• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.102-110
• /
• 1998

The analysis of lateral hydrodynamic forces in the leakage path between a shrouded pump impeller through wear-ring seal and its housing is presented. Governing equations are derived based on Bulk-flow and Hirs' turbulent lubrication model. By using a perturbation analysis and a numerical integration method, governing equations are solved to yield leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of force developed by the impeller shroud and wear-ring seal. The variation of rotordynamic coefficients of pump impeller shroud and wear-ring seal is analyzed as parameters of rotor speed, pressure difference, shroud clearance, wear-ring seal clearance, and circumferential velocity at the entrance of impeller shroud for a typical multi-stage centrifugal pump.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2006

In this paper, the contact behavior characteristics of a primary sealing components such as a seal ring and a seal seat has been presented for a small hydro-power turbine. Using the non-linear FEM analysis, the maximum temperature, the axial displacement, radial differences between a seal ring and a seal seat, and maximum contact normal stress have been analyzed for three optimized sealing profiles in which are designed based on the FEM analysis and Taguchi's experimental method. The three primary sealing profiles between a seal ring and a seal seat are strongly related to a leakage of a water for a hydro-power turbine and wear of a primary sealing component. The computed results show that the contact rubbing area between a seal ring and a seal seat is very important for reducing a friction heating and wear in a sealing gap, and increasing a contact normal stress in primary sealing components. Based on the FEM computation, models II and III in which have a small rubbing surface of seal rings show low dilatation of primary sealing components, and high normal contact stress between a seal ring and a seal seat. Thus, the FEM computed results recommend a short contacting width of a primary sealing component for reducing a leakage and thermal distortions, and expanding a seal life. This means that a conventional primary sealing component may be switched to a reduced sealing face of seal rings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.314-319
• /
• 2006

In this paper, the friction and wear characteristics of contact type sealing unit far a water turbine have been presented. The sealing unit for a small hydropower generation is to stop a leakage of circulating water from an outside of an impeller to an inside of a rolling bearing. The friction heating between a seal ring and a seal seat may radically increase a surface temperature in which increase a power loss and wear on the rubbing surface. The surface wear strongly affect to the seal life of a mechanical face seal. In this study, the hardness of a stainless steel in which is a heat-treated is 892.8 in Victors hardness and the hardness of silicone carbide of SiC is 714.1 in Victors hardness. The surface hardness of a heat-treated stainless steel is 25% high compared with that of a ceramic material of SiC. The contact modes of rubbing surfaces are a dry friction, a water film friction and a mixed friction that is contaminated by a dust, silt, and moistures, etc. These two factors of a contact rubbing modes and a material property are very important parameters on the tribological performance such as a friction and wear between a seal ring and a seal seat in primary sealing unit. The experimental result shows that the surface hardness of a seal material is very important on the friction coefficient and a wear volume. Thus, the results recommend higher hardness of a seal material, which may reduce a friction loss and increase a wear life of primary seal components.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.49-56
• /
• 1998

The thermal deformation of the contact seal components has been analyzed using the finite element method. The temperature distributions, the thermal deformations and contact stresses are solved numerically for the contact surface with wear coning effects. The thermal deformation is always shown to distort the sealing surface along the radius of the seal ring. The results show that the deformations of inner radius side are significant compared with those of outer radius. Thus, the thermal deformation due to thermal heatings may promote the coned face wear or wear related thermal cracks at the contacting face of the seal ring component.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
• /
• 1998.04a
• /
• pp.149-158
• /
• 1998

The thermal deformation of the contact seal components has been analyzed using the finite element method. The temperature distributions, the thermal deformations and contact stresses are solved numerically for the contact surface with wear coning effects. The thermal deformation is always shown to distort the sealing surface along the radius of the seal ring. The results show that the deformations of inner radius side are significant compared with those of outer radius. Thus, the thermal deformation due to thermal heatings may promote the coned face wear or wear related thermal cracks at the contacting face of the seal ring component.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.761-766
• /
• 2011

