A lunar soil heating furnace adapted to a lunar dust environment can repeat omega type sealing pair

Abstract

The application provides a star soil heating furnace repeatable omega type sealing pair suitable for a lunar dust environment and belongs to the field of sealing structures. The sealing pair solves the problems of the current sealing scheme, such as better environmental adaptability, more stable performance and better reusability of the sealing assembly. The sealing pair comprises a plurality of plastic sealing layers, an elastic outer ring and a rigid inner ring, the elastic outer ring and the rigid inner ring are in an omega type, the elastic outer ring is in interference fit outside the rigid inner ring, the opening end of the elastic outer ring is provided with the plastic sealing layer, the plastic sealing layer is pressed and contacted with the sealing surface of the furnace body under the force of the elastic outer ring, and the sealing pair is formed. According to the application, the elastic outer ring and the rigid inner ring are extruded and contacted, the elastic outer ring is elastically deformed under the action of a given force load, the force is increased in steps, and the elastic-plastic combination is combined, so that the sealing effect is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sealing structures, and in particular relates to a repeatable Ω-type sealing pair for a lunar soil heating furnace adapted to lunar dust environment. Background Technology

[0002] Sealing technology for stellar regolith samples from extraterrestrial object sample return missions has always been a topic of great interest to researchers, as the quality of the seal directly affects the accuracy and reliability of ground-based data analysis. Currently, the sealing solutions used in sample return missions mainly include rubber ring seals, metal blade seals, and redundant combinations of both, each demonstrating good sealing performance under its respective operating environment.

[0003] Unlike sample return missions, in-situ extraction and analysis missions do not require bringing the regolith samples back to Earth; instead, extraction and analysis are performed directly in orbit. Regolith volatiles require temperatures as high as 900°C to be fully extracted, and the long lifespan of in-situ extraction and analysis missions necessitates that the seals possess high-temperature resistance and reusability. Rubber seals have poor temperature resistance and produce volatile gases at high temperatures, while metal blades require high force loads and are intended for single use only. Currently, there is a lack of sealing components that offer good temperature adaptability, stable performance, and good reusability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose a reusable Ω-type sealing pair for a star-soil heating furnace with better environmental adaptability and reusability, so as to solve the shortcomings of the current sealing scheme, and make the sealing component more environmentally adaptable, more stable in performance and more reusable.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a repeatable Ω-shaped sealing pair for a lunar dust heating furnace, which is adapted to the lunar dust environment, comprising several plastic sealing layers, an elastic outer ring and a rigid inner ring. The elastic outer ring and the rigid inner ring are Ω-shaped. The elastic outer ring is interference-fitted to the outside of the rigid inner ring. A plastic sealing layer is installed at the open end of the elastic outer ring. The plastic sealing layer is decompressed by the elastic outer ring and contacts the sealing surface of the furnace body to form a sealing pair.

[0006] Furthermore, the plastic sealing layer is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0007] Furthermore, the elastic outer ring is made of oxygen-free copper material.

[0008] Furthermore, the star soil heating furnace adapted to the lunar dust environment has a repeatable Ω-shaped sealing pair that is fixed to the furnace cover. The furnace cover is subjected to force by an external force-applying mechanism. The elastic outer ring is compressed and undergoes elastic deformation, while simultaneously compressing the rigid inner ring. The rigid inner ring provides a reaction force to support the elastic outer ring, and the elastic outer ring provides a sealing force. The compression of the plastic sealing layer into contact with the furnace body forms a self-tightening seal.

[0009] Furthermore, the rigid inner ring has air holes on the side facing the inside of the heating furnace to facilitate the filling of the rigid inner ring with internal air pressure.

[0010] Furthermore, when the star soil sample is heated in the furnace, it produces volatiles. A certain pressure is generated in the closed space inside the furnace, while the outside of the furnace is a vacuum environment. The volatile gas enters the leakage channel between the surface of the plastic sealing layer and the sealing surface of the furnace body through the hole on the inner side of the rigid inner ring. The plastic sealing layer reduces the leakage channel by applying sealing force, thus ensuring the sealing effect.

