This paper presents rough metallic surface contact analysis focusing on the sealing mechanism in metallic interfaces of subsea shut down ball valves. The work is divided in two parts: initially, the actual rough metallic sealing surface of a ball valve is measured and evaluated by using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The surface is modeled using the finite element method in order to estimate the load to cause the plastic deformation needed for proper sealing. Then a case study is carried out to compare the effectiveness of combined sealing (rubber and metal) and metal-to-metal sealing. Based on the experimental measurements and numerical results, some manufacturing procedures for increasing the reliability of a metal-to-metal sealing in shut-down ball valves are presented.

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