Mixed-lubrication mechanism considering thermal effect on high-pressure to reciprocating water seal

This paper establishes the mixed-lubrication and wear model to reciprocating of water seal under the high-pressure of 100 MPa. Reciprocating movement thermal sources (RMTS) from seal frictional force coupled with the mixed-lubrication and wear contact are investigated. Taking fluid-solid-thermal and wear couple four modules of multi-scale simulates the RMTS effect at the boundary of the water inlet initial to 5 degrees C to 60 degrees C. Results show initial temperature with the specific speed significantly changes the seal ratio of the film and solid pressure of bearing capacity, and that of the film pressure still dominates more than 80%. The micro convex-body forms the secondary local elastic-hydrodynamic film pressure distribution appears with the wear process with forming the wedge effect. When the convex-body of wear height exceeds about 25% of the critical film thickness, the seal leakage rate increases with transiting to the water slider bearing to elastic-hydrodynamic lubrication. This systematic multi-scale simulation and measurement of seal surface performance with the micro and macro to RMTS effect improves previous biased point that seal is totally under the wear stage only focusing on the macro aspect of simulation.