[0011] Furthermore, after the spore sample is delivered to the furnace cover of the heating furnace, the force-applying mechanism drives the furnace cover to move slowly along the direction of the furnace body. The plastic sealing layer comes into contact with the furnace body and undergoes plastic deformation to fill the microscopic unevenness of the sealing surface of the plastic sealing layer. The elastic outer ring undergoes elastic deformation, providing a reaction force to the contact surface, thereby increasing the predetermined sealing load and improving the sealing effect.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the reusable Ω-type sealing pair of the star soil heating furnace adapted to the lunar dust environment described in this invention are:

[0013] (1) The sealing assembly of the present invention overcomes the temperature resistance defects of rubber materials and the limited number of uses of metal blades, and has good safety and reliability. The plastic material is used as the sealing surface and the upper contact surface is squeezed to produce plastic deformation, which ensures the sealing effect. The elastic ring and the rigid ring cooperate to provide contact stiffness, ensuring the repeated sealing performance of the sealing ring. At the same time, the plastic sealing layer and the furnace body are in close contact, ensuring uniform contact.

[0014] (2) The Ω-shaped sealing pair that plays the main sealing role in this invention relies on the extrusion contact between the elastic outer ring and the rigid inner ring. The elastic outer ring undergoes elastic deformation under a predetermined load, which increases the force stepwise and combines elasticity and plasticity to ensure the sealing effect.

[0015] (3) The sealing material of the present invention has good environmental adaptability, good stress conditions, and good reusability. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing pair described in this invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing pair being pressed against the sealing surface according to the present invention;

[0019] Legend: 1-Sealing layer, 2-Elastic outer ring, 3-Rigid inner ring. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, and the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments.

[0021] I. Detailed Implementation Method 1, see [link / reference] Figure 1-2 This embodiment describes a reusable Ω-shaped sealing pair for a lunar soil heating furnace adapted to a lunar dust environment. It includes several plastic sealing layers 1, an elastic outer ring 2, and a rigid inner ring 3. The elastic outer ring 2 and the rigid inner ring 3 are Ω-shaped. The elastic outer ring 2 is interference-fitted to the outside of the rigid inner ring 3. The plastic sealing layer 1 is installed at the open end of the elastic outer ring 2. The plastic sealing layer 1 is decompressed by the elastic outer ring 2 and contacts the furnace body sealing surface to form a sealing pair.

[0022] The plastic sealing layer 1 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a material with good environmental adaptability and stable performance, and is fixed to the elastic outer ring 2. The elastic outer ring 2 is made of oxygen-free copper.

[0023] The rigid inner ring 3 has an air hole on the side facing the inside of the heating furnace, which facilitates the internal air pressure to fill the rigid inner ring 3.

[0024] The elastic outer ring 2 is interference-fitted to the rigid inner ring 3, ensuring that the elastic outer ring 2 and the rigid inner ring 3 are in close contact during operation, resulting in a compact and reliable overall structure.

[0025] This invention provides a sealing solution for in-situ heated extraction of star soil. An Ω-shaped sealing pair undergoes elastoplastic deformation to create a sealed environment. The plastic sealing layer 1, under the force of the elastic outer ring 2, decompresses and contacts the furnace body sealing surface, forming a complete sealing pair. The repeatable Ω-shaped sealing pair is fixed to the furnace cover. The furnace cover is subjected to force by an external force-applying mechanism. The elastic outer ring 2 is compressed, resulting in elastic deformation, while simultaneously compressing the rigid inner ring 3. The rigid inner ring 3 provides a reaction force to support the elastic outer ring 2 and provides sealing force, compressing the plastic sealing layer 1 into contact with the furnace body, forming a self-tightening seal.

