| dc.description.abstract | Mechanical seals are a form of dynamic sealing that have become an essential component in the operation of centrifugal pumps in industry. As mechanical seals are frequently seen to be the component with the shortest service life of those found in pumps, it is paramount to determine what conditions of operation impact their performance. Previous work has indicated that vibrations play a role in how seals perform during operation. Lateral vibrations specifically have been shown to diminish a mechanical seal’s service life, however the exact impact they have has yet to be determined. The work covered in this thesis strives to answer this question by externally exerting lateral vibrations upon an experimental system designed to simulate the operating conditions typical of industrial centrifugal pumps. Previous work has covered a cylindrical shape mode of motion, while this covers conical motion. The leakage of the seal is collected and measured between trials, while axial and lateral vibrations of the seal along with rotational torque and running speed are continually monitored and recorded. Leakage measurements and axial vibration measurements are used to evaluate the impact of the externally excited vibrations on the film thickness of the mechanical seal and are compared to previous test results. Lateral vibration measurements of the seal along with lateral vibration measurements of the rotor are evaluated based on their average vibration amplitudes change in behavior between different excitation frequencies and the magnitude of their response in the frequency domain. Lateral transmissibility of the rotating portion of the mechanical seal is evaluated based on the seal and rotor lateral vibration amplitudes. The measured torque and running speed are used to determine the power consumption of the seal and to determine whether there is a dependence on either chamber pressure or frequency. Leakage, axial vibration, lateral transmissibilty, and power consumption are used to quantify the mechanical seal’s performance and determine whether externally induced lateral/pitched vibrations are of any consequence to the seal’s operation. Power consumption and leakage are found to be independent of the excitation frequency. The average film thickness is found to decrease with the excitation frequency. The transmissibilty is found to be impacted by the externally induced lateral vibrations | |
