An Efficient Finite Element Procedure for Analysis of High-Speed Spiral Groove Gas Face Seals

An efficient and accurate finite element procedure is specially devised to analyze the performance of gas-lubricated spiral groove face seals operating at high speeds. The procedure is based on the Galerkin weighted residual method with a new class of high-order shape functions, which are derived from an approximate solution to the nonlinear Reynolds equation within an element. Static and dynamic performance characteristics, such as seal opening force, flow leakage and frequency-dependent dynamic force coefficients, are determined to study the effects of high speeds on the behavior of spiral groove gas face seals.