Pressure Drop and Leakage Performances of Flat Seals with Inclined Grooves

This paper presents performance measurements of pressure drop and leakage flow rate of test flat seals with asymmetric inclined grooves. This study aims to reveal the influence of groove shapes, often machined in radial film riding-face seals, in forming a hydrodynamic wedge on leakage performance. A test facility was developed, and test seals were manufactured to study the effects of the inlet pressure level, ratio of inlet to outlet pressure, seal groove length, and seal groove height on the steady-state pressure drop and leakage performance. A series of tests were conducted, and the test data were compared to the predictions from a simple and efficient mathematical model using a one-dimensional Reynolds equation. The test results revealed that an increase in the inlet pressure increased the pressure drop through the test seals. The leakage flow rate increased significantly as the inlet pressure and ratio of the inlet to outlet pressure increased. The groove shape also affects seal performance. An increase in the groove length and height resulted in an evident increase in the leakage flow rate. The simple model predictions underestimated the leakage flow rates but showed good agreement with the trend in the measurements for all test operating conditions and changes in the groove shape.

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