Visualisation of Gasket Material Properties by FEM- Simulation

A joint project of Hochschule Munich, Ruhrpumpen GmbH and DONIT D.o.o. could be successfully finished recently.

For the first time, we could demonstrate and visualize the influence of mechanical gasket-material-properties like compressibility on sealing performance in real and complex applications.

The demonstration was performed on an axial-split pump from Ruhrpumpen GmbH. In a first step , a digital simulation of the sealing of the gasket inside the flange was created, which clearly shows the shortcomings of individual sealing materials compared to TESNIT® BA-SOFT both in the context of the causes of external leakage, as well as in the context of optimizing internal flows. In a second step influence of optimized gasket design could be demonstrated as well.

The digital simulation was reinforced with Fuji film footage, which is the most standard and established method for this type of research so far, but it is very wasteful in terms of time and costs. Digital simulation, which can reliably summarize what happens in the gasket during the sealing process, opens a completely new dimension of understanding the importance of choosing the right sealing material and the optimal shape of the gasket. It also enables us to find potential ways to improve the efficiency of the pump itself – this is another important step towards efficiency and sustainability.