Numerical Simulation of the Behavior of Impulse Gas Seals

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical simulation of an impulse gas seal. Impulse gas seals are mechanical seals equipped with feeding grooves on the stator and chambers on the rotor. During rotation, the chambers are fed with high-pressure gas when facing the feeding grooves and then release the high-pressure gas to maintain a gas film between the seal surfaces. The effect of operating conditions and chamber volume on the gas film thickness is studied. It is shown that the gas film thickness variation with pressure, speed, and chamber volume can be described with a power law of a duty parameter. Similar results are obtained for the mass flow rate and friction torque.

Keywords

• impulse seals
• unsteady behavior
• simulation
• lubrication