Mechanical Seal Slide Face Grooves for Deposit-Free Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mechanical seals face challenges in preventing deposit formation on sealing faces, especially when handling fluids containing deposit formation-causing substances, which can degrade their performance over time.
Innovation Solution
A slide component design featuring a pair of sliding parts with a fluid circulation groove and interference grooves that produce pressure variations, preventing deposit formation by maintaining fluid circulation and ensuring long-term sealing functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fluid circulation groove is introduced to promote fluid circulation and prevent wear, then lubrication performance is improved, but deposit formation on the sealing face worsens due to stagnant fluid in the groove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the interference groove configuration variable rather than fixed. The interference groove depth varies in the circumferential direction, creating different interference patterns at different positions. This dynamic variation generates alternating pressure differences that actively circulate fluid through the fluid circulation groove, preventing deposit formation while maintaining lubrication performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through the circumferentially varying interference groove depth. As the sealing faces slide relative to each other, the varying groove depths create periodic pressure variations in the fluid. This periodic pressure action continuously drives fluid circulation through the fluid circulation groove, preventing stagnant fluid accumulation and deposit formation while maintaining continuous lubrication.
2Ease of manufacture
If interference grooves are made uniform in shape, then manufacturing is simplified, but pressure variation in the fluid is insufficient to prevent deposit formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the interference groove depth vary in the circumferential direction rather than being uniform. This asymmetric configuration creates different interference effects at different positions around the sealing face. The asymmetric groove pattern generates stronger and more effective pressure variations in the fluid compared to uniform grooves, enabling effective fluid circulation and deposit prevention while remaining manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by varying the interference groove depth at different circumferential positions. Instead of using a uniform groove depth throughout, the groove depth is locally adjusted to create optimal pressure variations at different locations. This local variation in groove quality ensures effective fluid circulation and deposit prevention throughout the entire sealing face while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity.
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 deposit formation in the fluid circulation groove, maintaining the sealing function for a long period by creating a constantly varying pressure difference between the inlet and outlet portions, even when the sealed fluid contains deposit formation-causing substances.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of interference grooves for producing pressure variations in a fluid in the fluid circulation groove
Implementation Method 2
a fluid circulation groove that communicates with a high-pressure fluid side via an inlet portion and an outlet portion and is separated from a low-pressure fluid side by a land portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a slide component that can prevent deposit formation on a sealing face as well as promoting circulation of a fluid on sealing faces while fulfilling both conflicting conditions of sealing and lubrication, to maintain the sealing function of the sealing faces for a long period of time. The slide component includes a pair of slide parts that relatively slide on each other, one of the slide parts being provided in a sealing face with fluid circulation grooves 10 that communicate with a high-pressure fluid side via inlet portions and outlet portions and are separated from a low-pressure fluid side by land portions, the other of the slide parts being circumferentially provided in a sealing face with a plurality of interference grooves 15, 16, 17, 20 for producing pressure variations in a fluid in the fluid circulation grooves 10, adjacent ones of the interference grooves 15, 16, 17, 20 being set to have different shapes.