Surface Analysis of Radial Lip Seals With Deterministic Micro Cavities on the Shaft

Author(s):  
Lyndon Scott Stephens ◽  
Katherine Warren

Many approaches have been used to control the reverse pumping effect in radial lip seals. One of those is the use of oriented triangular micro-asperities on the shaft of the seal. This extended abstract presents areal surface parameter measurements from a lip seal with triangular micro-cavities oriented towards the direction of rotation. Surface parameters in the roughness, hybrid and functional groups are presented. The measurements are then discussed and placed in the context of radial lip seal performance.

1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Salant ◽  
Andrew L. Flaherty

An elastohydrodynamic analysis of a rotary lip seal containing microasperities, incorporating both the fluid mechanics of the lubricating film and the elastic behavior of the lip, has been performed numerically. The results indicate that some asperity patterns generate reverse pumping that prevents leakage through the seal. Other asperity patterns are found to generate negative reverse pumping that enhances leakage. In all cases considered, the asperities also hydrodynamically generate sufficiently high pressures to provide load support and maintain the integrity of the film.


1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Salant ◽  
A. L. Flaherty

An elastohydrodynamic analysis of a rotary lip seal containing microundulations, incorporating both the fluid mechanics of the lubricating film and the elastic behavior of the lip, has been performed numerically. The results indicate that, under dynamic conditions, the undulation pattern deforms such that it produces reverse pumping. The reverse pumping rate is substantial, and overwhelms the natural leakage induced by the sealed pressure, thereby preventing leakage through the seal. The results also show that the undulations hydrodynamically generate sufficiently high pressures, within the film, to provide load support and maintain the integrity of the film.


Lubricants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Imane Lahjouji ◽  
M’hammed El Gadari ◽  
Mohammed Radouani

It is generally agreed that radial lip seals are used in systems with a rotating shaft and a stationary lip. However, according to previous work, it was demonstrated that relative motion between the shaft and the lip has substantial effects on the hydrodynamic lifting load and sealing performances. Nowadays, new generations of textured shafts have emerged in order to reduce friction torque and improve reverse pumping, but no study has confirmed the effect of the relative motion between the rough lip and the shaft grooves on the rotary lip seal performances. In this work, an isothermal hydrodynamic lubrication was performed in transient conditions to investigate the effect of the relative velocity between an oblique grooved shaft and a rough lip. After confirming the validity of the current model with respect to previous works, simulations have underlined the effect of the grooved shaft with relative lip motion on the rotary lip seal performance. Indeed, by keeping the same relative velocity between surfaces, it is shown that moving the shaft with a rate higher than that of the lip surface could produce an important reverse pumping and reduce the friction torque significantly, in comparison with cases where the shaft velocity is weaker.


2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 851-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip C. Hadinata ◽  
Lyndon Scott Stephens

A numerical analysis is conducted to investigate the elastohydrodynamic effect of deterministic microasperities on the shaft of a lip seal. Various geometries of microasperities (triangular, square, hexagonal, and circular) are put into a 100×100μm2 unit cell and are investigated using Reynolds equation. For each shape, the area fraction of the microasperity is varied between 0.2 and 0.8, and the asperity height is varied between 0.3μm and 5μm. The calculation for load capacity and friction coefficient indicates that there are values for asperity height, where the load capacity and friction coefficient are optimized. These optimum heights were reached at 1–3μm. Although the lip seal surface is considered to be smooth, reverse pumping can still be obtained using an oriented triangular design. The Couette flow rate for this asperity showed lubricant is reverted back toward the seal side 2.6 times more than using a conventional lip seal. The addition of microasperities to the shaft surface shows significant improvement in lubrication characteristics for the lip seal in the form of a simultaneous reduction in friction coefficient and increase in the reverse pumping rate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Simon Feldmeth ◽  
Mario Stoll ◽  
Frank Bauer

The radial load of a radial lip seal indicates how strongly the sealing lip is pressed on the shaft. The radial load significantly affects the function of the seal. The German standard DIN 3761-9 describes the measurement of the radial load according to the split-shaft method but leaves room for interpretation. During the revision of the standard, a parameter study was conducted at the University of Stuttgart. This study analyses the influence of the measurement device, the mandrels and the measuring procedure on the results. Based on the study results, recommendations are derived and summarized in a best-practice guideline, which should enable an appropriate and reproducible measurement of the radial load.


1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Poll ◽  
A. Gabelli

The development of models for the elastohydrodynamic lubrication of rotary lip seals requires the measurement of the film thickness under a real seal. A new method has been developed for this purpose which is based on the use of lubricant oils in which magnetite particles are suspended (so-called magnetic fluids). A change in the fluid film thickness will create a change in the impedance of the coil of the measuring circuit, the magnetic flux of which is directed through the oil film of the contact area. The advantage of this technique is that minimal modifications have to be applied to the tribological system under examination. Initial measurements carried out with a model rubber lip seal provided new insight into the build-up of a lubricant film as a function of the rotary speed and allowed comparison with the results of a theoretical model for the analysis of lip seal lubrication developed in parallel.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 620-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. To̸nder

The work presented previously by To̸nder and Salant (1992) is extended and generalized. In that work it was shown that the fine, axially oriented striations found on some lip-seals, under certain conditions, could lead to the total suppression of leakage through a fully lubricated seal. In the present work the behavior of the lubricant annulus is studied, as are the conditions required for leakage suppression. If the latter are met, it is shown that when a certain parameter—here called the seal number—is increased, the lubricant annulus width will shrink. This will lead to a reduction of the friction force. It is further shown that the striated roughness will also generate a radial force or load capacity. This effect does not involve local cavitation.


Author(s):  
Marcin Szczęch

The paper presents the results of research into a hybrid seal which is a combination of standard rotary lip seals and a magnetic fluid seal. To maintain the magnetic fluid in the friction zone region, either a specially shaped pole piece was used or the shaft was modified accordingly. The research study concerns the allowable operating pressure and lubrication conditions in short-term and durability tests after which shaft wear was also assessed. Magnetic fluids with different rheological and magnetic properties were considered. The test results showed that the long-term operation of a hybrid seal is possible. The requirements, however, are the appropriate value of the magnetic field and dynamic viscosity of the magnetic fluid.


Author(s):  
K. W. Shore ◽  
F. R. Hall ◽  
J. M. Hampshire ◽  
G. D. Carnell

The performance and basic rating life of rotating contact ball bearings have increased substantially over recent years, but the performance of radial lip seals, designed to protect these bearings against the ingress of contaminants, has not. In particular, the failure of the lip seals used to protect self-lubricating ball bearings has been identified as a major cause of bearing failure. To understand in detail the mechanisms of failure, these bearings and seals have to be assessed by performing carefully controlled experimental tests. As elastomeric lip seals are intrinsically sensitive to test conditions, their performance is often subject to statistical scatter. Therefore, the design of test rigs to carry out this research is vital so as to eliminate as many unwanted variables as possible. Typical test rigs and the usual tests previously carried out by the major bearing manufacturers are detailed, and the performance of both the test rigs and the seals are discussed. A new radial lip seal test rig, designed specifically for assessing seal performance is shown, and improved test methods and data logging are detailed. Typical lip seal test results are presented and analysed. The aim of this work is to characterize empirically lip seal behaviour under both contaminated and uncontaminated conditions, enabling a deeper understanding of lip seal performance to aid future improved lip seal designs to be formulated.


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