Optimising a helical groove seal using computational fluid dynamics

The selection of the geometry of the helical groove seal is extremely important in determining the leakage performance of the seal. The aim of this study is to determine the best design for reducing leakage in a high-pressure pump application. Previous optimisation studies have been limited to small samples sizes and only a couple of design variables. In this research, a larger number of designs are simulated, using a computational fluid dynamics software tool, and more of the design parameters are varied. A regression model that can be used to predict the performance of other helical groove seals within the design space is also derived.