Study on Deformation of a Laser Surface Textured Mechanical Seal

Laser surface texturing (LST) provides a unique method for applying custom textures to metals, ceramics, and polymers. Etsion has presented a new type of mechanical seal by applying laser surface texturing onto the faces. According to Etsion, such a textured face seal (LST-MS) helps to reduce face friction and wear and can be used at higher sealed fluid pressures than that of a plain face seal. Such a new seal may be subjected to face deformation, and study on the effect of face deformation on sealing behavior of a LST-MS is important. In this paper, a finite element analysis was used to solve the Reynolds equation for liquid film pressure between the faces of a LST-MS. The deformation of two faces caused by sealed medium pressures and liquid film pressure was calculated for a LST-MS consisting of a stator ring with different constructions and/or constrictions. The effects of face deformation on sealing performances, such as leakage rate, film axial stiffness and the ratio of film stiffness to leakage of such a seal were studied. The stability of several seals with different constructions and constrictions was examined. It was suggested that selecting suitable constructions and/or constrictions will improve the stability of such a LST-MS.