The Seal-Designing Principle and the Gland Gasket Seals refined from ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel

l Code
Author:
Xu Changxiang Chief-engineer of China Valve Co. Ltd. Graduated by Chongqing University in 1969. Worked for more than 30 years in aero-industrial factories. Studied the tube-connecting principles, methods, structures or constructions and components in China Valve Co. Ltd. since 2002.

Chinese Hydraulics & Pneumatics, 08, 2009-9-30 Petro-Chemical Equipment, 09, 2009 Valve World Asia Conference & Exhibition 2009

The Seal-Designing Principle and the Gland Gasket Seals

refined from ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Xu Changxiang Keywords: seal-designing principle, seal-maintaining factor m, minimum nominal stress y, microline contact followed by microsurface contact, microsawtooth-ringed joint Abstract: Any leak proof joint can be designed and checked according to whether or not seal-maintaining factors m (= Fs/Fu) >1 provided that microsawtooth rings or soft gaskets are suitably used to ensure that the minimum nominal stress y required to provide an initial seal at no medium pressure is quite small, because the sealing actuation force Fs is equal to the medium-unsealed force Fu on the sealing surface when m=1. The factors m and y originate in ASME Code but differ from the ASME Codes.

1 Tasks for Sealing

The sealing task is to seat the sealing surface into irregularities to close the leak channels on joint surfaces, and so generally into the irregularities caused by any geometric error of turned and bored surfaces because the joint surfaces are almost finished by turning and boring. The geometric errors of a surface caused by machining consist of roughness, waviness and form error. The roughness is of the finer microsurface irregularities left by the cutting evidence; their profile element width (Xs) is narrower, and, to their profile element height (Zt), is less than 50 (Xs/Zt<50). The waviness is of the fine microsurface irregularities caused by vibrations during machining; their profile element width (Xs) is narrow, and, to their profile element height (Zt), ranges from 50 to 1000 (Xs/Zt=50~1000). The form error is of the wide macrosurface irregularities caused by perpendicular and parallel errors between machine tool ways, spindles and alignment of the workpiece; their profile element width (Xs) is wide, and, to their profile element height (Zt), is more than 1000 (Xs/Zt>1000). The width of sealing surfaces may be far less than the profile element width (Xs) of surface form errors caused by perpendicularity and parallelism of machine tool ways and spindles, and so the irregularity resulting from that form error on the sealing surface may be ignored. The form errors caused by the clamping or aligning of the workpiece shall and may also be reduced to the ignored extent. The commonly turning and boring processes are of a finely machining method, using a high spindle speed which results in high frequency vibrations and a narrow width of waviness, and using a fine feed speed which results in fine cutting evidences and a narrower width of roughness. Therefore, generally speaking, the irregularities for the sealing surface to be seated into are of what is caused by the finer profile element width of waviness and roughness on joint surfaces. Clause 5.2 of EN 13555 defines that the irregularities for the sealing surface to be seated into are of the one caused by the roughness, and Fig.B1 of ASME B46 defines that the roughness produced by commonly turning and boring methods is Ra3.2~Ra1.6m for inner surfaces, and Ra1.6~Ra0.8m for outer surfaces. Therefore, the irregularity for the sealing surface to be seated into is finally the one caused by the turned and bored roughness not rougher than Ra3.2 on joint surfaces.

2 Pressure-Transmitting Properties of Gaskets

Both the common sealing material at a room temperature range and the other material at a high temperature range are of a viscoelastic material which has crystalline regions

alternating with amorphous regions, and the crystalline regions contribute properties of a solid phase and the amorphous regions contribute properties of a liquid phase. Therefore, the gasket may uniformly transmit pressure in all directions because of the fluidity of its liquid components, and it is possible for a medium pressure on the gasket to be able to be fully transferred into a sealing stress of the gasket whether its medium actuation surface is perpendicular or parallel with its sealing surface. The gasket under enclosed compression, like the oil in a hydraulic cylinder, may have an ultrastrong compressive strength because of the incompressibility of its liquid components, and never be crushed as long as the extrusion gap is enough small. Because of the viscosity of its liquid components, the gasket may have a lag of its strain to its stress or a sealing stress relaxation or a creep causing the seal failure, and a fast diminished pressure transmission. Because of the stability of its solid components, the gasket may only half transfer its medium-compressed stress into its orthogonally deforming elongation stress at most in accordance with Poissons ratio and Hookes law since the Poissons ratio of common sealing material is less than 0.5, and therefore it is possible for a medium pressure on the gasket only to be able to be transferred into a sealing stress of the gasket in the other direction according to vectors and in the orthogonal direction according to the Poissons ratio. Thus, it can be seen that almost the soft rubber gasket can transmit pressure according to liquid, the hard gasket can only do according to solid, and the moderately hard PTFE gasket can do microcosmically according to liquid and macrocosmically according to solid before yielding, and can do macrocosmically according to liquid after yielding.

