Effects of surface topography on cavitation evolution of liquid film lubricated mechanical seals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of surface topography, including surface roughness, waviness and taper, on the cavitation of liquid film lubricated mechanical seals (LFL-MS). Design/methodology/approach A universal governing equation considering cavitation is establis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Industrial lubrication and tribology 2022-03, Vol.74 (2), p.153-163
Main Authors: Li, Zhen-Tao, Zhou, Yangli, Yin, Xiaoli, Hao, Muming, Meng, Dechao, Ren, Baojie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Cavitation
Density
Equivalence
Finite volume method
Friction
Investigations
Lubricants & lubrication
Mathematical models
Seals
Seals (stoppers)
Surface roughness
Surface roughness effects
Tapering
Topography
Waviness
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Summary:Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of surface topography, including surface roughness, waviness and taper, on the cavitation of liquid film lubricated mechanical seals (LFL-MS). Design/methodology/approach A universal governing equation considering cavitation is established, and an equivalent relative density is defined to characterize the cavitation degree. The equation is discretized by the finite volume method and solved by the Gauss–Seidel relaxation scheme. Findings Results indicate that both radial length and a circumferential width of the cavitation zone and cavitation degree are affected significantly by the waviness amplitude and taper, but the effect of surface roughness is limited. Originality/value Effect mechanism of surface topography on the cavitation of LFL-MS is investigated and cavitation degree is reflected by an equivalent relative density. The results further help to comprehensively explore the cavitation mechanism.
ISSN:0036-8792
1758-5775
DOI:10.1108/ILT-07-2021-0274