Axial Coolant Flow Packing Cup Cooling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packing boxes in high-pressure applications face issues with uneven cooling of packing material, leading to degradation and overheating due to friction and heat generation, which can cause mechanical damage and safety concerns, and existing cooling methods are inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with axial coolant flow through packing cups, utilizing multiple parallel coolant ports and grooves to efficiently cool the packing material and reduce pressure, while also providing lubrication to the shaft, thereby mitigating heat-related issues and improving cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If external cooling jackets are used to cool the packing box, then the exterior of the packing cups is well cooled, but the packing material within the packing cups is not efficiently cooled due to considerable distance from the coolant
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent coolant flow paths, with separate inlet and outlet ports for each packing cup. This allows coolant to be delivered directly to each packing cup location, eliminating the need for long serial flow paths and reducing the distance between coolant and packing material while enabling parallel cooling of multiple cups simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
Coolant channels are introduced as intermediary structures that bridge the gap between the external cooling jackets and the packing material. These channels conduct coolant directly to the packing cups, serving as a thermal mediator that transfers cooling efficiency from the external jackets to the internal packing material without requiring excessive distance
2Reliability
If tangential coolant channels are used for serial cooling through packing cups, then coolant can circulate through each cup, but the lengthy path increases pressure drop and reduces coolant flow rate and cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system divides the coolant flow into multiple independent parallel paths, with each path serving a specific packing cup. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single lengthy serial path, thereby reducing the cumulative pressure drop while ensuring all packing cups receive adequate coolant flow for reliable cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling architecture transitions from a one-dimensional serial flow path through multiple cups to a multi-dimensional parallel flow network. By introducing multiple inlet and outlet ports arranged in different spatial dimensions, the system enables simultaneous cooling of multiple packing cups without the pressure penalties of long serial paths
3Temperature
If high-pressure coolant pumps are used to force coolant through the packing box, then sufficient cooling can be achieved, but cost, weight, size, and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to utilize the existing process fluid pressure within the packing box to drive coolant circulation through the cooling channels. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external high-pressure pumps, reducing system complexity, cost, and maintenance requirements while maintaining effective cooling through the pressure-driven flow
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 apparatus effectively cools the packing material, reduces pressure, and minimizes heat-related damage, enhancing the operational reliability and safety of packing boxes by maintaining the integrity of the packing material and reducing the need for high-pressure coolant pumps.
Implementation Method 1
a first circular counterbore through a first surface having a second diameter larger than first diameter and centered on the axis forming an interior flat surface... at least two first initially radial coolant ports opening to a lateral surface of the flange... a first groove in the first side disposed outside of the second diameter... means for moving coolant fluid through the cooling ports
Data Source
AI summary
A system for cooling packing material utilized for sealing a shaft moving therethrough is described. The packing material held in place by at least one packing cup, wherein a coolant is directed axially through a significant volume of each packing cup close to the packing material. The present system finds use for compressors and pumps where pressure requirements of the fluids acted upon demand the use of packing materials in close contact with the moving shafts.