3 The Seal-Designing Principle

Any sealing surface is an upset impulse amplifier which will produce an unsealing actuation force (Fu) of sealing area times pressure by a gradual and fast permeation of pressurized medium into the sealing surface when it happens to be transiently upset and its sealing stress decreases to some extent, and therefore a seal-maintaining factor m = Fs/Fu can be used to measure the seal maintaining ability or the sealing reliability of a leak proof joint, where Fs is the sealing actuation force, and Fu is the medium unsealed force on the sealing surface and equal to the sealing area times pressure. If the formula m = Fs/Fu is at all times significant for a leak proof joint, the sealing actuation force (Fs) will be equal to the unsealing actuation force (Fu) from permeation medium on the sealing surface and equal to the sealing area times pressure when m = 1; i.e. the leak proof joint will be in a critical state between the sealed and the unsealed when m = 1, and of course in a sealed state as soon as m is greater than one, and the greater the m, the stronger the seal-maintaining ability, the higher the sealing reliability of the joint. However, it is impossible for the sealing actuation force (Fs = mFu) to provide an initial seal for a joint at no medium pressure, much less to provide a seal-maintaining ability for the joint at a medium pressure if the minimum nominal stress y required to provide an initial seal at no medium pressure is too big and the rated working pressure is too low; the stress y is calculated by the nominal contact area and tested at a medium pressure of 2 psig or 0.14 bars. That is to say, the necessary and sufficient condition significant or tenable for the idea or the formula of seal-maintaining factors m should be that the minimum nominal stress y required to provide an initial seal at no medium pressure shall be so small as to be ignored. If the stress y is quite small, the pre-fastening force for ultimate working pressures is surely able to finish the initial seal at no medium pressure, and of course the seal deign only needs an additional force (Fs) equal to m times the medium-unsealed force (Fu) on the sealing surface at a pressure to maintain and strengthen the initial seal. Therefore, the seal-designing principle is that the minimum nominal stress y required to provide an initial seal for a joint at no medium pressure shall be quite so small as for

