Simulation of Acoustic Emission Between Mechanical Seal Interfaces Considering Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Effects

Abstract

Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring has been widely employed for condition assessment of mechanical seals. However, the physical origin of high-frequency AE activity under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) conditions remains insufficiently understood. To address this, a physics-based forward-modelling framework is developed by integrating transient EHL analysis, dynamic interfacial load mapping, and piezoelectric signal transduction. The simulated AE responses are compared with experimental measurements acquired from a GM150 sensor under both normal and defect operating conditions. The results indicate that dynamic oil-film pressure fluctuations provide a physically plausible excitation mechanism for high-frequency AE activity under EHL conditions. The present study provides a mechanistic relationship between lubrication behavior and AE responses, providing a physics-based foundation for the interpretation of AE signals and condition monitoring of lubricated mechanical seal systems.