Thermal mixing effect and heat transfer in U-shaped notch on the mechanical seal face

A three-dimensional thermohydrodynamic (THD) model of a notched mechanical seal is developed based on the commercial software ANSYS Fluent. The flow behavior of hot and cold fluid in and around the notch, namely, the thermal mixing effect, is detailly analyzed. The heat transfer between the notch fluid and the seal rings as well as the cooling effect mechanism of the notch are discussed. Finally, a parametric analysis is conducted to study the effect of notch size, rotational speed and seal gap on heat transport. The results show that the notch fluid locally decreases the notched stator face temperature around the notch boundaries. The reflux occurs between the sealing chamber and notch, which brings the most cooling effect to the notch. The notch depth and width have a significant effect on the heat transfer between the fluid and sealing rings. Because of the non-simplified THD model, the proposed research provides increased reliability of understanding the flow and temperature behavior in the notch.