Thermal performance of mechanical seals with textured side-wall

Experimental measurements and numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of cooling of a mechanical seal's active surface by means of cylindrically shaped dimples engraved circumferentially on the outside diameter of the mating ring. The working fluid is propylene glycol solution (70% in water by volume) and the flush rate is 107 cm³/s. A commercially available CFD code (FLUENT) is employed to numerically confirm the experimental measurements, and the numerical and experimental results are in agreement. Results of this study demonstrate the heat augmentation effectiveness of surface texture techniques on the mechanical seals.