A leakage model for a seal-on-seal structure based on porous media method

Abstract

The main interface docking seal (MID seal) is one of the key components in the developing low impact docking systems for future space vehicles, and its sealing property is crucial to the spacecrafts docking in space. A seal-on-seal structure is one of the mainstream designs of the MID seal, and is generally made of rubber materials that can adapt to the complex space environment. For the MID seal of the seal-on-seal structure, it is further confirmed that the porous media theory is suitable to study the sealing property by investigating the micromorphology characteristics of seal contact faces, which based on a leakage model is proposed by this paper. In this model, both the primary seal and the secondary seal are considered as a whole, which is more consistent with the structure and the physical process of sealing face leakage. By comparison with the performed experiments, the leakage model was verified. Based on the proposed leakage model, some simulation results about the studied MID seal are presented and discussed, which mainly correspond with pressure distributions, compression levels, design parameters and operating temperatures. These analyses clearly present some intrinsic relationships implicated in the leakage model. This study is favorable for the mechanism researches, designs, assemblies, and applications of the MID seal, and other seals like that are also included.