Abstract: Leakage due to wear is a common form of failure of reciprocating seals during service. At present, the prediction of seal wear life is mainly based on experimental methods, which are complex and have high time and economic costs. Simulation is a better way to achieve the purpose of seal wear life prediction, but currently there is a lack of suitable simulation methods for the important factor of wear-speed. In response to the need for wear life assessment of seal systems for practical engineering applications, a reciprocating seal wear life prediction method considering variable speed conditions is proposed based on the hybrid lubrication model and Rhee wear theory. The evolution of seal performance such as lip contact pressure, contact width, contact deformation and reverse pumping back rate with the accumulation of wear time is simulated by analyzing the change of seal lip profile wear under a given working condition, and the goal of seal wear life prediction is achieved. A comparison of the life prediction with the average speed treatment method is carried out in conjunction with the actual engineering application of the step seal. The results show that the leakage rate of the wear loss cycle under the variable speed treatment method is 3.24 mL/h, and the leakage rate under the average speed treatment method is 0.24 mL/h. There is a significant difference in the prediction results, and the transient change in speed is a factor that cannot be ignored in the reciprocating seal wear simulation speed.

Key words: reciprocating seal, mixed lubrication, wear simulation, life expectancy