Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling

Zhang, Jianxiang; Guo, Wenyong; Chen, Hantao; Wu, Zhe; Zhu, Shihao; Yu, Li

doi:10.3390/app152011103

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling

by

Jianxiang Zhang

,

Wenyong Guo

,

Hantao Chen

,

Zhe Wu

,

Shihao Zhu

and

Li Yu

^*

Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430030, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(20), 11103; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011103

Submission received: 24 August 2025 / Revised: 13 October 2025 / Accepted: 13 October 2025 / Published: 16 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Numerical Analysis and Computing in Mechanical Engineering)

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Abstract

This study investigates the sealing performance of marine vent valves in low-temperature environments (−30 °C to −40 °C) via thermo-mechanical coupling analysis. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was selected as the sealing material for its excellent cryogenic toughness, corrosion resistance, and cost-effectiveness. The total minimum specific sealing pressure (

q_{t o t a l}

) of PTFE, corrected for marine vibrations (15–60 Hz), was 3.702 MPa. Using ANSYS Workbench 2022, finite element simulations of a DN200 globe valve showed that low temperatures caused non-uniform thermal contraction, reducing the gasket-poppet contact width (2.5 mm to 1.75 mm) and maximum specific pressure (16.967 MPa to 13.352 MPa), leading to leakage risks. Optimizing the stem preload to 36,000 N restored effective sealing: the maximum specific pressure rebounded to 16.601 MPa, with no pressure below 3.702 MPa. This research provides a method for evaluating low-temperature sealing performance and supports safe vessel operation in cold waters.

Keywords: low-temperature marine environments; vent valves; sealing performance; finite element analysis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, J.; Guo, W.; Chen, H.; Wu, Z.; Zhu, S.; Yu, L. Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 11103. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011103

AMA Style

Zhang J, Guo W, Chen H, Wu Z, Zhu S, Yu L. Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(20):11103. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011103

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Jianxiang, Wenyong Guo, Hantao Chen, Zhe Wu, Shihao Zhu, and Li Yu. 2025. "Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling" Applied Sciences 15, no. 20: 11103. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011103

APA Style

Zhang, J., Guo, W., Chen, H., Wu, Z., Zhu, S., & Yu, L. (2025). Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling. Applied Sciences, 15(20), 11103. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011103

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Investigation on the Sealing Performance of Vent Valves in Low-Temperature Marine Environments Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling

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