FINELY STRIATED LIP-SEAL SURFACES .1. GENERAL EFFECTS

The work presented previously by Tonder and Salant (1992) is extended and generalized. In that work it was shown that the fine, axially orie nted striations found on some lip-seals, under certain conditions, cou ld lead to the total suppression of leakage through a fully lubricated seal. In the present work the behavior of the lubricant annulus is st udied, as are the conditions required for leakage suppression. If the latter are met, it is shown that when a certain parameter-here called the seal number-is increased, the lubricant annulus width will shrink. This will lead to a reduction of the friction force. It is further sh own that the striated roughness will also generate a radial force or l oad capacity. This effect does not involve local cavitation.