Inzynieria Chemiczna i Procesowa, Vol.27, No.3, 889-899, 2006
Influence of heterogeneous surface on fluid flow in mechanical seals
The fluid flow has been analysed in the clearance of a face seal with modified working surfaces. The model of flow used for this study bases on the Reynolds equation, appropriately modified to include the areas of cavitation and separation near grooves on the sliding surface. The equation is of mixed elliptic -hyperbolic type and can be solved by employing numerical techniques similar to those used for transonic flows (upwind finite difference schemes). The modelling helps to predict the radial mass flow rate as well as to assess accurately the forces acting on a sliding pair.