Flat Seal Screen Assembly for Cross-Sectional Gas Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming a cross-sectionally impermeable sealing region around screen regions in flat seals fail to effectively prevent gas flow, particularly at pressures of 1 bar, where the gas flow rate through the sealing region is not adequately reduced.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of sealing material layers on both sides of a woven or braided fabric, with these layers forming a cross-sectionally impermeable assembly under an areal pressure of 5 MPa or more, where the material layers are adapted to the fabric's structure and remain dimensionally stable, ensuring no significant deformation or material flow that could compromise the sealing integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sealing material layers are applied to both sides of the woven or braided fabric, then cross-sectional impermeability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing material layers are pre-formed with a surface structure that is already adapted to the woven or braided fabric structure before application. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex in-situ forming processes during manufacturing, while still achieving the required cross-sectional impermeability when the layers are applied and pressed together under pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The solution combines sealing material layers with the woven or braided fabric to create a composite layer assembly. The sealing material layers are designed to work in conjunction with the fabric structure, where the fabric provides the base structure and the sealing layers provide the impermeability, creating a synergistic composite structure that achieves both sealing performance and manufacturability
2Reliability
If the sealing material layers are made mouldable to adapt to the fabric structure, then sealing performance is improved, but dimensional stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing material layers exhibit dynamic properties by being mouldable during the application process to adapt to the fabric structure, then transitioning to a dimensionally stable state after application. This dynamic behavior allows the material to be formable when needed (during manufacturing) while maintaining stability during service, resolving the contradiction between mouldability and dimensional stability
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties of the sealing layers are changed through parameter control - specifically, the material is in a mouldable state during application (higher temperature or softer state) and then transitions to a dimensionally stable state (cooled or hardened) after application. This parameter change allows the material to exhibit different properties at different stages of the process, achieving both adaptability and stability
3Reliability
If high areal pressure of 5 MPa or more is applied, then cross-sectional impermeability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing material layers are pre-formed with an optimized surface structure that is adapted to the fabric, which allows the assembly to achieve cross-sectional impermeability at lower pressing forces than would be required without this preliminary adaptation. This reduces the manufacturing difficulty associated with applying very high pressures
Solution Approach 2:
The surface structure of the sealing material layers is locally adapted to match the specific structure of the woven or braided fabric at the contact interface. This local adaptation creates optimal contact and sealing at the critical interfaces, allowing effective sealing to be achieved with lower overall pressing forces compared to uniform sealing approaches
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 approach results in a functional element with a cross-sectionally impermeable layer assembly that effectively reduces gas flow rates through the sealing region to less than 5 ml/min at 1 bar pressure, ensuring reliable sealing performance.
Implementation Method 1
forming a cross-sectionally impermeable layer assembly with the woven or braided fabric at least on an areal application of 5 MPa or more
Implementation Method 2
the material of the sealing material layers is partially pressed into the woven or braided fabric in the mouldable state in order thereby to achieve an adaptation of the contact sides to the structure of the woven or braided fabric
Implementation Method 3
a cross-sectionally impermeable layer assembly that effectively reduces gas flow rates through the sealing region to less than 5 ml/min at 1 bar pressure
Data Source
AI summary
Method for producing a functional element, in particular for flat seals, wherein a functional layer with at least one screen region is formed in which through openings for the passage of a fluid lie exposed between threads of a woven or braided fabric, wherein the functional layer is provided with at least one sealing region surrounding at least the screen region, in which sealing region sealing material layers are applied thereon to both sides of the woven or braided fabric, said sealing material layers forming a cross-sectionally impermeable layer assembly with the woven or braided fabric at least with an areal application of 5 MPa or more.