Articulated Sealing Segment for Rotational and Axial Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing segments for moving components are limited by complex structures and material fatigue, allowing only rotational movement and having a short service life, which restricts their application and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A sealing segment with two connected sealing bodies via a web, allowing both pivoting and axial movement, maintaining a pressure-tight and temperature-tight connection through an articulated design, and featuring radially resilient cylindrical sealing bodies that form a plain bearing with components, thus compensating for relative movements without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing segment allows rotational movement between components, then sealing functionality is achieved, but the sealing segment is subject to material fatigue and has limited service life
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing segment is designed with an articulated structure comprising two sealing bodies connected by a pivotable connection, allowing the sealing segment to dynamically adapt to both rotational and axial movements between components. This dynamic design enables the sealing segment to maintain sealing effectiveness while accommodating complex relative movements without suffering from material fatigue, thereby extending service life.
2Reliability
If a sealing segment is designed with a complex sandwich structure to withstand rotation, then rotational sealing is achieved, but the structure becomes complex and manufacturing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing segment is divided into two separate sealing bodies connected by a web, with each sealing body arranged in its own recess in the respective components. This segmentation allows each sealing body to be independently manufactured and installed, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining the rotational sealing capability through the articulated connection between the two bodies.
3Reliability
If a sealing segment allows only rotational movement, then sealing effect is maintained, but axial movement and other relative movements cannot be compensated
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated connection between the two sealing bodies enables the sealing segment to compensate for rotational movements, axial movements, and offsets between components while maintaining the sealing effect. The pivotable connection allows the sealing segment to adapt its configuration dynamically, ensuring continuous sealing performance across multiple degrees of freedom.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the sealing segment is articulated between components, then various relative movements can be compensated, but the sealing segment structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing segment is segmented into two sealing bodies connected by a web, with each body fitting into its own recess. This segmentation allows the articulated structure to achieve movement compensation functionality while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manageable, as each sealing body can be independently designed and manufactured.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The articulated sealing segment design enhances service life, allows for various types of movement, and maintains a sealed connection over the entire relative movement range, preventing overheating and leakage, thereby ensuring high turbomachine efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing bodies can be arranged in recesses in the components and each form a plain bearing with them
Implementation Method 2
The sealing bodies are preferably designed in the manner of cylinders and are radially resilient in order to increase the sealing effect
Data Source
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AI summary
A sealing segment for sealingly connecting two structural components parts which are movable relative to one another, with two sealing bodies which are connected to one another by a web and which can be arranged in recesses of the structural component parts in an articulated manner, and a sealing segment arrangement with a plurality of sealing segments of this type, and a flow machine with a sealing segment arrangement of this type.