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Title: Rotary seal with enhanced lubrication and contaminant flushing

Abstract

A resilient, ring shaped interference-type hydrodynamic rotary seal having waves on the lubricant side which provide increased film thickness and flushing action by creating contact pressure induced angulated restrictions formed by abrupt restrictive diverters. The angulated restrictions are defined by projecting ridges, corners at the trailing edge of the waves, or simply by use of a converging shape at the trailing edge of the waves which is more abrupt than the gently converging hydrodynamic inlet shape at the leading edge of the waves. The abrupt restrictive diverter performs two functions; a restricting function and a diverting function. The angulated restrictions cause a local film thickness restriction which produces a damming effect preventing a portion of the lubricant from leaking out of the dynamic sealing interface at the trailing edge of the wave, and results in a much thicker lubricant film thickness under the waves. This contributes to more film thickness in the remainder of the dynamic sealing interface toward the environment because film thickness tends to decay gradually rather than abruptly due to the relative stiffness of the seal material. Because of the angle of the abrupt restrictive diverter relative to the relative rotation direction, in conjunction with the restrictionmore » or damming effect, a strong diverting action is produced which pumps lubricant across the dynamic sealing interface toward the environment. The lubricant diversion is caused by the component of the rotational velocity tangent to the abrupt restrictive diverter. The component of rotational velocity normal to the abrupt restrictive diverter causes a portion of the lubricant film to be pumped past the abrupt restrictive diverter, thereby assuring adequate lubrication thereof.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Sugar Land, TX
Issue Date:
OSTI Identifier:
873187
Patent Number(s):
6109618
Assignee:
KALSI Engineering, Inc. (Sugar Land, TX)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F16 - ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS F16J - PISTONS {
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-90ER80939
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
rotary; seal; enhanced; lubrication; contaminant; flushing; resilient; shaped; interference-type; hydrodynamic; waves; lubricant; provide; increased; film; thickness; action; creating; contact; pressure; induced; angulated; restrictions; formed; abrupt; restrictive; diverters; defined; projecting; ridges; corners; trailing; edge; simply; converging; shape; gently; inlet; leading; diverter; performs; functions; restricting; function; diverting; local; restriction; produces; damming; effect; preventing; portion; leaking; dynamic; sealing; interface; wave; results; thicker; contributes; remainder; environment; tends; decay; gradually; abruptly; due; relative; stiffness; material; angle; rotation; direction; conjunction; strong; produced; pumps; diversion; caused; component; rotational; velocity; tangent; normal; causes; pumped; past; assuring; adequate; provide increased; film thickness; leading edge; trailing edge; contact pressure; relative rotation; rotational velocity; rotary seal; lubricant film; hydrodynamic rotary; dynamic seal; /277/

Citation Formats

Dietle, Lannie L. Rotary seal with enhanced lubrication and contaminant flushing. United States: N. p., 2000. Web.
Dietle, Lannie L. Rotary seal with enhanced lubrication and contaminant flushing. United States.
Dietle, Lannie L. Sat . "Rotary seal with enhanced lubrication and contaminant flushing". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873187.
@article{osti_873187,
title = {Rotary seal with enhanced lubrication and contaminant flushing},
author = {Dietle, Lannie L},
abstractNote = {A resilient, ring shaped interference-type hydrodynamic rotary seal having waves on the lubricant side which provide increased film thickness and flushing action by creating contact pressure induced angulated restrictions formed by abrupt restrictive diverters. The angulated restrictions are defined by projecting ridges, corners at the trailing edge of the waves, or simply by use of a converging shape at the trailing edge of the waves which is more abrupt than the gently converging hydrodynamic inlet shape at the leading edge of the waves. The abrupt restrictive diverter performs two functions; a restricting function and a diverting function. The angulated restrictions cause a local film thickness restriction which produces a damming effect preventing a portion of the lubricant from leaking out of the dynamic sealing interface at the trailing edge of the wave, and results in a much thicker lubricant film thickness under the waves. This contributes to more film thickness in the remainder of the dynamic sealing interface toward the environment because film thickness tends to decay gradually rather than abruptly due to the relative stiffness of the seal material. Because of the angle of the abrupt restrictive diverter relative to the relative rotation direction, in conjunction with the restriction or damming effect, a strong diverting action is produced which pumps lubricant across the dynamic sealing interface toward the environment. The lubricant diversion is caused by the component of the rotational velocity tangent to the abrupt restrictive diverter. The component of rotational velocity normal to the abrupt restrictive diverter causes a portion of the lubricant film to be pumped past the abrupt restrictive diverter, thereby assuring adequate lubrication thereof.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}