In this study, the optimized design profiles between a seal ring and a seal seat of contacting seal units has been proposed based on the FEM computed results. The maximum temperatures, the thermal distortions in axial and radial directions, and maximum contact normal stresses between a seal ring and a seal seat have been analyzed for various contact sealing profiles. The FEM computed results present that the contact area between seal rings and seal seats is very important for a good tribological performance such as low friction heating, low wear, high contact normal stress in a primary sealing components. The seal surface model III in which has a small sealing contact area shows low dilatation of primary sealing components, and high contact stress between a seal ring and a seal seat. This model with small contact surface of a seal ring produces high friction heating and contact stress. But the model III produces very small deformations of contacting sealing surface because of high convection heat transfer by cooling water circulation around the seal ring surface. Thus, the analysis results recommend a short width of a primary sealing unit rather than a big width of contact surfaces of contacting seal units for reducing a leakage and axial deformation of primary seal components.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2001.05a
• /
• pp.744-749
• /
• 2001

As related to rotordynamics, dynamic characteristics of the wear ring seal in high pressure multi-stage pump is calculated in the cases of labyrinth, damper and helically grooved types. The. results show that the labyrinth seal type has superior performance in the view point of leakage. However, in terms of rotordynamics view point, the damper seal type gains acceptable separate margin in critical speed range, while it has slightly inferior leakage performance compared to labyrinth seal type.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.515-518
• /
• 2006

This paper presents the friction and wear characteristics of contact type sealing unit for a water turbine of a small hydro-power generation, which Is to stop a leakage of a circulating water from a outside of an impeller to an inside of a rolling bearing. The surface wear strongly affect to the seal life of a mechanical face seal. In this study, the hardness of a stainless steel in which is a heat-treated is 892.8 in Vickers hardness and the hardness of silicone carbide of SiC is 714.1 in Vickers hardness. The surface hardness of a heat-treated stainless steel is 25% high compared with that of a ceramic material of SiC. The contact modes of rubbing surfaces aye a dry friction a water film friction and a mixed friction that is contaminated by a dust, silt and moistures, etc. These two factors of a contact rubbing modes and a material property are very important parameters on the tribological performance such as a friction and wear between a seal ring and a seal seat. The experimental result shows that the surface hardness of a seal material is very important on the friction coefficient and a wear volume. Thus, the results recommend higher hardness of a seal material, which may reduce a friction loss and increase a wear life of primary seal components

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.240-248
• /
• 2011

Mechanical face seal installed in primary heat transport pump used for heavy water reactor prevents leakage of working fluid using thin working fluid film between primary seal ring and mating ring. If the leakage of working fluid exceeds the allowable volume, serious accident can be happened by the trouble of primary heat transport pump. The thinner fluid film exists between primary seal ring and mating ring, the less working fluid leaks out. On the other hand, if the thickness of fluid film is not enough, the life of mechanical face seal will be reduced by friction and wear. Therefore appropriate design is necessary to maximize the performance and life of mechanical face seal. In this study, numerical analysis using finite volume method was conducted to investigate the performance of mechanical face seals which have same deep straight groove and 11 different net coning values. As results, equilibrium clearance between primary seal ring and mating ring, leakage volume of working fluid, friction torque on sealing surface and stiffness of working fluid film were obtained. With increasing net coning value, equilibrium clearance and leakage volume increase, and friction torque and stiffness of fluid film decrease.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.79-84
• /
• 1996

One of the greatest dangers in mechanical face seals is the formation of heat checking and thermal stress cracks on the sliding surfaces. These thermal distortions due to non-uniform heating lead to increase the leakage of the sealed fluids and wear, and with balance of the seal can cause the seal faces to part. In this study heat checking and thermal stress cracks are investigated experimentally. These thermal distortions are explained using the thermal models of the conatct geometries between the seal ring and the seal seat. To overcome these thermal problems, the thermohydrodynamic seal is presented. The newly developed mechanical seal may substantially reduce the friction torque, frictional heating which causes heat checking and thermal stress cracks, and wear.