The objective of the research is to understand the effects of the throat wall and angle of taper on the overall mixing of flow in the seal chamber of enlarged cylindrical and tapered mechanical seals. This research will lead to fundamental understanding of flow behavior in the seal chambers. As a result of this understanding, new seal chamber design for improved overall cooling of the seal faces is expected. In addition, by tracing plastic particles seeded in the flow, the seal chamber shape will be optimized to reduce the erosive effects of abrasive particles and reduce leakage for pollution control. Thus, this research will contribute to advancement of pump and mechanical seal manufacturing technology by providing appropriate means to increase the mean time between failures for these products.
