The guide-aggregation effect of microgrooves on tribological properties of mechanical seals

To investigate the guide-aggregation effect on the tribological performance of mechanical seals with groove textures and determine their optimal structure parameters for texture design, a lubrication model incorporating various guide slots on the mechanical seal was established based on Reynolds equations. The dimensionless load-carrying capacity, P av , and the flow field distribution images of liquid films were obtained using a numerical calculation method. The influence of guide groove textures on the hydrodynamic pressure of the lubricant film on the mechanical seal clearance at different depths was analyzed, and a systematic exploration was conducted on factors such as the guide slot morphology, depth, and mechanical seal clearance, which affect the friction coefficient. The results show that our numerical calculations reveal that the frictional performance of mechanical seals significantly varies according to the configuration of guide slots. In various depth conditions, guide slots enhance the hydrodynamic pressure. With the increment in-depth, the load-carrying capacity of the liquid film initially increases. For the E-type, the optimal load-carrying capacity of the liquid film, P av , is obtained at a depth of h 1 =10 μm, reaching 0.5275 Mpa. By comparing the surface textures of guide slots, it can be observed that the E-type texture exhibits an optimal friction property. The liquid membrane load-carrying capacity of the E-type texture with a height of h 1 =10 μm demonstrates a notable increase of 53.5%, 43.9%, and 23.6% when compared to the grooved, semi-circular, and herringbone textures, respectively. The findings reveal that the design of the guide slot leads to the accumulation of lubricant on the surface texture, thereby enhancing the pressure convergence. This, in turn, enhances the load-carrying capacity of the lubricating fluid film and reduces friction. The geometric parameters of the guide groove have a substantial influence on the fluid dynamic pressure within the end mechanical sealing pair, which in turn affects the tribological performance of the mechanical seal. Our research offers novel insights for the design of non-contact end mechanical seals in future applications.