seal-maintaining factors m = Fs/Fu to have a significance that the tightness of the joint at a medium pressure shall be determined by the seal maintaining factor m, or to have a significance that the joint will be in a critical state between the sealed and the unsealed when m is equal to one, and, as soon as the m is greater than one, the joint will be in a sealed state and the greater the m, the stronger the seal-maintaining ability, the higher the sealing reliability, because the sealing actuation force (Fs) is equal to the medium-unsealed force (Fu) of the sealing area times pressure on the sealing surface when m is equal to one; in other words, any seal design shall be at first to make the minimum nominal stress y at no medium pressure so small as for the factor m to be significant at a medium pressure, and then to make the factor m more than one. Since the sealing task for a metal to metal joint, as mentioned above, is to seat the sealing surface into the irregularity caused by the surface roughness not rougher than Ra3.2, a microline contact followed by a microsurface contact can at first provide an actual seating stress approximate to infinity for finishing the initial seal by the line contact with its contact area approximate to zero, and then provide a calculated nominal stress y so small as to be ignored for the joint by the surface contact following the line contact or by a small compressive force divided by a big contact area in time to protect the line contact from being crushed and ensure that the line contact is always available in the surface contact for maintaining and strengthening the initial seal. Generally, the joint with the microline contact followed by a microsurface contact is formed of a smooth joint surface and a microsawtooth-ringed joint surface with tooth pitch Xs to tooth height Zt equal to 20~500 (Xs/Zt=20~500). The softer the joint surface, the easier the deformation of its sawtooth rings to finish the initial seal and the easier the development from the line contact to the surface contact to ensure that the line contact forever exists and does not damage the smooth joint surface; whereas the harder the joint surface, the more difficult or the slower the deformation or the blunting of its sawtooth edges, the more approximate to zero the initial contact areas, the more approximate to infinity the initial seating stress, and finally still the easier the deformation of its sawtooth rings to finish the initial seal and not to damage the smooth joint surface. Experiments have proved that the leak proof joint with microsawtooth rings, whether the joined metal is soft or hard, can repeatedly pass the air-tight test at a low pressure and the hydraulic test at an ultimate pressure under corresponding seating loads, and always can produce annularly cut evidences on the tooth-testing plastic film, i.e. can always provide both a line contact required to finish the initial seal and a surface contact whose nominal stress y is so small as to be ignored, or always keep a microline contact followed by a microsurface contact. Since the gasket is softer than the joined metal, the leak proof joint with soft gaskets generally can always provide the initial seal by the pre-fastening force for an ultimate working pressure. Therefore, any leak proof joint can be designed and checked according to whether or not seal-maintaining factors m (= Fs/Fu) >1 provided that microsawtooth rings or soft gaskets are suitably used. As to some self-energized joints, their seal-maintaining factor m may be equal to their mediums sealing actuation area divided by their mediums unsealing actuation area because both actuations are from a similar medium pressure, and their factor m is their inherent design parameter with a value forever more than zero, only relating to the magnitudes of the mediums sealing actuation area and the mediums unsealing actuation area, being able to be changed by changing the design or its dimensions, and not relating to the sealing material strength and the sealing contact design or not relating to the magnitude of the minimum nominal stress y of a leak proof joint; however, ASME Code proposes that the seal-maintaining factors m of self-energized gaskets are all equal to zero. As to some non-self-energized joints, their seal-maintaining factor m is equal to their mechanical sealing actuation force divided by their medium-unsealed force on the sealing

surface because their sealing actuation force on the sealing surface is from mechanical fasteners, only relating to the magnitudes of the mechanical sealing actuation force and the medium-unsealed force, being able to be changed by changing the design or its dimensions, and not relating to the sealing material strength and the sealing contact design or not relating to the magnitude of the minimum nominal stress y of a leak proof joint; however, ASME Code proposes that the seal-maintaining factors m of non-self-energized gaskets are determined by the minimum nominal stresses y according to the formula: 180(2m-1)2=y. As to any leak proof joint, whichever sealing material and whichever design are used for it, it is in a critical state between the sealed and the unsealed when m is equal to one, whereas, as soon as the m is greater than one, it is in a sealed state; however, ASME Code proposes that the critical values of m range from 0 to 6.5, changing with sealing materials and sealing designs. Therefore, the definition of seal-maintaining factors m and the seal-designing principle proposed here originate in ASME Code but differ from the ASME Codes.

4 Basic Gland Gasket Seals or Grooved Gasket Seals

The non-metal used as gaskets is softer than the joined metal and easier to be seated into the irregularities or microinterstices on the joined metal surface to eliminate the primary leakage along the metal surface but brings about a new leakage through the microchannels or holes inherent in the gasket material. Whether a gasket is used for either dynamic or static seals, the effective means to eliminate the leak along its sealing surface is to provide a compressive stress on it enough to seat it into the irregularities, and the effective means to eliminate the leak through its material is to provide a uniform squeeze stress around it enough to shut its internal microchannels or the entry and exit of its internal microchannels by mechanical compression or/and medium pressure. But no unclosed compression of a gasket can provide a uniform compressive stress for each of its points and directions to shut all its leak channels, because its viscosity from liquid phases diminishes its pressure transmission in one direction and its stability from solid phases causes its pressure transmission to be different in axial and transverse directions; i.e. it is only the enclosed compression of a gasket that may provide a uniform compressive stress for each of its surfaces to shut all its leak channels along its surfaces and through its material at the same time. Therefore, in addition to making the gasket material have the ultrastrong compressive strength like the oil in a hydraulic cylinder, the gland gasket seal or the grooved gasket seal with its gasket enclosed for compressing should be the most ideal design of gasket seals, whether compressed by grooves or medium pressures or by both. The basic gland gasket seals, as shown in table 1, can be divided into curve and straight leak designs according to leak path, and into self-energized and non-self-energized designs according to self-seal. The curve leak design can be further divided into end and shoulder thrust types, and the straight leak design, further into axial gland type and radial female and male gland types. As shown in Fig.1 and Fig.2, the curve leak designs may leak from Li to Lo at first along curve 1-4-3 and then along curve 1-2-3 on sections because the area of surface 1-4 is bigger than of surface 1-2, and the stress on the surface 1-4 is smaller than on the surface 1-2. As shown in Fig.3 and Fig.4, the straight leak designs may leak from Li to Lo only along straight 1-2 on sections. The gasket 03a of non-self-energized designs is compacted and brims in its containing groove or cavity, and has no medium actuation area and no self-seal, and its weak material strength may contribute a lower joint strength; whereas the gasket 03b of self-energized designs is not full to the high pressure side of its containing groove or cavity, and has a medium actuation area and a self-seal, and the joint strength can not be limited by its weak gasket material strength.

