Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Structural Gasketing Approach for Gearbox Flange

Abstract

Heavily loaded flanged joints should not only carry the mechanical loads that are imposed, but they should also provide a fluid seal. Historically, such heavily stressed flanges were sealed with thin paper composition gaskets so that when flange joint was operated at critical load then high compressive forces were induced within the joints. Over the use of gaskets in the flange,they get deformed and due to this torque capacity, they get reduced hence creating some gaps which are potential leak paths. In recent years, chemical gasketing (liquid “formed in place gaskets”), has begun to surface as a possible solution for these dual function flanges. Hence liquid sealants have been introduced in this flange. In coming days, anaerobic and silicone sealants will be introduced in industry, in contrast with solid gaskets which deteriorate gradually with the atmospheric moisture. Anaerobic and Silicone sealants are mostly used because they are ideally suited to small flange gaps curing them rapidly. This paper focuses on the study of gaskets and liquid sealants effects on gearbox flanges. This work has revealed that structural anaerobic sealants significantly reduced the deformation by 6.7μm, and it improved the structural shear strength and shear modules. This paper also investigates the numerical and experimental analysis of gearbox anaerobic sealant flange assembly and it determines the mode shape frequency.