Study on the mechanism and dynamic characteristics of high-temperature high-pressure microtextured gas film floating ring seals based on perturbation method

Abstract

Abstract

Addressing the stability issues of gas film floating ring seals under high-temperature, high-pressure, and vibrational conditions, where conventional floating rings fall short, three novel microtexture configurations are proposed: convergent, stepped, and rectangular shallow grooves. Dynamic characteristic governing equations for microtextured floating ring seals were established based on the perturbation method. A comprehensive parametric study was performed for different microtextured seals, and the influence mechanisms of various microtextures on gas film pressure distribution, stiffness, and damping characteristics were systematically investigated, revealing the underlying principles affecting seal dynamics. The research indicates that microtextures on the inner circumference of the floating ring significantly optimize pressure distribution and its gradients by enhancing the gas dynamic pressure effect. Specifically, compared with the conventional structure, the convergent microstructure reduces the leakage rate by 8.98% and increases stiffness by 5.00 times by suppressing fluid flow through a gradually narrowing gap; the stepped microstructure utilizes flow separation to generate vortices, achieving a 7.23% reduction in leakage rate and a 3.67-fold increase in stiffness; the rectangular shallow groove creates localized high-pressure zones, resulting in a 15.12% decrease in leakage rate and a 6.18-fold improvement in stiffness. All three microtextures regulate vortex motion, optimize local pressure distribution, and enhance energy dissipation, thus improving gas film flow characteristics. The proposed microstructural floating-ring gas film model is well validated by experimental data, showing a maximum discrepancy of 17.03% in the leakage rate. Furthermore, the developed solution effectively suppresses gas film instability, leading to remarkable improvements in the steady-state performance and dynamic stability of the sealing system. This work thus provides a novel theoretical framework and paves a robust technical pathway for the design of high-performance seals in extreme operating conditions.