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Design of an expeller seal to reduce leakage in a stuffing box

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Abstract

In this study, a design of a coupled seal has been analyzed by combining a helical-grooved seal and expeller seal in a limited area within a stuffing box. Among the variables affecting the leakage in the expeller seal, the width ratio (wratio = wg/(wg + wr)) and groove angle (β) were derived by a governing equation. A suitable working fluid for the environment is suggested by comparing water, glycerol, and oil as working fluids in a stuffing box using the standard k − ε model and a scalable wall function to improve the accuracy of results. As a result of the CFD analysis and experiment, the coupled seal has less leakage than a helical-grooved seal.

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Abbreviations

c :

Clearance

d :

Groove depth of helical-grooved seal

f g :

Groove flux

f r :

Ridge flux

f T :

Total radial flux

h :

Film thickness in normal direction of seal surface

h g :

Film thickness of groove

h r :

Film thickness of ridge

k :

Turbulent kinetic energy

L :

Length of expeller seal

L f :

Length of front part of stuffing box

L r :

Length of rear part of stuffing box

N :

Number of grooves

N’:

Number of threads

p :

Local pressure

p g :

Groove pressure

p r :

Ridge pressure

P i :

Inlet pressure

P o :

Outlet pressure

r :

Radius of expeller seal

y :

The coordinate normal to the seal surface

R f :

Radius of front part of stuffing box

R i :

Inner diameter of expeller seal

R o :

Outer diameter of expeller seal

R r :

Radius of rear part of stuffing box

U r :

Radial velocity of fluid

w l :

Land width of helical-grooved seal

w g :

Groove width

w r :

Ridge width of expeller seal

w’ ratio :

Ratio of groove width and land with (= wg/w,)

w ratio :

Ratio of groove width and the width sum of groove width and ridge width (= wg/(wg + wr))

β :

Groove angle of expeller seal

β’ :

Helix angle of helical-grooved seal

η :

The coordinate parallel direction to a groove edge

θ :

The coordinate circumferential direction of seal

μ :

Absolute viscosity of fluid

ρ :

Density of fluid

ω 1 :

Angular velocity of grooved surface

ω 2 :

Angular velocity of ridge surface

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by a 2-Year Research Grant of Pusan National University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Korea

    Seongjun Heo, Gunyoung Park, Chanyoung Shin, Kyungkook Lim, Hyoseong Jang & Chul Kim

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dong Eui University, Pusan, 47340, Korea

    Hyoseo Kwak

Authors
  1. Seongjun Heo
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  2. Gunyoung Park
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  3. Chanyoung Shin
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  4. Kyungkook Lim
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  5. Hyoseo Kwak
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  6. Hyoseong Jang
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  7. Chul Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chul Kim.

Additional information

SeongJun Heo is in a master’s course in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea. His research interests are designing sealing devices, computational fluid dynamics, and harmonic response analysis.

Gunyoung Park is in a doctor’s course in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea. He received a master’s degree in mechanical convergence technology at Pusan National University in 2018. His major research fields are composites and finite element analysis.

Chanyoung Shin is in a bachelor’s course in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea. His research interests are designing sealing devices, computational fluid dynamics, and harmonic response analysis.

Kyungkook Lim is in a doctor’s course in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Korea. He received a master’s degree in mechanical and material systems at Pusan National University in 2016. His major research fields are non-contact sealing devices and computational fluid dynamics.

Hyoseo Kwak received M.S. degree in School of Creative Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Convergence Technology, Pusan National University, Korea, in 2012, 2014 and 2017. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Dongeui University. Her research fields are machine design and FEM simulation.

Hyoseong Jang is in the doctor’s course in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea. He received a master’s degree in creative engineering systems at Pusan National University in 2015. His major research fields are gear design and computational fluid dynamics.

Chul Kim is a Professor of mechanical engineering at Pusan National University, Korea. He received a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering at Pusan National University in 1997. His major research fields are FEM simulation (structure, dynamic, and fluid analysis), optimal structural design, and CAD/CAM.

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Heo, S., Park, G., Shin, C. et al. Design of an expeller seal to reduce leakage in a stuffing box. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 2387–2396 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0421-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0421-2

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