| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 615557 | Tribology International | 2012 | 8 Pages |
The introduction of grooves, micropores, and other forms of surface geometric modifications onto the mating seal plates has been performed to enhance the gas face seal performance. Reducing fluid leakage through the seal surface has been the main motivation for the development of efficient sealing technology for industrial turbomachinery. Pressure dams are generally etched on the seal inner and outer radii to improve even more the seal capability of reducing the gas leakage to atmosphere. This paper presents a finite element analysis carried out to determine the opening force, the flow leakage and the dynamic force coefficients of flat gas face seals with pressure dams operating under stringent conditions. Several curves of steady-state and dynamic seal performance characteristics depict the influence of the pressure dam position and width on the seal performance and efficiency.
► A finite element procedure is developed to analyze the behavior of gas face seals. ► The influence of the pressure dam on the seal behavior is studied. ► A comparative evaluation of gas seals with inner and outer pressure dams. ► Inner dam seals can provide seal designs with larger stiffness than outer seals.
