Analysis and Experimental Research of Contact States of Single Metal Seal under Drilling Conditions

Combined with high temperature and high pressure working conditions in the drilling fields, the finite element analysis of assembly processes and bilateral compressions of single metal seal were completed, the dynamic sealing surface contact pressure gradient distributions were obtained, and a new method to calculate the dynamic seal leakages was presented based on the MATLAB. Then, the rotary seal test rig was established, and the distributions of the contact pressures and the seal leakages of the dynamic seals were measured. The test results and the simulation results show that the seal surfaces are convergent under low pressures, which are conducive to the formations of the lubricating film, and the high pressures are divergent. The contact pressures on the inner sides of the seal surfaces are gradually decreased with the increases of the pressure differences between the lubrication and the drilling fluid, while the outside gradually increased. Meanwhile, the leakage rate increases with the speed increases of the seals, while decreases with the increases of the axial compressions of the dynamic seals. © 2018, China Mechanical Engineering Magazine Office. All right reserved.