[0026] The plastic sealing layer 1, the elastic outer ring 2, and the rigid inner ring 3 form an Ω-shaped sealing pair. The plastic sealing layer 1 compresses and contacts the furnace body to form a good seal. After the soil sample is delivered to the furnace cover, the force-applying mechanism drives the furnace cover to move slowly along the furnace body. The plastic sealing layer 1 comes into contact with the furnace body and undergoes plastic deformation to fill the microscopic unevenness of the sealing ring. The elastic outer ring 2 undergoes elastic deformation, providing a reaction force to the contact surface, thereby increasing the predetermined sealing force and improving the sealing effect. Thereafter, the sealing force remains constant, establishing the initial sealing conditions.

[0027] When the spherical soil sample is heated in the furnace, it produces volatiles. A certain pressure is generated within the sealed space of the furnace, while the outside is a vacuum environment. The volatile gases leak through the holes on the inner side of the rigid inner ring 3 into the leakage channel between the surface of the plastic sealing layer 1 and the furnace sealing surface. The plastic sealing layer 1 reduces the leakage channel by applying sealing force, ensuring a sealing effect. After a single spherical soil sample analysis, the sample is discarded through a sample disposal mechanism to prepare for the next analysis. The sealing components undergo the same steps described above.

[0028] As the number of times a seal is used increases, the seal surface will wear and residual deformation will accumulate, the sealing force will decrease, the sealing effect will decline or even fail. During the gradual decline, the sealing force can be gradually increased to achieve repeated sealing.

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention.

Claims

1. A regolith furnace repeatable omega seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment, characterized by: It comprises several plastic sealing layers (1), elastic outer rings (2) and rigid inner rings (3), the elastic outer rings (2) and the rigid inner rings (3) are in the shape of Ω, the elastic outer rings (2) are in interference fit on the outside of the rigid inner rings (3), the plastic sealing layers (1) are installed on the open ends of the elastic outer rings (2), the plastic sealing layers (1) are pressed to contact the sealing surface of the furnace body to form a sealing pair under the force of the elastic outer rings (2); The rigid inner rings (3) are provided with air holes on the side facing the inside of the heating furnace, so that the internal air pressure can be filled into the rigid inner rings (3); The star soil sample is heated in the heating furnace to generate volatile components, a certain pressure is generated in the closed space in the furnace, the outside of the furnace is a vacuum environment, the volatile gas enters the leakage channel between the surface of the plastic sealing layer (1) and the sealing surface of the furnace body through the holes on the inside of the rigid inner rings (3), and the plastic sealing layer (1) reduces the leakage channel by applying a sealing force to ensure the sealing effect.

2. The regolith heating oven repeatable omega-seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment of claim 1, wherein: The plastic sealing layer (1) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material.

3. The regolith heating oven repeatable omega-seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment of claim 1, wherein: The elastic outer ring (2) is made of oxygen-free copper material.

4. The regolith heating oven repeatable omega-seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein: The star soil heating furnace suitable for the lunar dust environment can be fixed as a whole on the furnace cover by a repeated Ω-shaped sealing pair, the furnace cover is pressed by an external force mechanism, the elastic outer ring (2) is extruded to produce elastic deformation, and at the same time, the rigid inner ring (3) is extruded, the rigid inner ring (3) provides a counterforce to support the elastic outer ring (2), the elastic outer ring (2) provides a sealing force, the plastic sealing layer (1) is extruded to contact the furnace body, and a self-tightening seal is formed.

5. The regolith heating oven repeatable omega-seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment of claim 1, wherein: After the star soil sample is sent to the furnace cover of the heating furnace, the force mechanism drives the furnace cover to slowly move along the furnace body, the plastic sealing layer (1) contacts the furnace body and produces plastic deformation to fill the micro-unevenness of the sealing surface of the plastic sealing layer (1), and the elastic outer ring (2) is elastically deformed to provide a counterforce for the contact surface.

6. The regolith heating oven repeatable omega-seal pair adapted for a lunar dust environment of claim 1, wherein: With the increase of the number of uses of the sealing pair, the surface of the sealing pair will be worn and residual deformation will accumulate, the sealing force will decrease, and the sealing effect will decrease or even fail, in the process of gradual decrease, the sealing effect is ensured by increasing the sealing force in stages, and repeated sealing is realized.

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