An Investigation into Dry Gas Seals with Different Groove Structures

Dry gas seals (DGSs) are currently the preferred sealing method for high-speed rotating machinery, widely used in the fields of petrochemicals and energy and power. This study analyzes the effect of groove structure and operating parameters (rotary ring speed and inlet pressure) on the performance of the sealing system. The results show that a swallowtail-like groove demonstrates a dual effect of improving film stability and reducing leakage under specific working conditions. Specifically, under the inlet pressure of 4.5852 MPa and rotational speed of 10,380 rpm, the swallowtail-like groove achieves a 1.84% reduction in leakage and a 0.32% increase in opening force compared with a conventional spiral groove. Rotational speed has the greatest impact on the gas film stability of the cluster spiral groove. Increasing inlet pressure enhances the dynamic stabilization of gas film. Dynamic analysis indicates that the opening force demonstrates a linear proportionality with inlet pressure, whereas leakage follows an exponential growth. This work can provide guidance for optimizing the groove structure in dry gas sealing systems.