Mechanical Seal Sliding Ring Grooves for Low Leakage Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding components in mechanical seals do not effectively supply sealed fluid to the leakage side, resulting in reduced lubricity and increased leakage, as the reverse Rayleigh step does not contribute to fluid supply and lubrication.
Innovation Solution
A sliding component with annular shape featuring dynamic pressure generating mechanisms, including deep and shallow grooves, where the deep grooves communicate with the leakage side and shallow grooves extend in parallel, allowing for efficient fluid recovery and distribution across the sliding surfaces, reducing leakage and enhancing lubricity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reverse Rayleigh step is used to prevent leakage, then sealability is improved, but lubricity is reduced because the sealed liquid is not supplied to the leakage side
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure is segmented into multiple regions: a first groove portion extending from the sealed liquid side, a second groove portion extending from the leakage side, and a communication portion connecting them. This segmentation allows different portions to perform different functions - the first groove portion supplies sealed liquid toward the leakage side for lubrication, while the second groove portion recovers leaked liquid, thereby resolving the contradiction between sealability and lubricity
Solution Approach 2:
The groove structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it generates dynamic pressure to separate sliding surfaces, supplies sealed liquid to the leakage side for lubrication, and recovers leaked liquid to reduce seal pressure. This multi-functionality allows the same structure to improve both lubricity and sealability, resolving the contradiction between these two parameters
2Use of energy by moving object
If sealed liquid is supplied to the leakage side to improve lubricity, then friction is reduced, but leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second groove portion extending from the leakage side and the communication portion work together to recover sealed liquid that would otherwise be lost. The recovered liquid is redirected back toward the sealed liquid side, reducing overall leakage while maintaining the lubrication benefit of having liquid on the leakage side
Solution Approach 2:
The groove structure creates a feedback mechanism where leaked liquid is recovered and redirected back into the system. The communication portion connects the second groove portion (on the leakage side) back to the first groove portion (on the sealed liquid side), creating a circular flow that reduces net leakage while maintaining lubrication
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 proposed design improves lubricity over a wide area of the sliding surface while minimizing fluid leakage by effectively recovering and redistributing the sealed fluid, ensuring high lubricity and low leakage.
Implementation Method 1
each of the dynamic pressure generating mechanisms including a deep groove portion that communicates with a leakage side
Implementation Method 2
the sealed fluid can flow out from the shallow groove portions to a gap between sliding surfaces. Therefore, lubricity can be improved over a wide area of the sliding surface
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a sliding component that supplies a sealed fluid to a leakage side in a gap between sliding surfaces to exhibit high lubricity and has a small leakage of the sealed fluid. A sliding component 10 that has an annular shape and is disposed in a place where relative rotation is performed in a rotary machine, includes a plurality of dynamic pressure generating mechanisms 14 provided in a sliding surface 11 of the sliding component 10, each of the dynamic pressure generating mechanisms 14 including a deep groove portion 15 that communicates with a leakage side, and a plurality of shallow groove portions 9A that communicate with the deep groove portion 15 and are arranged in a circumferential direction in parallel relationship to each other.