A numerical solution is presented for the dynamic analysis of gas lubricated noncontacting mechanical face seals having a single grounded flexibly mounted stator. Seal dynamics is solved in axial and angular modes of motion. Both the Reynolds equation and the equations of motion are arranged into a single state space form, allowing the fluid film lubrication and the dynamics to be solved simultaneously. The resulting set of equations is solved using a high-order multistep ordinary differential equation solver, yielding a complete simulation for the seal dynamic behavior. Examples of seal motion are given in detailed transient responses. The stability threshold is investigated to gauge the influence of seal parameters such as inertia, speed, coning, and the direction of sealed pressure drops. The results show two modes of instability: (1) When the inertia effect is larger than a critical value, the natural response of the seal grows monotonically in a half-frequency-whirl mode. (2) When the seal coning is less than some critical value in an outside pressurized seal, the minimum film thickness diminishes because of hydrostatic instability, and face contact occurs. Conversely, an inside pressurized seal is shown to be hydrostatically stable and have a superior dynamic response at any coning.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
April 2001
Technical Papers
A Simultaneous Numerical Solution for the Lubrication and Dynamic Stability of Noncontacting Gas Face Seals
Itzhak Green,
Itzhak Green
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
Search for other works by this author on:
Roger M. Barnsby
Roger M. Barnsby
Pratt and Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, East Hartford, CT 06108
Search for other works by this author on:
Itzhak Green
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
Roger M. Barnsby
Pratt and Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, East Hartford, CT 06108
Contributed by the Tribology Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for presentation at the STLE/ASME Tribology Conference, Seattle, WA, October 1–4. Manuscript received by the Tribology Division Feb. 7, 2000; revised manuscript received June 8, 2000. Paper No. 2000-TR1B-10. Associate Editor: J. Fre^ne.
J. Tribol. Apr 2001, 123(2): 388-394 (7 pages)
Published Online: June 8, 2000
Article history
Received:
February 7, 2000
Revised:
June 8, 2000
Citation
Green, I., and Barnsby, R. M. (June 8, 2000). "A Simultaneous Numerical Solution for the Lubrication and Dynamic Stability of Noncontacting Gas Face Seals ." ASME. J. Tribol. April 2001; 123(2): 388–394. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1308020
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Leakage Control Mechanisms and Strategies for Hydraulically Driven Controllable Rod Seals
J. Tribol (April 2025)
Flow Characteristics of Asymmetric Plunger Pairs in High-Pressure Plunger Pumps
J. Tribol (April 2025)
Related Articles
A Dynamic Model of a Contacting Mechanical Seal for Down-Hole Tools
J. Tribol (April,2003)
Numerical Modeling of Dynamic Sealing Behaviors of Spiral Groove Gas Face Seals
J. Tribol (January,2002)
A Parametric Analysis of the Transient Forced Response of Noncontacting Coned-Face Gas Seals
J. Tribol (January,2002)
A Dynamic Model of a Contacting Mechanical Seal for Down-Hole Tools
J. Tribol (July,2003)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Contact Laws
Contact in Structural Mechanics: A Weighted Residual Approach
Dynamic Behavior of Pumping Systems
Pipeline Pumping and Compression Systems: A Practical Approach
Role of Surface Analysis
Micro and Nanotribology