Finite Element Analysis of Tandem Rubber O-Ring Sealing Structure at the End of Shaft

Based on the tandem sealing structure at the end of the shaft,a finite element model of rubber O-rings has been established and the sealing performance of rubber O-ring has been analyzed. There is an un-uniform compression among these O-rings which lead to the sealing failure. Under different friction factors, several groups of the rubber O-rings have been analyzed, finding that the friction factor is the reason of un-uniform compression. The effect of different average compression rate has been investigated, which has been integrated in the sealing criteria for the tandem O-rings, providing a reference for the optimization of tandem sealing structure at the end of the shaft. According to the sealing criteria for a single O-ring, the sealing criteria for the tandem O-rings is built.