Factors Influencing Thermomechanical Failure of Face Seals. III

摘要

Analytical and experimental studies of factors affecting thermocracking and other modes of thermomechanical failure of mechanical face seals have continued for a third year. Mechanical face seals are assumed to operate with a uniform, thin film of sealed fluid between the flat, parallel seal faces. Recent evidence has indicated, however, that in many seals there exist patches of solid-to-solid contact between the seal faces. The temperatures and stresses near these concentrated contacts may be responsible for some modes of seal failure. In this study an experimental determination was made of the number, size and location of contact patches in actual face seals operating with and without a sealed liquid. This information was used in a numerical analysis using finite element techniques, of temperatures, deformations, and stresses around the contact patches. An independent experimental measurement of surface temperature profile within the contact patches was used to refine the numerical analysis and to enable determination of frictional heat flux and contact pressure distributions.