Undesired acoustic emissions of mechanical face seals: Model and simulations

• The problem of undesired noise in a mechanical face seal is described and experimental result showed.
• We describe a tribological model of the seal.
• We have proposed a combination of tribological model with a lumped parameter model of the seal.
• Simulations based on the proposed model are carried out.
• Results demonstrate that noise is due to stick-slip vibrations.

Mechanical face seals are used with most types of mechanical equipment, thus understanding the behavior of sealing systems is required for improved performance. The present paper investigates a type of seal utilized in automotive cooling water pumps, which, under particular service conditions, generates undesired acoustic emissions and manifests malfunctioning. The problem is examined through a lumped parameter model together with a mixed friction tribological model. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the phenomenon is caused by the insurgence of stick-slip vibrations during shaft deceleration. In addition, the stability threshold is investigated and the influences of some design parameters are evaluated.