Fan Sealing Element for High-Temperature Media Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing blowers face sealing issues at high temperatures and misalignment of the drive shaft, leading to inefficiencies in conveying aggressive media such as hot gas or flue gas.

Innovation Solution

A non-elastomeric sealing element made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is non-positively fixed to the housing using a clamping element, allowing the drive shaft to float within the seal and compensating for eccentricities and misalignments, ensuring reliable circumferential sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a conventional seal is used to close the opening gap between the through-opening and the drive shaft, then the seal can accommodate misalignment and eccentricity, but the sealing performance deteriorates at very high temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of misalignment and eccentricityVSAvoidsealing performance at high temperatures
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter of the sealing element from elastomeric material to non-elastomeric material (such as PTFE), which can withstand extremely high temperatures while maintaining sealing capability. This material parameter change allows the seal to function reliably at temperatures where conventional elastomeric seals would fail, while still accommodating drive shaft eccentricities and misalignments through the floating mounting design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If the seal is fixed rigidly to the housing to ensure stable positioning, then the seal position is stable, but it cannot compensate for drive shaft eccentricities and misalignments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal position stabilityVSAvoidcompensation for eccentricity and misalignment
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic mounting system where the sealing element is held by a clamping element that allows the seal to float and move axially. This dynamic arrangement enables the seal to self-adjust and compensate for drive shaft eccentricities and misalignments while maintaining stable positioning through the clamping force, resolving the contradiction between rigid stability and adaptive flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If elastomeric material is used for the sealing element, then the seal can be easily mounted and removed, but it cannot withstand extremely high temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of mounting and removalVSAvoidmaximum operating temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs non-elastomeric material (such as PTFE - polytetrafluoroethylene) for the sealing element, which combines the necessary sealing properties with high temperature resistance. This material substitution maintains ease of mounting and removal through the clamping element design while enabling operation at extremely high temperatures that would degrade elastomeric materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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

Enables reliable sealing at extremely high temperatures and maintains performance even with shaft misalignment, ensuring effective media transport without impairment.

Implementation Method 1

By virtue of the fact that the sealing element is made from a non-elastomeric material, in particular polytetrafluoroethylene, according to invention, media can be transported at extremely high temperatures with the fan according to invention without the sealing of the shaft relative to the housing being impaired

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP2031252B1Fan for conveying media
Publication Date: 2010.05.05 EBM PAPST MULFINGEN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2031252B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2031252B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~3
  • EP2031252B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The blower has a sealing (22) arranged at a side of a rear front wall (8) of a housing in such a manner that the sealing in a position, which seals an opening gap, lies against a through hole under axial prestressing at the rear front wall of the housing in a sealed and surrounded manner. The sealing includes a clamping element (32) made of spring-elastic material i.e. spring steel, and a sealing element (23) made of non-elastomer material i.e. PTFE, where the sealing element is fixed between the clamping element and the rear front wall in a force-fit manner.