Numerical and experimental analysis of the reusability of spring energized metal C rings

Abstract

It is well known that static seals are usually designed to be used once. In this paper, we discuss the reusability of a type of static seal called the spring energized metal C ring, which is required to be reused 4–5 times without maintenance during the lifetime of the pump. A theoretical analysis based on the nonlinear finite element method and an experimental investigation of the reusability of the C ring are carried out. The effects of the elastic modulus of the ring material, the ring wall thickness, the amount of assembly interference between the spring and the C ring, the operating temperature and the compression ratio are discussed. The parameter S, which denotes the reaction force difference percentage, is determined to measure the reusability of the C ring. The results show that the ring wall thickness plays an important role in the reusability. Although the normal force of a thick wall decreases after the ring is reused eight times, the value is still higher than the first normal force of a thin wall. In contrast, the elastic modulus of the material has the lowest impact. Here, a pre-compression ratio of 18.2% not only produces a larger first normal force but also leads to a smaller reduction in the normal force when the ring is reused. A simulated experiment is carried out to investigate the influence of the coating of the C ring on its reusability. The results show that when plastic deformation occurs on the contact surface, the contact state of the C ring coating becomes a major factor that affects the seal performance. Aging treatment at high temperatures (250°C) reduces the binding force of the silver coating on the spring energized metal C ring, which leads to the deterioration in the reusability of the ring.