Numerical Model of Mixed Lubrication and Experimental Study of Reciprocating Seal Based on Inverse Lubrication Theory

Abstract

Based on the sealing mechanism of the reciprocating seal, the inverse-hydrodynamic-lubrication (IHL) method was adopted in this study to solve the Reynolds equation, and a multi-field coupled reciprocating seal mixed lubrication numerical model was established. Considering seals used for aircraft actuators as an example, we obtained sealing performance parameters such as leakage and friction at different oil pressures, reciprocating speeds, and temperatures. According to the actual situation, the influence of different working condition parameters on the sealing performance of the reciprocating seal system were analyzed. A reciprocating seal test bench was designed and built, and the friction data for the reciprocating seal system under different working conditions were experimentally obtained. Through a comparative analysis of experimental data and theoretical numerical results, the numerical model and calculation results for reciprocating seal mixed lubrication were verified.

Keywords

• reciprocating seal
• mixed lubrication
• inverse-hydrodynamic-lubrication method
• friction force