Conical Screw Connection Sealing Element for Turbomachine Fuel Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conical screw connections in turbomachines experience sealing deterioration due to high temperatures, vibrations, and assembly issues, leading to leaks and the need for costly and time-consuming replacement of sealing cones, with loose seals offering inaccurate insertion and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A conical screw connection with a metallic areal sealing element softer than the sealing cone, which molds onto the counterpart surface for reliable sealing, eliminating the need for replacing the sealing cone and ensuring accurate insertion without fastening means, thus reducing maintenance costs and improving sealing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a metallic sealing cone is used for high temperature applications, then temperature resistance is improved, but sealing reliability deteriorates over time due to vibrations and assembly issues
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cone combines a metallic base material with a softer metallic sealing element (such as copper or aluminum) to create a composite structure. The metallic base provides high-temperature resistance while the softer sealing element ensures reliable sealing by deforming to compensate for vibrations and assembly variations, thus resolving the contradiction between temperature resistance and sealing reliability.
2Reliability
If loose seals are placed into the screw connection piece, then sealing action is improved, but insertion accuracy deteriorates leading to non-uniform arrangement and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cone serves as an intermediary component between the screw connection piece and the sealing element. It provides a precisely fitted receptacle that guides and positions the sealing element accurately, eliminating the insertion accuracy problems associated with placing loose seals directly into the screw connection piece while maintaining reliable sealing action.
3Reliability
If the sealing cone is replaced by cutting and welding, then sealing action is restored, but maintenance time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cone is designed as a segmented structure with a removable sealing element that can be independently replaced. When sealing deteriorates, only the sealing element needs to be replaced rather than the entire sealing cone, significantly reducing maintenance time and cost while restoring sealing action, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and maintenance time.
4Reliability
If soft material seals are used, then sealing action is improved, but temperature resistance deteriorates due to high temperatures and fast aging
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system uses a composite structure where the metallic sealing cone provides high-temperature resistance while the softer metallic sealing element (such as copper or aluminum) provides effective sealing action. This composite approach allows the system to withstand high temperatures without the sealing element aging excessively fast, resolving the contradiction between sealing action and temperature resistance.
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 provides a reliable and cost-effective sealing action that withstands high temperatures and vibrations, reducing maintenance efforts by allowing the areal sealing element to be easily replaced instead of the entire sealing cone, ensuring consistent sealing performance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
A conical screw connection with a metallic areal sealing element softer than the sealing cone, which molds onto the counterpart surface for reliable sealing
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel line of a turbo-machine having a conical screw connection, wherein the conical screw connection has at least one screw socket into which a sealing cone having a sealing cone surface and a sealing cone face of a screw connection body connected thereto is interlockingly inserted, and screw socket and screw connection body are directly or indirectly screwed to each other, wherein the sealing cone has a metallic, flat sealing element which is received in a receptacle of the sealing cone surface, wherein the flat sealing element is a metal which is softer than the material of the sealing cone.