This study aims to enhance the opening capability of bidirectional rotary dry gas seals and achieve precise control of the sealing medium between the sealing faces.
Inspired by engineering bionics, a sycamore leaf-shaped groove was proposed, and a thermal hydrodynamic lubrication model that incorporates viscous heating, real gas effects and turbulence was developed. Finite element simulations were conducted to evaluate gas film flow, leakage and thermodynamic behavior, with comparisons to spiral and T-groove designs. Additionally, the influence of operating conditions and key structural parameters on the performance of the sycamore leaf-shaped groove dry gas seal was also examined.
The results of this study showed that the sycamore leaf-shaped groove exhibited superior fluid guidance, producing 6.88% higher opening force than the T groove, 10.55% lower leakage than the spiral groove and the smallest friction torque among the three grooves. Increasing rotational speed and inlet pressure enhanced gas film compressibility, turbulence and centrifugal inertia, yielding a near-linear increase in opening force and a reduction in leakage. Groove depth and half cone angle influenced performance non-monotonically, with optimal ranges identified as 18°–20° and 4–7 µm for the sycamore leaf-shaped groove, yielding the highest overall sealing performance.
This paper demonstrates the potential of bionic groove geometries to enhance dry gas seal performance and provides a foundation and thought for their structural optimization.
