Elastic Seal with Spring Element for GRP Flange Relaxation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sealing materials, particularly PTFE-based seals, face challenges with low resilience and strong flow behavior when used in GRP flange connections, leading to leaks and high maintenance costs due to relaxation behavior of GRP materials.
Innovation Solution
A relaxation-compensating seal design featuring a spring element that presses a sealing element against a sealing surface, with the spring element and sealing material being separate components, using disc springs or cup springs to maintain constant contact pressure and counteract radial displacements, suitable for static flange connections including GRP, ceramic, plastic, and glass flanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If profiled gasket surface is used to counteract relaxation, then contact area is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a dynamic resilient support element that can actively adapt to relaxation and settling of the joint. Instead of a static profiled surface, the resilient element dynamically compensates for changes in joint geometry, maintaining sealing pressure automatically as conditions change.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient support element provides self-adjusting sealing pressure through its elastic properties. As the joint relaxes or settles, the resilient element automatically deforms to maintain contact pressure on the sealing surface, eliminating the need for complex profiled geometries or external adjustment mechanisms.
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 seal effectively compensates for the loss of compression in GRP flanges, achieving high tightness with low bolt forces and reducing leaks, while being suitable for extreme conditions and various flange materials, with adjustable contact surfaces and materials like PTFE ensuring chemical resistance and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (4), in particular a disc spring (14) or a cup spring, which presses a sealing element (6) against a sealing surface (8)
Implementation Method 2
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based gaskets are frequently used in flange connections... The major advantage of PTFE lies in its excellent chemical resistance
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~4B
Figure 5A~5C
AI summary
The present invention relates to a seal (2) with at least one spring element (4) and at least one sealing element (6), wherein the at least one spring element (4) is configured to press the at least one sealing element (6) against at least one sealing surface (8).