Orientation effect of orderly roughness microstructure on spiral groove dry gas seal

Research related to the effect of roughness on the sealing performance was reviewed, and the orientation effect of a microstructure with orderly roughness was introduced to improve the performance of dry gas seal. A microstructure was established for the flow field of dry gas film in a pair of seals. The results showed that the microstructure improves the opening performance while maintaining a reasonable leakage rate. The microstructure depth, width, and spacing significantly impact the orientation effect. Both the groove and microstructure depths have optimal values for increasing the opening force while maintaining lower leakage rate. The opening force of the microstructure has a positive influence on microscale operation. This makes the microstructure of the dry gas seal more stable and thus more suitable for high-speed and high-pressure working conditions.