Development of Friction Properties Experimental Device of Mechanical Seal Material in Vacuum Working Condition

Abstract

Mechanical seal plays a very important role in rotating machinery for space exploration, but it is very difficult to estimate its friction performance by simulative experiment. In this paper, a experimental system for measuring friction properties of mechanical seal materials used in spacecraft is developed. It is able to provide some adjustable parameters in the experiment, such as environment temperature -60°C~60°C, load 100N~300N, rotational speed of 30r/min~110r/min and atmospheric pressure and high vacuum. Friction coefficients of babbitt graphite M120B and hard alloy YG6 are obtained by the test rig and the experimental results testify that the device can conduct simulative experiment effectively.