Table 1 Basic Gland Gasket Seal Designs

Non-Self-Energized Designs Leaking by Curve Paths Self-Energized Designs Leaking by Curve Paths
4

01

Li Leak in Lo

01

Lo
3 4

01

Lo Leak out Lo 4 a'

01

Lo
3

03a
1

02
2

03a Li
1

02
2

03b
1

02
2

03b
1

02
2

a'

Li D

Li

Li

Compact to m>1 of sur.1-4 Compact to m>1 of sur.1-4

Non-Self-Energized Designs Leaking by Straight Paths Lo 01
3 2

Squeeze to k 2

Squeeze to k 2

Fig.1a End thrust type Fig.1b Shoulder thr. type Fig.2a End thrust type Fig.2b Shoulder thr. type
Lo
4 3

Li Leak in
3

01

Lo
2

Lo Leak out
3

02

Lo
2

03a
4

02
1

01
1

03a

02
2

03a
4

02
1

k2a2

03a
4

01
1

k1a1

Li a

Li

a2

Li

a3 D

Li

Compact to m>1 of sur.1-2

According to Fig.1as

Compact to m>1 of sur.1-2 Compact to m>1 of sur.1-2

Fig.3a Axial gland type

Self-Energized Designs Leaking by Straight Paths Lo 01
3 2

Variant of Fig.3as
Lo
3 2

Fig.3b Fem. gland type

Lo
2

Fig.3c Male gland type

Lo
2

Li Leak in
3

Lo Leak out
3

01

02

03b
4

02
1

01
4

03b

02
1

03b
4

02
1

k2a2

03b
4

01
1

k1a1

Li

Li k1a1

a2

Li D

a3 D

Li

Rec. gaskets, k1>(1+a1/D) Rec. gaskets, k1>(1+a1/D) Rec. gaskets, k2<(1+a2/D) Rec. gaskets, k3<(1-a3/D)

Fig.4a Axial gland type

3

Variant of Fig.4as
Li Leak in
3

Fig.4b Fem. gland type

Lo
2

Fig.4c Male gland type

01
d

01
d

Lo
2

01
d

Lo Leak out
3

Lo
2

k2a2

03b
5 4 6 1 5 4

03b
6 1

03b
5 4 6 1

Li k1a1 a2

Li D a3 D

Li

Fig.5a Axial gland type Fig.5b Female gland Type, radial Fig.5c Male gland type, radial Note: 01 and 02 for joined parts, 03a for non-self-energized and 03b for self-energized gaskets
5

O-gaskets, 4/>k1>(1+a1/D)

O-gaskets, /4<k2<(1+a2/D)

O-gaskets, /4<k3<(1-a3/D)

k3a3

a1

02

02

02

k3a3

a1

a1

k3a3

a1

a'

a'

a k' '

a k' '

