Mechanical Seal Sliding Faces With Self-Cleaning Discharge Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sliding components, such as mechanical seals, face issues with wear and leakage due to the accumulation of foreign matter like abrasion powder and contaminants within the sliding faces, which is exacerbated by the concentration of fluid flow through grooves, leading to reduced lubrication performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of sliding components with positive pressure generation mechanisms and discharge grooves that actively introduce and direct fluid between sliding faces, preventing the accumulation of foreign matter by ensuring fluid flow and centrifugal pumping, thereby enhancing lubrication and preventing wear and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If grooves such as spiral grooves are provided on one of sliding faces to generate positive pressure by centrifugal force, then leakage prevention is improved, but foreign matter accumulates inside the sliding faces causing wear
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful function of groove confinement by introducing discharge grooves that communicate with the leakage-side circumferential edge. This allows foreign matter accumulated in the sliding face to be discharged to the outside, separating the positive pressure generation function from the harmful foreign matter trapping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding face is segmented into multiple functional zones: positive pressure generation grooves for leakage prevention, and discharge grooves for foreign matter removal. This segmentation allows each groove type to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between leakage prevention and foreign matter accumulation.
2Force
If fluid flow is concentrated through grooves to improve lubrication, then friction reduction is improved, but foreign matter accumulates due to reduced fluid circulation
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge grooves act as an intermediary pathway that allows fluid to circulate through the sliding face while carrying foreign matter outward. This maintains the beneficial concentrated fluid flow for lubrication while providing an escape route for foreign matter, preventing accumulation.
3Reliability
If positive pressure generation grooves are provided to prevent leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but wear increases due to foreign matter concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing face is segmented into positive pressure generation grooves for sealing and discharge grooves for wear prevention. This allows the sealing function to be maintained while simultaneously providing a mechanism to remove foreign matter that would otherwise cause wear and reduce service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of foreign matter accumulation into a beneficial discharge flow. The same centrifugal force that generates positive pressure for sealing also drives foreign matter outward through the discharge grooves, transforming a harmful accumulation into a beneficial self-cleaning effect.
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 increases the fluid film between sliding faces, effectively prevents the accumulation of contaminants, reduces wear, and minimizes leakage, while maintaining low friction and efficient lubrication performance even at low speeds.
Implementation Method 1
an annular groove for generating positive pressure by the centrifugal force of fluid is provided on a contacting face of the stationary body to prevent leakage of oil from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side
Implementation Method 2
discharge grooves disposed at an angle such that upstream ends are located on the leakage side and downstream ends are located on the sealed-fluid side
Implementation Method 3
to actively introduce fluid to the sliding faces from startup to and during normal operation to improve lubrication performance
Data Source
AI summary
In an exemplary embodiment, a sliding component includes a pair of sliding parts 4 and 7 sliding relatively to each other and having sliding faces S formed radially for sealing a liquid or a misty fluid as a sealed fluid against leakage. One sliding part is a stationary-side seal ring 7, and the other sliding part is a rotating-side seal ring 4. At least one of the sliding faces S is provided with positive pressure generation mechanisms 11 having positive pressure generation grooves 12 configured to communicate with a circumferential edge of the sliding face S on the sealed-fluid side and not to communicate with a circumferential edge on the leakage side, and discharge grooves 10 disposed at an angle such that upstream ends are located on the leakage side and downstream ends are located on the sealed-fluid side.