Research on the cone angle and clearance of main pump seal

For better film characteristics of the main pump seal (MPS), a theoretical calculation model was proposed based on the Reynolds equation. A case study with defined MPS was carried out, film stiffness was taken as the basic constraint condition, and the cone angle and clearance are two optimization targets. When the film stiffness reaches a maximum, the corresponding cone angle and clearance is the optimal value. The results show that: (1) film stiffness increased and decreased with clearance and cone angle, respectively; (2) the optional clearance was determined to be within a range of 2~8 µm at a cone angle of between 0.1~1.2′; (3) the maximum of film stiffness is inversely proportional to the cone angle (Clearance) approximately under the clearance (Cone angle) is fixed; (4) leakage is directly proportional to the clearance to power three, and the clearance has greater influence on the amount of leakage than the cone angle. These results provide a reliable theoretical justification for MPS-based designs including optimization method. It therefore forms a fundamental base for research and practical application.