The tenon/shaft/piston of end thrust pattern designs rests against the bottom of mating grooves/bores/cylinders by end, whereas the tenon/shaft/piston of shoulder thrust pattern designs rests against the mouth of mating grooves/bores/cylinders by shoulder. The gasket groove of axial gland designs is constructed in the end face, the groove of radial female gland designs, in the mating bore wall, and the groove of radial male gland designs, in the mating shaft. As for the end thrust design in Fig.1a, the compression force for gasket 3a should be designed according to m>1 of surface 1-4 or 2-3 of gasket 3a compacted and brimming in its containing groove, since surface 1-4 is the directly compressed surface and in the first possible leak path. When the permeation leak through gasket material is critical, it should be well ensured for gasket 3a to be compacted and brim in its containing groove since the leak along surfaces 1-2 and 4-3 may cause the permeation leak. The compression force for the gasket 3a of the shoulder thrust design in Fig.1b may be designed as Fig.1as. As for the self-energized design in Fig.2, the groove is of a square section and the initial gasket is of an O-shaped section. If the contact segment of the gasket with the groove is a and the chord of non-contact segments of the gasket with the groove is ka on the section at no medium pressure, the initial squeeze of the gasket in the groove should be designed as to k 2 to make each m of the four sealing surfaces about more than 2 and each m of the other three sealing surfaces, when a sealing surface close to the leak entrance Li leaks, get bigger for the soft gasket which can transmit pressure according to liquid, and at least to make either m of the two sealing surfaces close to the leak exit Lo always more than one for the hard gasket which can only transmit pressure according to solid because the hypotenuse of isosceles right triangles is always equal to 2 times the cathetus but the cathetus is not in a complete contact with the gasket. That is to say, the self-energized gland seal designs leaking by curve paths shown in Fig.2 are both reliable whether the O-gasket is of elastomer or not, or the O-elastomer may still have a self-sealing ability during/after its glass transition. Therefore, the self-energized gland seal design leaking by curve paths has highest reliability and is the best design of O-gasket seals, and perhaps the space shuttle Challenger disaster might not occur in 1986 caused by the glass transition of its O-gasket at -1C, if its O-gasket seals had been in accordance with the above-mentioned design. As for the non-self-energized design in Fig.3, its groove and its initial gasket are both of rectangular sections. The only consideration for its designing is to make gasket 3a compacted and brim in its containing groove according to m which is more than one and equal to the mechanical sealing actuation force divided by the medium-unsealed force on surface 1-2, since the leak path is only surface 1-2. Nevertheless, the radial gland non-self-energized designs in Fig.3b and Fig.3c should be replaced by the corresponding self-energized design in Fig.4 for the high pressure service because it is inconvenient to apply a bigger compressive force to surface 1-2 of the Fig.3bs and the Fig.3cs. As for the self-energized design in Fig.4, its groove and its initial gasket are both of rectangular sections. Its designing should be according to m which is more than one and equal to the medium-sealed force divided by the medium-unsealed force on the sealing surface, i.e. should be to make the quotient of the mediums sealing actuation area divided by the mediums unsealing actuation area more than one for the soft gasket which can transmit pressure according to liquid, and more than 2, for the hard gasket which can only transmit pressure according to solid. Therefore, the axial gland shown in Fig.4a should be designed according to k1>(1+a1/D) if using soft gaskets and according to k1>2(1+a1/D) if using hard gaskets. The female gland shown in Fig.4b should be designed according to k2<(1+a2/D) if using soft gaskets and according to 2k2<(1+a2/D) if using hard gaskets. The male gland shown in Fig.4c should be designed according to k3<(1-a3/D) if using soft gaskets and according to 2k3<(1-a3/D) if using hard gaskets.
6

As for the self-energized design in Fig.5, its groove is of rectangular sections and its gasket is resilient O-rings. Its designing should ensure an initial squeeze of the O-gasket at no medium pressure or ensure that the O-gasket can not be compressed to get too flat by medium besides making the quotient of the mediums sealing actuation area divided by the mediums unsealing actuation area more than one; i.e. it should still make k1<4/, k2>/4 and k3>/4, which are found by the uniform volume of the gasket after and before flattening, to use O-gaskets instead of rectangular gaskets. Therefore, the axial gland shown in Fig.5a should be designed according to 4/>k1>(1+a1/D), shown in Fig.5b according to /4<k2<(1+a2/D), and shown in Fig.5c according to /4<k3<(1-a3/D). According to the above-mentioned, the rectangular gasket gland seal may have a stronger self-sealing ability than the O-gasket gland seal because the k of the former only has a unilateral limit and the latter has a bilateral limit. Additionally, the rectangular gasket has an initial section shape closer to its pressurized section shape than the O-gasket, and generally has a quicker seal-pressure response property and a better stability, and has a less deforming stroke, a less wear and a longer lifetime at an impulse pressure. Therefore, the self-energized gland gasket for straight leak types should be rectangular instead of O-shaped, and the best O-gasket gland seal should be of the self-energized gland design leaking by curve leak paths.

