Influence of surface roughness on molecular flow through labyrinth seals for space applications

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216305%3A26210%2F26%3A0199268" target="_blank" >RIV/00216305:26210/26:0199268 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025039568" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025039568</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107905" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107905</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Influence of surface roughness on molecular flow through labyrinth seals for space applications

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Labyrinth seals are commonly used in space mechanisms to reduce evaporative losses of lubricant molecules and limit the transport of contaminants. Analytical models and numerical simulations for predicting mass flow through these seals typically assume smooth, idealized surfaces, neglecting the effects of realistic surface roughness. This study systematically investigates the impact of surface roughness on the transmission probability (TP) of oil molecules using Monte Carlo simulations under free molecular flow conditions. Key geometric and surface parameters including average roughness (Ra), corridor length, and seal width are varied to evaluate their influence on molecular transport. The results demonstrate that surface roughness significantly reduces TP and molecular flux, especially in narrow and elongated geometries. Furthermore, increasing surface roughness by an order of magnitude enables a reduction in channel length or an increase in gap width by approximately 35–40% while maintaining equivalent transmission probability. Based on these findings, a correction model is proposed to improve prediction accuracy and is validated against experimentally measured oil evaporative losses. This work highlights the potential of controlled surface texturing as a design strategy to both enhance sealing effectiveness and enable geometric reductions for improved compactness and manufacturability.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Influence of surface roughness on molecular flow through labyrinth seals for space applications

Popis výsledku anglicky

Labyrinth seals are commonly used in space mechanisms to reduce evaporative losses of lubricant molecules and limit the transport of contaminants. Analytical models and numerical simulations for predicting mass flow through these seals typically assume smooth, idealized surfaces, neglecting the effects of realistic surface roughness. This study systematically investigates the impact of surface roughness on the transmission probability (TP) of oil molecules using Monte Carlo simulations under free molecular flow conditions. Key geometric and surface parameters including average roughness (Ra), corridor length, and seal width are varied to evaluate their influence on molecular transport. The results demonstrate that surface roughness significantly reduces TP and molecular flux, especially in narrow and elongated geometries. Furthermore, increasing surface roughness by an order of magnitude enables a reduction in channel length or an increase in gap width by approximately 35–40% while maintaining equivalent transmission probability. Based on these findings, a correction model is proposed to improve prediction accuracy and is validated against experimentally measured oil evaporative losses. This work highlights the potential of controlled surface texturing as a design strategy to both enhance sealing effectiveness and enable geometric reductions for improved compactness and manufacturability.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

20301 - Mechanical engineering

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/EH22_008%2F0004634" target="_blank" >EH22_008/0004634: Strojní inženýrství biologických a bioinspirovaných systémů</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Results in Engineering

ISSN

2590-1230

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

28

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

December

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

14

Strana od-do

—

Kód UT WoS článku

001608135500008

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105022213281