Thermally induced failures have long since plagued mechanicalseal users. Over the years these failures have led to the developmentof different flush plan and seal design features that are usedto increase heat transfer from the seal interface. In this paper thefirst experimental results for a new mechanical seal designoperating in a pump are presented. In this design a heat sink, consistingof thousands of micron sized cooling pins, is constructed onthe end face of the stationary seal ring just below the sealinginterface. Since the entire heat sink is constructed within millimetersof the interface, there is an extremely small thermal resistancebetween the interface and the coolant. Two prototype experimentsare carried out; one for dry running conditions at pressure velocityvalues of 14.0 Mpa m/s (400,000 psi~*ft/min) and the other with theseal installed in a small ANSI water pump operating under deadhead conditions. Results demonstrate that the heat sink is effectivein controlling the seal temperature even under extreme operatingconditions, and providing sealing with no visible leakage.
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