The influence of cooling medium and cooling channel on heat transfer of textured seal in presence of viscous dissipation

When operating at high speed, the mechanical seal produces a large amount of frictional heat on the seal face. If the heat is not dissipated in time, it could lead to the thermal failure of the seal face. In the field of tribology research, the technology of textured surface is a method to enhance the heat dissipation rate. Numerical analysis is carried out based on the SST k-omega turbulence model and the energy equation with viscous dissipation term, and the results are validated by the experimental data published in the reference. In a wide range of rotational speeds, cooling medium with varied Pr numbers is employed to confirm the performance of textured side-wall in heat transfer enhancement. The shape of the seal chamber is also changed to provide guidance for the design of the cooling channel. The results show that a larger Pr number increases the heat transfer enhancement of the tex-tures; it is advisable to utilize a cooling channel that gradually decreases in size; and the flushing should not be perpendicular to the stator; additionally, it is important to ensure that the cooling channel is not too narrow. By means of appropriate design, the maximum temperature of seal face can be reduced by over 40 degrees C (22.2 %) at 20,000 rpm.