HDD用ラビリンスシールにおける微小油滴のシール性能に関する研究(機械要素,潤滑,工作,生産管理など)

Small oil particles generated from lubricant of rolling bearings in HDD sometimes cause fatal problems as head crash. A labyrinth seal is, therefore, often used in HDD in order to prevent oil particles from scattering on the disk surface. In this paper, the seal performance of labyrinth seals for small oil particles is investigated, numerically and experimentally. Two types of a labyrinth seal are prepared. One is an annular seal and the other is a bent one. It was consequently found that the seal capability of a labyrinth seal is generated by the centrifugal force exerted on oil particles when they pass through the seal gap and that the passing rate of particles largely depends on the air flow rate through the seal gap.