Experimental study of spiral groove upstream pumping mechanical seals

In this paper, the typical design and the working principle of an upstream pumping mechanical seal (UPMS) are introduced. A seal test rig with variable sealed pressure and rotational speed was developed to study the behavior of the UPMS in oil. The test results show that the UPNIS has better sealing performance than that of a traditional contacting mechanical seal due to a fully developed hydrodynamic film during its operation, and has excellent anti-wear and low-friction characteristics. Face temperature rises of the UPMS are only 1/2similar to1/3 that of a traditional contacting mechanical seal, which mainly contributes to avoiding the thermal damage of a mechanical seal at an elevated temperature.