Performance of a WC coated mechanical seal prototype with integral micro heat exchanger

Temperature induced failures are among the most frequent for end face mechanical seals. Recently, a new approach to cooling has been proposed that uses a micro heat exchanger fabricated integrally with the stationary mechanical seal ring. This paper presents experimental results for a WC coated, air-cooled mechanical seal with integral micro heat exchanger in dry-running and water-lubricated conditions at 2400 RPM and various PV values. The micro heat exchanger is a pin fin design and is fabricated from nickel using a modified LIGA process. The heat exchanger has a surface area to volume ratio of 10,500 m²/m³ and fin pitch of 315 μm. Testing is performed using a thrust washer rotary tribometer. The results show that the micro heat exchanger has the potential to alleviate temperature related failures associated with mechanical seals and, in particular, with seals that use low friction hard coatings.