Elastohydrodynamic Analysis of an Elastomeric Hydraulic Rod Seal During Fully Transient Operation

Abstract

A soft elastohydrodynamic model of a reciprocating elastomeric hydraulic rod seal has been developed. It consists of coupled fluid mechanics, contact mechanics, and deformation analyses. The model has been used to analyze a U-cup lip seal in an injection molding application with a time-varying sealed pressure and rod velocity. Results include the histories of the hydraulic fluid flow rate, fluid transport, mean shear stress on rod, sealing zone length, and friction force on rod, as well as distributions of the fluid pressure, film thickness, and contact pressure.