9522527 Salant Rotary lip seals are found in most machines containing rotating shafts. Failure of the seals can lead to equipment failure and environmental damage. During normal operation the seal surface is protected by a thin liquid film that separates it from the shaft. However, during transient conditions the film is not fully established and this will eventually lead to damage to the lip, thereby limiting the life of the seal. In this project a numerical elastohydrodynamic model of the transient behavior of the liquid film will be developed, including fluid mechanics analysis of the film, solid body contact mechanics between asperities on the two surfaces, structural analysis of the lip, and analysis of the meniscus that separates the fluid from the atmosphere on the air-side. The model will predict time histories of film thickness distribution, contact force and fluid pressure distribution, cavitation and starvation regions, torque, etc. The model will be validated with experimental results and will be used for parametric studies to develop seal designs that limit damage and extend seal life. ***
