Mechanical Seal Diamond Coating Carbon Composite Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical seal arrangements with identical slide rings made from the same material face high wear issues when using slide surfaces with different hardnesses, leading to increased costs due to the need for diamond-coated slide rings for durability, which are expensive and not easily producible in simple forms.

Innovation Solution

A mechanical seal arrangement featuring a rotating slide ring with a diamond coating and a stationary slide ring made of carbon composite material, where the diamond-coated surface has a lower initial roughness than the carbon composite surface, ensuring the harder surface does not damage the softer surface during operation, and the diamond coating is selectively applied to peripheral regions for protection and conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If diamond-coated slide rings are used to achieve high wear resistance and long service life, then durability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice lifeVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies diamond coating only to the slide surface of one slide ring rather than coating all slide rings, achieving high wear resistance where needed while reducing overall manufacturing cost. The localized application of the expensive diamond coating to only the critical sliding contact area resolves the contradiction between durability and manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines diamond-coated slide ring with uncoated carbon composite material slide ring to create a mixed-material system. This composite approach allows the system to achieve the wear resistance of diamond where contact occurs, while using cheaper carbon composite material for the non-contacted components, thereby resolving the cost-durability contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If slide surfaces with different hardnesses are used to reduce material cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but wear on the softer slide ring increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidwear resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a localized hardness distribution where only the slide surface contacts the diamond-coated area, ensuring that wear occurs on the harder diamond surface rather than the softer carbon composite. This localized hardness arrangement resolves the contradiction by protecting the softer material from wear through strategic positioning of the harder material at the contact interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of using softer, cheaper material into a benefit by designing the system so that the softer carbon composite material does not contact the sliding surface. The softer material is used for non-contacted structural parts, while the harder diamond coating handles the wear-critical contact area, transforming the material weakness into a cost-saving opportunity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If the harder slide surface has high initial roughness to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity decreases, but the harder surface damages the softer surface during operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoidsurface damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different surface quality requirements to different components: the diamond-coated slide surface is manufactured with low roughness to prevent damage, while the uncoated carbon composite slide ring can have higher roughness since it does not contact the sliding surface. This differentiated quality approach resolves the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and prevention of surface damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This configuration allows for a cost-effective and durable mechanical seal with a long service life, suitable for aggressive media like pure water, while preventing wear and electrical discharges, making it robust for long operating periods without maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

one of the two slide surfaces has a diamond coating and the other of the two slide surfaces is formed from carbon composite material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHardness:

Implementation Method 2

the initial roughness of the harder slide surface is selected to be less than the initial roughness of the softer slide surface of carbon composite material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS9841107B2Mechanical seal arrangement having sliding surfaces of different hardness

Publication Date: 2017.12.12 EAGLEBURGMANN GERMANY GMBH &CO KG

AI summary

The invention relates to a mechanical seal arrangement comprising: a rotating slide ring (2) having a first slide surface and a stationary slide ring (3) with a second slide surface which between them define a sealing gap 4, wherein the first and second slide surfaces have different hardnesses, wherein the harder slide surface has a diamond coating (20) and the softer slide surface is produced from carbon composite material, and wherein an average initial roughness Ra1 (of the diamond coating 20) is less than an average initial roughness Ra2 of the slide surface made from carbon composite material.