Sliding Seal Face Grooves for Bubble Discharge and Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sliding components with fluid lubrication and sealing mechanisms are prone to leakage and wear due to foreign matter or air bubbles entering dimples, leading to friction heating and damage, which compromises their sealing function over time.
Innovation Solution
A sliding component design that incorporates positive pressure generation grooves and negative pressure generation grooves with deep grooves and tapered inlet and outlet portions to actively discharge foreign matter or air bubbles, maintaining sealing functionality by forming a liquid film and enhancing fluid suction and pumping effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dimples are used as sealing structures on the sliding face, then sealing performance is improved, but foreign matter or air bubbles become trapped inside the dimples causing leakage and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The dimple structure is segmented into multiple regions: a sealed fluid side opening, a deep groove extending from the opening, and an intermediate portion. This segmentation allows the structure to perform multiple functions - sealing on one side while enabling foreign matter discharge on the other side, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing performance and foreign matter trapping
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extends the dimple structure into the radial direction by creating a deep groove that penetrates through the sliding face thickness. This dimensional extension transforms the traditional surface-level dimple into a three-dimensional structure that can both seal and discharge foreign matter simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between sealing and foreign matter accumulation
2Reliability
If positive pressure generation mechanisms are added to prevent leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but the structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dimple structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: sealing function on the sealed fluid side, foreign matter discharge function through the deep groove, and fluid suction function on the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate positive pressure generation mechanisms, thus improving sealing performance without significantly increasing structure complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function and foreign matter discharge function into a single integrated dimple structure. By combining these functions that were previously required separate mechanisms, the structure complexity is minimized while achieving reliable sealing performance
3Reliability
If the sliding faces are kept in close contact to prevent leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but friction heating and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The deep groove acts as an intermediary structure that allows controlled separation of the sliding faces. By providing a discharge path for foreign matter and air bubbles, the groove enables the sliding faces to maintain sufficient separation to reduce friction heating and wear, while still achieving effective sealing through the structured openings
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
The design effectively prevents leakage and wear by discharging foreign matter or air bubbles, maintaining the sealing function over time and enhancing fluid suction and pumping effects, ensuring long-term performance.
Implementation Method 1
the gap between the sliding faces sliding relatively is widened by positive pressure, a liquid film is formed between the sliding faces
Implementation Method 2
suction is created on the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side of the sliding face, preventing leakage from the sealed fluid side to the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side
Implementation Method 3
even when foreign matter or air bubbles enter the negative pressure generation groove, the foreign matter or air bubbles are discharged to the sealed fluid side through the deep groove
Data Source
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AI summary
To allow foreign matter or air bubbles taken into negative pressure generation grooves to be discharged. A sliding component includes a pair of sliding parts of which a rotating-side sliding part rotates in both forward and reverse directions. In the sliding component, at least one of the sliding parts has a sliding face that is provided with positive pressure generation grooves 11 and 11' located on the sealed fluid side, and is provided with a negative pressure generation groove 13 located on the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side and separated from the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side by a land R, and is provided with a deep groove 14 communicating with the sealed fluid side on the sealed fluid side of the negative pressure generation groove 13. The positive pressure generation grooves 11 and 11' each have an upstream end communicating with the deep groove 14, and the negative pressure generation groove 13 has an upstream inlet portion 13a and a downstream outlet portion 13b that communicate with the deep groove 14, and an intermediate portion 13c between the inlet portion 13a and the outlet portion 13b located on the opposite-to-sealed-fluid side of the inlet portion 13a and the outlet portion 13b.