Sealing performance assessments of PTFE rotary lip seals based on the elasto-hydrodynamic analysis with the modified archard wear model

Numerical assessments based on the elasto-hydrodynamic analysis (EHA) in conjunction with the modified Archard wear model are conducted to efficiently appraise the potential leakage of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) rotary lip seals after high cycle operations. The modified Archard model with the introduction of exponential relationships between the wear coefficient and film thickness obtained via the EHA is implemented into the commercial finite element software to estimate the wear amount on the seal. The EHA is then periodically activated to evaluate the variation of wear coefficient and reverse pumping rate for the updated geometry of the seal lip. Simulation results reveal that the design initially having large positive reverse pumping rate does not necessarily bear longer service durations before the leakage.