Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University ›› 2012, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (05): 722-728.

• Mechanical instrumentation engineering • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Numerical Analysis of Gas Thermal Viscosity Effect on Performance of a Spiral-Groove Gas Face Seal

XU  Jing-a, PENG  Xu-Dong-a, b , BAI  Shao-Xian-a, b , MENG  Xiang-Kai-a, b , LI  Ji-Yun-a, b   

  1. (a. College of Mechanical Engineering; b. MOE Engineering Research Center of Process Equipment and Its Remanufacture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China)
  • Received:2011-05-03 Online:2012-05-28 Published:2012-05-28

Abstract: The modified Reynolds equation was presented based on the theories of both gas polytrophic process and gas lubrication so as to study the thermal viscosity effect of gas on seal performance of a spiralgrooved dry gas seal (SDGS). The finite element method was used to solve the governing equations and analyze the influence of thermalviscosity on the dry gas seal sealing performance. The results show that due to the high polytrophic exponent, the greater the values of gas film pressure, gas film temperature and gas film viscosity, the stronger the loading capacity of gas film. When an SDGS is operating at high speed or at medial or high pressures of sealed gas, the thermal viscosity effect should be considered to get more accurate simulation values of seal performance. The variations of seal performance with film thickness would not be affected by thermalviscosity effect  when film thickness is greater than two micrometer.
Key words:

Key words: spiral-grooved dry gas seal (S-DGS), polytrophic exponent, thermal viscosity effect, finite element method

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