Compressor Rotor Seal Assembly for Protecting Hirth Couplings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbomachinery components, such as hirth couplings in centrifugal compressors, face durability issues due to exposure to varying forces and contaminants in process fluids, leading to potential corrosion and reduced performance over time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of seal elements that are movable between pre-assembly and assembled positions, covering hirth couplings to inhibit the passage of process fluids and thus protect against contaminants and debris, utilizing frustoconical surfaces that elastically flex to generate a biasing force for a secure seal, and employing seal members like O-rings or metallic cloth for effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If hirth couplings are exposed to process fluids during operation, then the rotor can operate at high speeds, but the hirth couplings suffer from corrosion and reduced durability due to contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly is segmented into sealed and unsealed sections. Seal elements divide the rotor components, creating isolated zones that protect the hirth coupling from process fluid exposure while allowing the rotor to operate at high speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
Seal elements act as intermediary components between the process fluid environment and the hirth coupling. These seals prevent direct contact between contaminants and the coupling surfaces, maintaining durability during high-speed operation.
2Reliability
If seal elements are added to protect hirth couplings, then durability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal elements utilize flexible lip structures that conform to the rotor component surfaces. This flexible membrane approach provides effective sealing without requiring complex mechanical assemblies, maintaining structural simplicity while improving durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal elements are designed to be self-retaining on the rotor components. The lips snap onto and remain secured on the components during rotation, eliminating the need for additional retention mechanisms and reducing overall structural complexity.
3Reliability
If seal elements are retained on rotor components during rotation, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the risk of seal detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal elements incorporate curved or frustoconical surfaces that conform to the rotational motion and centrifugal forces. This curvature geometry allows the seals to maintain contact and remain securely retained on the rotor components during high-speed rotation, balancing sealing effectiveness with retention strength.
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 solution ensures consistent high performance and long-term durability of turbomachinery components by preventing fluid exposure to hirth couplings, reducing corrosion and maintaining functionality despite varying operational conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the seal elements may be respectively movable between a first position (e.g., a pre-assembly position) and a second position (e.g., an assembled position)... utilizing frustoconical surfaces that elastically flex to generate a biasing force
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor rotor for turbomachinery, such as a compressor, is provided. Disclosed embodiments can benefit from seal elements that may be arranged to inhibit passage onto respective hirth couplings of process fluid being processed by the compressor. A seal element may be affixed to adjacent rotor components (e.g., adjacent impeller bodies) by way of a slip or interference fit connection to one of the adjacent components and may be affixed to the other adjacent rotor component by way of a elastically flexible frustoconical inner surface of the seal element that permits the seal element to be placed in a spring-loaded condition, which generates a biasing force to circumferentially clamp onto a frustoconical outer surface of the other adjacent rotor component. This arrangement is conducive to user-friendly assembly/disassembly of the seal elements with respect to the adjacent rotor components.