Mechanical Seal Groove Layout for Balanced Separation and Low Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical seals face issues with fluid leakage due to gas leaking from dynamic pressure generation grooves on the low pressure side, compromising the separation of sliding surfaces and leading to potential fluid loss.
Innovation Solution
The mechanical seal design incorporates a supply hole and introduction grooves with branch grooves that supply a sufficient amount of barrier fluid to the sealed fluid side while minimizing the supply to the leakage side, ensuring well-balanced separation of sliding surfaces through static and dynamic pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dynamic pressure generation grooves are provided on both high pressure side and low pressure side to achieve well-balanced separation of sliding surfaces, then the sliding surfaces can be separated in a well-balanced manner, but gas leaks from the low pressure side groove causing sealed fluid to leak into the low pressure space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the branch grooves asymmetric: the branch groove on the high pressure side has a larger groove volume than the branch groove on the low pressure side. This local differentiation allows the high pressure side to supply sufficient barrier fluid for effective separation, while the low pressure side limits gas leakage, thus resolving the contradiction between separation balance and fluid leakage prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by designing unequal groove volumes in the branch grooves extending from the introduction groove. The high pressure side branch groove has greater volume to accommodate more barrier fluid for separation, while the low pressure side branch groove has smaller volume to prevent excessive gas leakage, thereby achieving both separation effectiveness and leakage reduction simultaneously
2Reliability
If sufficient barrier fluid is supplied to separate sliding surfaces effectively, then separation is maintained, but fluid leakage increases through the grooves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the groove volumes on opposite sides: the high pressure side branch groove has larger volume to supply sufficient barrier fluid for stable separation, while the low pressure side branch groove has smaller volume to minimize barrier fluid loss through leakage, thus resolving the contradiction between separation stability and fluid loss prevention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively reduces fluid leakage and maintains stable separation of sliding surfaces by optimizing the distribution and pressure generation in the grooves, enhancing the seal's performance.
Implementation Method 1
the gas flows into the fluid guide groove and is evenly distributed at a static pressure in the circumferential direction and the radial direction between the relative sliding surfaces by the dynamic pressure generation grooves on the high pressure side and the low pressure side, and the sliding surfaces can be separated from each other by the static pressure
Implementation Method 2
since a dynamic pressure is generated in each dynamic pressure generation groove in addition to the static pressure during relative rotation, the sliding surfaces can be further separated from each other and the friction generated during relative rotation can be effectively reduced
Data Source
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AI summary
Sliding components capable of reducing a leakage amount of a sealed fluid and separating sliding surfaces from each other in a well-balanced manner are provided. At least one sliding surface 11 of seal rings 10 and 20 is provided with a supply hole 10b which supplies a barrier fluid G between the sliding surfaces 11 and 21, the sliding surface 21 is provided with an introduction groove 23 which is formed to overlap with the supply hole 10b in an axial view and extend in a circumferential direction, branch grooves 24 and 25 each extends from the introduction groove 23 to each of the sealed fluid side and the leakage side, and the branch groove 25 extending toward a leakage side S2 has a smaller groove volume than the branch groove 24 extending toward a sealed fluid side S1.