Analysis of three-dimensional non-axisymmetric elastic effects of the lip on the thermoelastohydrodynamic radial lip seal behaviour

Abstract Numerical models, proposed to analyse the elastohydrodynamic and thermoelastohydrodynamic (TEHD) behaviour of radial lip seals, have been considered in terms of an axisymmetrical approach to elastic seal deformation. However, the results obtained using a non-axisymmetrical elastic approach to investigating the tip of the lip differed from the axisymmetrical approach results in relation to the deformation distribution of the lip surface. The main objective of the present work is to show through numerical analysis the three-dimensional nonaxisymmetric effect of the lip deformations on the TEHD behaviour of radial lip seals. Hence, a comparison between both elastic approaches is presented in order to analyse the influence of the lip's non-axisymmetric behaviour on all of the operating characteristics of the lip seal. In addition, different forms of the lip surface roughness are investigated.