5 Typical Applications of Gland Gasket Seals

5.1 Gland Gasket Designs of Flange Joints
The flange joint in Fig.6 is of what includes two optional gland gasket seals; on its left is an axial gland type of self-energized designs leaking by straight paths, and on its right, a shoulder thrust gland type of self-energized designs leaking by curve paths. Pressure tests have proved that the flange joint, if not using non-metal gaskets and only using the microsawtooth ring of (tooth pitch Xs)/(tooth height Zt)=20~500, can reach an initial seal either by the microsawtooth ring when light fastened or by the raising face edge ring when heavy fastened because the flange has no rotation deformation under light fastening loads and has a rotation deformation under heavy fastening loads even if having a fastening support from the rim ring, and, if only using rubber or PTFE gaskets with an adequate squeeze not more than 10% and with k1>(1+a1/D) and k 2 which can transmit pressures according to liquid, can also pass up to ultimate pressure tests when light pre-fastened even if not using microsawtooth rings; and that the rim ring used as a fastening support can both reduce the flange rotation and not influence the joint seal. Therefore, the flange joint with double seals of gland gaskets and microsawtooth rings is always reliable. The traditional flange gasket not only has a sealing width far more than its thickness, a seal-maintaining factor m far less than one, no self-sealing ability and a cold flow causing leak, but also has a flange to gasket joint with a weaker strength and a lower ultimate working pressure determined by the weaker gasket material. On the contrary, the newly invented flange gland not only has a seal-maintaining factor m bigger than one, a self-sealing ability and a great advantage making use of cold flow to strengthen the sealing because the gasket material easier to coldly flow has more liquid components easier for a medium pressure to be fully transferred into a sealing stress, but also has both a flange to flange joint and a gasket enclosed for compression and not be crushed to have a flange joint strength determined by the ultimate strength of the flange fasteners, resulting in no sealing and fastening failures before fasteners fail.

5.2 Gland Gasket Designs of Valve Body Joints

The gland gasket design of valve body joints, as shown in Fig.7, is of the axial gland type of self-energized designs leaking by straight paths which is the same as the left gland gasket design of the flange joint in Fig.6 except for fastening methods; the fastening in Fig.6 is by bolts, whereas in Fig.7, directly by threads.
7

II A

04

2Xs

a'

A Toothed flange B Smooth flange 04 Gasket a & a1 Sealing width ka & k1a1 Medium actuation width Zt Tooth height Xs Tooth pitch D Gasket inside diameter

Fig.6 Gland Gasket Designs of Flange Joints

Zt

04

05 k1a1

k1a1 04

2Xs

01

a1

05

Zt 01 Valve body 04 Gasket 05 Valve cover a1 Sealing width k1a1 Medium actuation width Zt Tooth height Xs Tooth pitch D Inside diameter of gasket d Diameter of joint thread d

Fig.7 Gland Gasket Designs of Valve Body Joints

5.3 Gland Gasket Designs of Valve Seat Back Seals

The valve seat back gland in Fig.8 and Fig. 9 has a square gasket-containing cavity with sides equal to a, and can reach the back seal by both or either of the microsawtooth ring of Xs/Zt=20~500 and the back gasket 02b under the compression from medium pressures on the gate slab or the ball 03. The back gasket, if soft, may be either O-shaped or square. Using O-gaskets, the gland is of the end thrust type of self-energized designs leaking by curve paths and should ensure k 2 . Using square gaskets, it should be ensured that the back gasket at first has a volume bigger than the cavitys to make the seat 02a always supported only by the back gasket, and then has a seat supporting area less than the medium actuation area on the gate slab or the ball to make the gland function as an another end thrust type of self-energized designs leaking by curve paths. If the square gasket does not have an enough volume, the gland increases its tightness by the gasket at low pressures and by the microsawtooth ring at high pressures.

a1

01

2Xs

Zt

II
' k'a

k1a1

Zt

2Xs

a1

04

02b a 01 02a 2Xs

03 01 02a

02b
C

01 02b 02a a'' A a' 03

s

a'

