A Numerical Analysis of the Grooved Surface Effects on the Thermal Behavior of a Non-Contacting Face Seal

The paper analyzes heat transfer in a non-contacting face seal with micro-grooves on the end face of the sealing ring. The thermohydrodynamic model of the face seal comprises the equation of the pressure distribution and the energy equation for the fluid film in the clearance gap and the equation of heat conduction in the ring. The mathematical model consisting of coupled partial differential equations was solved numerically using a specially developed computer program. A parametric analysis was conducted to establish the effect of the shape and parameters of the microgrooves on the distribution of temperature in the fluid film and the sealing ring.