On the Leak Through a Spiral-Groove Metallic Static Ring Gasket

The diffusive and viscous leaks through a model spiral groove static ring gasket are studied analytically. This system is characterized by a transition from a leak through radial passages to a leak following the spiral groove as the load increases. The study concentrates on the transition. The results indicate a sharp (critical) transition with variations of several order of magnitudes in the leak flow rates for small changes in the contact area, i.e. the applied load