Zt

Xs

2Xs

Zt Zt
Zt

b'' b' B

01 Body

02a Seat

02b Seat Back Gasket

k' a'

03 Gate 01 Body

02a Seat

02b Gasket

2X

03 Ball

Fig.8 Gland Gasket Designs of Slab-Gate Valve Seat Back Seals

Fig.9 Gland Gasket Designs of Ball Valve Seat Back Seals

5.4 Gland Gasket Designs of Threaded Stud Shoulder

The threaded stud shoulder gland in Fig.10 has a square gasket-containing cavity with sides equal to k1a1 and has a microsawtooth ring on the shoulder, and can reach the stud seal by either of the gland gasket and the microsawtooth ring. The gland gasket may be either O-shaped or rectangular. For the gland with soft rectangular gaskets, k1>(1+a1/D) should be ensured, and for the gland with soft O-gaskets, k 2 . As for the sealing only with the microsawtooth ring, the initial sealing at no medium pressure depends upon the perpendicularity of the shoulder face with the thread axis, and the sealing at an ultimate pressure, upon the fastening force; i.e. the light fastening can provide the initial sealing, and the suitable fastening, the ultimate sealing as long as the perpendicularity is ensured by finishing the shoulder face and the thread within one clamping. As for the sealing only with the gland gasket, the light fastening can provide both the initial sealing and the ultimate sealing. Therefore, the threaded stud shoulder seal with a gasket and a microsawtooth ring on the shoulder is absolutely safe and reliable under suitable fastening, and the ultimate pressure only relates to the thread joint strength but not to the gasket material.
k1a1 k1a1 k1a1 a1 Microsawtooth ring D0 k1a1

a Sealing with rect. gaskets

b Sealing without gaskets

c Sealing with O-gaskets

Fig.10 Gland Gasket Designs of Threaded Stud Shoulder

The present metal to metal seal (type B) of ISO 9974 cannot ensure the safe reassembly. The present elastomeric seal (type E) of ISO 9974 has a seal-maintaining factor m far less than one and the sealing reliability is very bad. The O-gasket seal (type F) of ISO 6149 has a bad self-sealing ability and can neither resist the sealing stress relaxation caused by material deformation including cold flow nor meet the requirements of the services at a lower or higher temperature. The newly invented microsawtooth ring allows the safe reassembly, and the newly invented gland has a seal-maintaining factor m bigger than one, a good self-sealing ability and a great advantage making use of cold flow to strengthen the sealing. Additionally, the newly invented gland allows an exchange of the O-elastomer and the rectangular PTFE or flexible graphite gasket for each other to meet the requirements of all the services.

6 Conclusions
All the present sealing designs including O-gasket glands will have a great historical change in sealing reliability when designed according to the seal-designing principle proposed in the paper or at first designed to reach an initial seal at no medium pressure by a nominal stress y so small as for the formula of seal-maintaining factors m to be significant at a medium pressure, and then designed to maintain and strengthen the initial seal by a force equal to m (m>1) times the medium-unsealed force. For example, the sealing state of the new O-gasket gland shown in Fig.11a just corresponds to the steadiest deformation of the gasket under actuation of pressurized medium in its containing cavity because the medium actuation area of surface 5-6 always more than of surface 6-2, whereas the leaking state of the traditional O-gasket gland shown in Fig.11b just corresponds to the steadiest deformation of the gasket under actuation of pressurized medium in its containing cavity because the medium actuation area of surface 4-5 always less than of surface 5-6. The gasket of the new O-gasket gland shown in Fig.12a can depend upon differential pressures to automatically return to its intimate contact with its containing cavity even if deformed or worn or aged or glass-transited to be away from the intimate contact, whereas the traditional O-gasket gland shown in Fig.12b will at once and forever lose sealing function as soon as the gasket is deformed or worn or aged or glass-transited to be away from its intimate contact with its containing cavity.
Li Leak in
3

Lo
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Lo Leak out
3 6

Lo
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Li Leak in
4

Lo
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Lo Leak out
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a1

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5 4

6 1 4 5 1

Li
1 2

Li k1a1 D a

Li D D a a

Li D

Fig.11a Newly invented Fig.11b Traditional Fig.12a Newly invented Fig.12b Traditional

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