A Study of the Elastohydrodynamic Problem in Rectangular Elastomeric Seals

Abstract

This paper deals with the study of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication in elastomeric rectangular seals with rounded edges. The photoelastic and the numerical methods are employed in the determination of the dry contact pressure distribution. The existence of two contact pressure peaks near the seal edges is clarified. The influence of the sealed pressure and the sliding velocity on the pressure distribution is examined experimentally. The influence of Poisson’s ratio and constitutive relation on the stress field is studied numerically. The inverse hydrodynamic theory and the numerical method are used in the determination of the fluid film profile. The experimental and numerical fluid film shapes at the inlet are discussed. The influence on the film shape of the sealed pressure is studied experimentally, while the influence of the sliding velocity is examined numerically. The agreement between the experimental and the numerical results for the common cases is satisfactory.