LAUSR

The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of different surface texture patterns on the performance of mechanical gas seals. Firstly, two types of surface texture, i.e., the patterns of microgrooves and microdimples, are constructed, and the steady-state Reynolds equation for compressible Newtonian fluid is employed and solved considering the collective effect of adjacent textures. Then, comparative analysis of different seal parameters such as the load-carrying force, gas film stiffness and gas leakage between microgrooves and microdimples is presented. Finally, two property-evaluating parameters are defined and different texture shapes and main parameters are compared. The results indicate that texture shapes with a straight edge perform better performance than those with a round edge. Furthermore, microgrooves 2 interpenetrating high-pressure side with texture depth of 3 µm may be the best choice in engineering practice, especially under small seal clearance and high rotation speed conditions.