Innovation Series: Advanced Science (ISSN 2938-9933, CNKI Indexed)

Volume 3 · Issue 5 (2026)
94
views
DOI number:
10.66521/2938-9933-2026053101

Contact Stress Distribution and Leakage Risk Control of Rotary Shaft Lip Seals

 

Jing Wang1,*, Zhonghua Zhou2

1 Chongqing Technology and Business Institute, Chongqing Open University, Chongqing 401520, China

2 China Oilfield Services Limited, Sanhe 065200, Hebei, China

Corresponding Author: Jing Wang (1065560315@qq.com)

 

Funding: Scientific and Technological Research Project of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (No. KJQN202204018): Research on Sealing Mechanism of Mechanical Equipment Lip Seal

 

Abstract: Rotary shaft lip seal in high-speed transmission, pump shaft and vehicle power system to assume the function of media retention and pollution isolation, lip contact stress attenuation will induce oil film rupture and leakage channel expansion. In order to improve the recognition accuracy of seal state, this paper established a finite element contact model between lip and rotating shaft, introduced parameters such as interference, spring preload, friction coefficient, speed load and interface temperature rise, and used local mesh encryption and surface-surface contact algorithm to solve the stress distribution. At the same time, the stress cloud map is transformed into the average contact stress, the proportion of low-pressure area, the continuity of contact zone and the circumferential fluctuation coefficient. Combined with the temperature rise and wear depth, the leakage risk identification and structural optimization method are constructed, and the engineering control process that can be calculated, judged and feedback is formed. The results show that the peak values of contact stress at 1000, 3000 and 5000 r/min are about 0.46, 0.39 and 0.31 MPa, respectively. After 90 minutes of operation, the risk index of the optimized structure is 0.43, which is 34.8% lower than that of the conventional structure. The research can provide a basis for lip seal design, condition evaluation and active leakage control.

 

Keywords: Rotary shaft lip seal; Contact stress distribution; Leakage risk control; Finite element simulation

 

References

[1]
Fazekas B, Burkhart C, Staub S, Thielen S, Andrä H, Goda T J, Sauer B, Koch O. Radial shaft seals: How ageing in oil and hyper-viscoelasticity affect the radial force and the numerically predicted wear. Tribology International, 2023, 186: 108601. DOI: 10.1016/j.triboint.2023.108601.
[2]
Morad O, Saikko V, Viitala R. Performance characterization of marine lip seals: Contact temperature and frictional torque. Wear, 2023, 523: 204763. DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2023.204763.
[3]
Morad O, Viitala R, Saikko V. Behavior of marine thruster lip seals under typical operating conditions. Tribology International, 2025, 201: 110195. DOI: 10.1016/j.triboint.2024.110195.
[4]
Nomikos P, Rahmani R, Morris N, Rahnejat H. An investigation of oil leakage from automotive driveshaft radial lip seals. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 2023, 237(13): 3108-3124. DOI: 10.1177/09544070221127105.
[5]
Nomikos P, Rahmani R, Morris N, Rahnejat H. Measurement and prediction of thermal performance of automotive transmission radial lip seals. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 2023: 1-17. DOI: 10.1177/09544070231213903.
[6]
Grün J, Gohs M, Bauer F. Multiscale structural mechanics of rotary shaft seals: Numerical studies and visual experiments. Lubricants, 2023, 11(6): 234. DOI: 10.3390/lubricants11060234.
[7]
Hahn S, Feldmeth S, Bauer F. Assessment of the lubricity of grease-sealing rotary shaft seals based on grease properties. Chemical Engineering & Technology, 2023, 46(1): 53-60. DOI: 10.1002/ceat.202200382.
[8]
Fricker P, Baumann M, Bauer F. How wetting properties influence the wear of radial lip sealing systems. Chemical Engineering & Technology, 2023, 46(1): 61-70. DOI: 10.1002/ceat.202200375.
[9]
Hannss J, Grün J, Olbrich C, Feldmeth S, Bauer F. Multiphase conjugate heat transfer analyses on the assembly situation of rotary shaft seals. Applied Sciences, 2023, 13(19): 11026. DOI: 10.3390/app131911026.
[10]
Engelfried M, Haffner G, Baumann M, Bauer F. Modeling the pumping behavior of macroscopic lead structures on shaft counterfaces of rotary shaft seals. Lubricants, 2023, 11(11): 495. DOI: 10.3390/lubricants11110495.
[11]
Thielen S, Subramanian T, Sauer B, Koch O, Börner R, Junge T, Schubert A. Characterisation of the conveying effect of turned radial shaft seal counter-surfaces using a simplified hydrodynamic simulation model. Forschung im Ingenieurwesen, 2023, 87: 655-671. DOI: 10.1007/s10010-023-00610-9.
[12]
Stiemcke Y, Thielen S, Koch O, Schollmayer T, Sauer B. Investigation of the effect of underpressure between main and dust lip on the performance of radial shaft seals under instationary shaft movements. Journal of Tribology, 2024, 146(6): 064401. DOI: 10.1115/1.4064511.
[13]
Stubbe L, Stiemcke Y, Mross S, Staub S, Steiner K, Münnemann K, Koch O, Thielen S. A new rubber-lubricant compatibility test on a tribometer for radial shaft seals. Tribologie und Schmierungstechnik, 2025, 71(5-6): 38-44. DOI: 10.24053/TuS-2024-0037.
[14]
Stiemcke Y, Thielen S, Koch O. Theoretical concept for in-situ condition monitoring of rotary shaft seals using surface strain-based analysis of the deformation state. Forschung im Ingenieurwesen, 2025, 89(1): 61. DOI: 10.1007/s10010-025-00819-w.
[15]
Stiemcke Y, Rheinländer C, Feldmann J, Uebel J, Becker T, Nikolaus K, Seewig J, Wehn N, Koch O, Sauer B, Thielen S. Integrated sensor system for rotary shaft seals enabling condition monitoring of dynamic sealing contact and lubricant. Forschung im Ingenieurwesen, 2025, 89: 116. DOI: 10.1007/s10010-025-00888-x.
[16]
Schollmayer T, Thielen S, Schröder V, Sauer B, Koch O. Experimental investigation of radial shaft seal followability against dynamic shaft displacement without shaft rotation at low temperatures. Journal of Tribology, 2025, 147(10): 104401. DOI: 10.1115/1.4069086.
[17]
Szczęch M. Research into the pressure capability and friction torque of a rotary lip seal lubricated by ferrofluid. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 2025, 614: 172759. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2024.172759.
Download PDF
Innovation Series

Innovation Series is an academic publisher publishing journals and books covering a wide range of academic disciplines.

Contact

Francesc Boix i Campo, 7

08038 Barcelona, Spain