. Meanwhile, this research will provide a theory basis for later experiment for the hydraulic rotary vane actuator.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 70 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1970

THE SEALING device which is used to prevent leakage around the rotating drive shaft of a pump, compressor or similar equipment—for long regarded as an ancillary device, merely…

Abstract

THE SEALING device which is used to prevent leakage around the rotating drive shaft of a pump, compressor or similar equipment—for long regarded as an ancillary device, merely inserted in such equipment—is gradually being regarded as an integral component which is engineered into its immediate environment, and which operates with the same reliability as other parts, e.g. the bearing, impeller, or shaft.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2010

Włodzimierz Ochoński

The purpose of this paper is to present short characteristics of shape memory alloys (SMA) and shape memory polymers (SMP) and some examples of application of these materials in…

2679

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present short characteristics of shape memory alloys (SMA) and shape memory polymers (SMP) and some examples of application of these materials in industrial sealing technology.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, short characteristic of shape memory materials and design examples of applying them in industrial sealing technology such as: tube coupling in hydraulic systems, flanged pipe connections, lip radial seal, mechanical face seal, soft gland packing, magnetic fluid seal, and in bearing seal system for drill bit, are given.

Findings

The paper provides information about innovative fluid seal designs based on particular properties of the shape memory materials, applied in stationary joints, and rotary equipments. These new solutions provide often to simplify seal design, their miniaturization, increase of tightness, and reduction of operating costs.

Originality/value

This paper offers some new fluid seal designs based on the shape memory materials and their practical application in industrial sealing technology.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 62 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2022

Cheng Zhang, Jianfeng Zhou and Xiannian Meng

In the magnetorheological fluid (MRF) sealing, a large amount of friction heat is generated in the fluid film with micron thickness due to the viscosity dissipation, which leads…

Abstract

Purpose

In the magnetorheological fluid (MRF) sealing, a large amount of friction heat is generated in the fluid film with micron thickness due to the viscosity dissipation, which leads to seal failure and MRF deterioration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of temperature rise of MRF film under the action of the three-field coupling of the flow field, temperature field and magnetic field.

Design/methodology/approach

The fluid film was simplified as a Couette flow in this work to simulate the temperature change in the sealing fluid film under different working conditions. The corresponding experiment for test the temperature rise was also carried out, and the temperature of the characteristic point of the stationary ring was measured to validate the model.

Findings

The results show that the temperature rise is mainly affected by the rotational speed, magnetic field strength and fluid film thickness. The magnetic field enhances the convective heat transfer in the MRF film. The thinner the fluid film, the more frictional heat generated. The MRF film reaches its maximum temperature at the contact with the end face of rotating ring due to frictional heat.

Originality/value

A method for temperature rise analysis of MRF fluid sealing films based on Couette flow is established. It is helpful for the study of liquid film frictional heat in MRF seals.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 74 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000