In an air brake system, compressed air is used as an energy medium for braking
applications, ensuring a good seal between the components is critical. The
sealing performance of gaskets are significant for the product with joint
features as it affects functionality and can cause a breakdown of the entire
system; hence, finite element simulation of the sealing performance of gaskets
is important for any product development. To simulate fluid interacting with
gasket, a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation is necessary by
co-simulating a computation fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis
(FEA) solvers to capture complex behavior of seal deformation under dynamic
conditions during leakage, but it is a time-consuming process. In this article,
the sealing performance of gaskets is studied in detail only till the start of
leakage. It is not necessary to simulate the dynamic behavior of the seal beyond
leakage to validate the sealing performance; hence, static nonlinear analysis is
performed in FEA to capture the seal behavior. But instead of simulating the
interaction of fluid as a normal pressure load, a new technique called pressure
penetration load is applied. This new technique can not only simulate the normal
pressure on the seal and body but also simulate the penetration of fluid through
the seal. The intensity of penetration depends on the contact pressure and
exists at the interface between the seal and body, due to bolt torque. If the
contact pressure is less, the fluid pressure can penetrate and open the contact.
This method can predict the possibility of leakage efficiently, and the
computation cost is less compared to FSI simulations involving two solvers. The
contact pressure developed during the assembly process is simulated and
confirmed with the Fuji film test—a pressure-indicating sensor film. Using
pressure penetration load, the sealing performance is analyzed to ensure no
leakage during extreme conditions. With this methodology, the gasket groove
volume, number of bolts, bolt torque, and bolt locations can be optimized. This
paper also discusses the sensitivity of various FEA parameters like element
size, element type, and dependence of bolt modelling for the current simulation
to reduce computation time. This methodology can be applied to validate various
products with face-sealing gaskets. A design optimization study is done using
this method to convert a metal cover into plastic material with topology
optimization to save weight and overall cost of the product.