The gland and the shaft were modeled as rigid contact bodies. Friction was specified between the o-ring
and the shaft. A node in contact with the shaft was selected and a time-displacement (in the torsional
direction) history plot was obtained. The initial portion of the curve is the insertion and the application of
pressure. It is the later portion of the curve that is interesting. As the torsion was applied, the node
rotated with the shaft. When the static friction was overcome, the seal started to slip back to its original
position. The static friction would overcome the sliding friction and node would again start to move
torsionally until it slipped again. The animation file will show the slippage by a fluxuation of the von Mises
contours. A study such as this can help to understand the wear patterns and life of seals.
The following video shows results from the analysis.
Video of O Ring Analysis.
Note: the ZIP files download faster than the AVI file. After downloading, you must unzip the file with a program, such as
WinZip or
PKzip. Then choose "File | Open" from your web browser's menu. Find the unzipped file and open it with the web browser. Click on the image to see the video.
