Simulation analysis of P-type water seal considering viscoelasticity of material

A viscoelastic finite element model is developed to simulate the sealing performance of P-type water seal in its service period. A generalized Maxwell model is applied to describe the viscoelastic constitution relation of the rubber material. This model also considers the incompressibility and geometric nonlinearity caused by large seal deformation under high head water pressure. The parametric studies analyse the influence of precompression and water pressure on the contact stress of the water seal at the initial state, as well as during the service, based on the viscoelastic finite element model. The results provide a theory basis for the design of a P-type water seal.