Electrolysis Pipe Coupling With Floating Seal Against Thermal Expansion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe-in-pipe connections in electrolysis facilities face challenges with maintaining a reliable seal due to thermal expansion differences between metal and plastic components, leading to potential bending and contact issues that can result in malfunction and reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A sealed coupling design featuring a pipe-in-pipe arrangement with lateral surfaces that form a seal through elastic deformation at predefined points, allowing for axial floating mounting and self-locking operation, independent of thermal expansions and geometric variations, ensuring a consistent seal without pre-tension forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conical connecting piece with axial pre-tension is used to achieve simple installation and good leak-tightness, then ease of operation and sealing are improved, but at elevated temperatures the discharge pipe expands more strongly than the metallic components, increasing axial pre-tension and causing bending of the discharge pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the conical connecting piece and transferred to a separate sealing element (sealing ring or sealing profile). This allows the connecting piece to provide mechanical support while the dedicated sealing element handles the sealing task, preventing the sealing function from being compromised by thermal expansion forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism changes from relying on axial pre-tension force to relying on elastic deformation capability. The sealing element is designed to deform elastically under thermal expansion, maintaining sealing contact without transmitting harmful pre-tension forces to the discharge pipe.
2Reliability
If axial pre-tension is applied to ensure sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but at elevated temperatures the increased axial pre-tension can cause bending of the discharge pipe and contact with electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing element (sealing ring or sealing profile) is introduced as an intermediary between the connecting piece and the discharge pipe. This intermediary absorbs thermal expansion through elastic deformation, maintaining sealing performance while preventing harmful pre-tension forces from being transmitted to the discharge pipe.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is designed with flexible properties, allowing it to deform elastically under thermal expansion. This flexibility enables the sealing element to accommodate temperature variations and material expansion differences without creating harmful pre-tension forces that would cause pipe bending.
3Reliability
If a sealed coupling with elastic deformation at predefined points is used, then reliability over broad temperature range is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling structure maintains simplicity overall, but introduces localized complexity only where needed - specifically at predefined deformation points on the outer pipe and a corresponding sealing profile on the inner pipe. This localized approach provides the necessary elastic deformation capability without making the entire coupling structure complex.
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 leak-tight connection that maintains operational integrity over a broad temperature range, minimizing axial tensions and bending risks, and ensures consistent sealing performance even with varying thermal expansions and material differences.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing element, in particular a sealing ring or a sealing profile, by means of which sealing between the inner pipe and the outer pipe is ensured by elastic deformation
Implementation Method 2
different expansions in the case of collecting channel and discharge pipe, in particular at temperatures up to approximately 100° C.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrolysis facility having a sealed coupling between at least two pipes may be mountable on one another. The sealed coupling may be formed on at least one overlapping pipe pair by lateral surfaces abutting one another. The pipes may be mounted/mountable one inside the other in a floating manner relative to one another in an axial direction. A deformation point may be formed at a circumferential position having an axial length on a free end of the outer pipe in the overlap region. The deformation point may define a region for deformation of the outer pipe. A lateral surface of an inner lateral surface of the outer pipe and an outer lateral surface of the inner pipe may define a sealing surface that overlaps the deformation point in the axial direction. In addition to high operational reliability, this also enables a simplification of the installation procedure.