Control and analysis of floating ability of aeronautical cylindrical spiral groove gas seal based on F-K model

The slip flow phenomenon caused by the gas floating seal in ultra-thin gas films and high-altitude rarefied gas environments occurs frequently. This study represents the first attempt to calculate the gas film floating force by considering the coupling relationship among the slip flow effect, the surface micro-grooves, and the eccentricity using a high-precision eight-node finite difference method based on the linearized Boltzmann equation for a spiral-grooved cylindrical gas seal. Furthermore, the influence of slip flow on the operational and groove parameters of the spiral-grooved cylindrical gas seal is investigated and discussed. Results show that the velocity gradient of the lubrication gas is reduced and the effect of the fluid hydrodynamic pressure is weakened because of slip flow, particularly in high-speed, low-pressure, and high-eccentricity fields. However, increases in groove depth, number, and length improve the gas film floating force, which strengthens the slip flow response in the grooves. Therefore, the slip flow reduces the gas film floating force, but when the groove depth exceeds 32 μm and the groove length is greater than 45 mm, the slip flow may become negligible. The results presented here provide a theoretical basis to broaden the application scope of dynamic seals in the aerospace field.