Multi-objective optimization on dimple shapes for gas face seals

The shape of surface texture has a significant effect on the performance of face seals. Many studies found that the textures designed for improving load carrying capacity tend to increase leakage at the same time. Therefore, a multi-objective optimization approach is presented to optimize the dimple shapes with freedom edges. It has been found the dimples with asymmetric “V” shape offer better performance in terms of load carrying capacity and leakage. Moreover, the optimal shapes are compared with four kinds of optimal regular shapes under different rotating speeds. The results show that the superiority of shape optimization is more obvious in conditions with high speed.