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Three-dimensional finite element analysis of O-ring metal seals considering manufacture tolerances
(2019)
Metal seals are widely used in various industrial branches with severe working conditions (e.g. high pressure, high temperature, corrosion, or radioactive radiation). For example, O-ring metal seals are applied in the closure lid system of transport and storage casks for radioactive materials to guarantee an approved specified leak-tightness and the safe enclosure of the radioactive inventory. Within safety assessments of those casks under normal or accident conditions during transport and long-term interim storage for several decades, numerical simulations of the thermo-mechanical behavior of metal seals by using finite element (FE) analyses are suitable and effective.
In general, finite element codes provide the possibility to construct a complex three-dimensional (3D) modelling of metal seals with solid elements, cf., where all components of the metal seals are modeled in detail. This modelling is complex but allows the consideration of underlying physical effects such as elastic-plastic deformation, thermal expansion, creep/relaxation, friction and possible local damage. Therefore, this approach permits the investigation and understanding of the complex behavior of metal seals in detail which can hardly be measured for all seal components.
In a prior work, the complex 3D modelling approach was applied to investigate the influence of each seal component on the global seal force by considering varying material properties and different seal diameters. In the present contribution, the influence of manufacturing tolerances is discussed. At first, the results of prior work are summarized. After that, the manufacturing tolerances of the studied O-ring metal seal types are described and the corresponding FE model with all individual components is introduced. Finally, the influence of varying manufacturing tolerances of each seal component on the global seal force is analyzed and discussed.
Metal gaskets in the lid system of transport and storage casks for radioactive material have to guarantee leak-tightness and safe enclosure of the radioactive inventory under normal and accident conditions during transport, in case of accidents and for the longterm interim storage. For safety assessments by nurnerical simulation of the thermomechanical behaviour of a lid system with metal gaskets, the finite element method offers three options to use: i) special gasket elements, ii) complex three-dimensional modeHing with solid elements, and iii) a simplified axisymmetric approach. Gasket elements can be adjusted by many parameters, but they give only a global representation of the experimentally observed gasket behaviour. For calculations of the entire cask including the lid system with gaskets, nonetheless this approach is recommended. To investigate the hardly measurable impact behaviour in detail or to extrapolate the long-term behaviour, a local modeHing of all parts of a gasket and their interactions with effects like elastic-plastic deformation, creep, relaxation, and friction is necessary. The three-dimensional model can describe the change of contact area between outer jacket of the gasket and flange dependent on the load conditions, what overcomes an essential limitation of special gasket elements. To simplify the problern of investigating the underlying physical effects, an axisymmetric lid system can be modelled with axisymmetric finite elements. Usually an approximation is only necessary for the helical spring of a metal gasket. This paper explains basic ideas for an adequate finite element simulation of cask lid systems with metal gaskets and their thermo-mechanical behaviour under specific load scenarios.