Pressure Vessel Door Actuator Annular Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressure vessel door seals are limited in maintaining high pressures or low vacuums, as they rely on pressure-energized face seals that are not effective at low pressures and have limited vacuum retention capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel door assembly featuring a door, a hub, an annular seal, and a door actuator with a hinge mechanism and elongate member that pivots to engage the seal with the hub, allowing for effective sealing and locking, even at low pressures or high vacuums, using a method that includes rotating the door actuator to seat the annular seal against the hub and employing a lock mechanism to maintain the seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pressure-energized face seal is used to close the door, then the door can be easily closed and locked, but the vessel cannot maintain high vacuum levels and the seal effectiveness is limited at low pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from pressure-energized face seal to annular seal that engages between the door and hub. This parameter change in sealing technology enables the vessel to maintain high vacuum levels while preserving ease of door closing operation through the actuator mechanism
2Device complexity
If a conventional face seal is used, then the sealing mechanism is simple, but it has limited effectiveness at low pressures and cannot maintain high vacuums
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an annular seal configuration that engages between the door and hub, representing a parameter change in sealing architecture. This new sealing approach maintains simplicity while achieving superior performance at low pressures and high vacuum conditions compared to conventional face seals
Data Source
AI summary
A door assembly for a pressure vessel includes a door, a hub to attach to the pressure vessel and to receive the door, and an annular seal to seal between the door and the hub. A hinge arm is coupled to the hub and to the door and is able to pivot relative to the hub about a hinge axis. A door actuator having an elongate member extending along an actuator axis is spaced-apart from the hinge axis and coupled to the hub and to the hinge arm. The elongate member travels with the hinge arm when the arm pivots relative to the hub, and rotates about the actuator axis. The door actuator is configured to cause the seal to engage sealingly the hub and the door.