Concentric High-Voltage Swivel Sealing for Spark Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high voltage swivel arrangements in floating vessels face significant risks of fluid leakage and short circuiting due to inadequate sealing, leading to potential electrical failures and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A high voltage swivel arrangement with a plurality of swivels arranged concentrically around a common axis, featuring annular housing parts and solid electrical conductors isolated from the housing by spacers, with a central through opening and independent rotation of the second housing parts, filled with isolating liquids or gases to prevent spark propagation and fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single seal is used in the circumferential opening, then the brush carrier structure can pass through, but fluid leakage and short circuiting risk increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The single seal is divided into multiple seals arranged in series around the circumferential opening. Each seal creates an additional barrier to fluid leakage, and the segmented arrangement allows the brush carrier to pass through while maintaining reliable sealing between the interior and exterior of the housing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If housing parts are completely sealed, then spark propagation is prevented, but manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple separable parts that can be manufactured independently and then assembled. The seals are integrated into the housing parts during manufacturing, ensuring complete sealing against spark propagation while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The seals are nested within the housing parts during manufacturing, with each seal positioned in its own groove or chamber. This nested arrangement ensures complete sealing while simplifying assembly, as the seals are already in place when housing parts are joined together.
3Volume of moving object
If multiple swivels are arranged concentrically, then vertical space is reduced, but the risk of fluid transfer between swivels increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each swivel is treated as a separate sealed unit with its own interior volume defined by housing parts. The concentric arrangement allows multiple swivels to occupy different radial positions while maintaining vertical compactness, and the segmentation ensures fluid cannot transfer between swivels.
Solution Approach 2:
The swivels are arranged in a nested concentric configuration around a common central opening, with each swivel occupying a different radial zone. This nested arrangement minimizes vertical space while the sealed housing parts of each swivel prevent fluid transfer between the concentric levels.
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 effectively prevents spark propagation and fluid leakage, enhancing electrical safety and reliability by ensuring complete sealing and isolation, even in high-voltage environments, while allowing flexible mounting and reduced vertical space usage.
Implementation Method 1
The interior space will be filled with an isolating liquid, to prevent or reduce formation of sparks in a high-voltage environment... Suitable isolating liquids comprise oil and/or a dielectric liquid or a mixture thereof.
Implementation Method 2
the first and second electrical conductors are arranged within the annular interior volume for making conductive sliding contact with each other; wherein the first annular housing part and second annular housing part of each electrical swivel are rotatable relative to each other around said common axis while the first and second electrical conductors thereof are in sliding contact with each other
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~3
AI summary
A swivel arrangement comprising a plurality of high voltage electrical swivels (100, 100', 100'') concentrically arranged around a common axis (Y), each swivel comprising: a first annular housing part and a second annular housing part together defining an internal annular volume (V); a first solid electrical conductor stationary with respect to the first annular housing part, and a second solid electrical conductor stationary with respect to the second annular housing part, wherein the first and second electrical conductors are arranged within the internal annular volume for making conductive sliding contact with each other, wherein the first annular housing part and second annular housing part are rotatable relative to each other around said common axis while the first and second electrical conductors are in sliding contact with each other; wherein the swivels are arranged concentrically around the common axis in such a manner that a plane (N) normal to said axis (Y) intersects at least two, preferably at least three, of the electrical swivels.