Three-Dimensional Modeling of THD Lubrication in Face Seals

Abstract

In this study, the seal is supposed to operate in laminar flow, under steady-state conditions and without phase changing in the lubricant film. The model tackles the three-dimensional general case of misaligned faces and wavy rotor face in stable dynamic tracking regime. The general equations of the THD lubrication and the equations of heat transfer through the rings are established. Different types of heat exchange on the external frontiers of the ring are considered. The equations are numerically solved by using the finite difference method in an iterative procedure which ensure the heat transfer conditions on the boundaries of the fluid film and of the solid rings. Complete and approximated solutions are compared and the validity of the approximations is discussed. A parametric study is carried out in the three-dimensional cases corresponding with misaligned, wavy, and notched faces. The results show the influence of the interface geometry, the nature of the lubricant, the fluid flow, the ring materials, and the different heat transfer conditions on the ring surfaces.