Hydrodynamic Effects of Shaft Surface Finish on Lip Seal Operation

It is well known that shaft surface finish can significantly affect the performance of a lip seal, even though the shaft roughness, after run-in, is much smaller than the lip roughness. In the present research, a numerical model demonstrates that small fluctuations on the shaft surface can produce large hydrodynamic effects in the sealing zone due to the non-linearity of the Reynolds equation. The effects of shaft surface profile, roughness height, roughness wavelength, and lead angle on load support, reverse pumping rate and cavitation area are examined. Presented at the 57th Annual Meeting Houston, Texas May 19–23, 2002 KEY WORDS: Rotary SealsLip SealsHydrodynamic LubricationSurface Roughness Notes Presented at the 57th Annual Meeting Houston, Texas May 19–23, 2002