Floating ring seal for refrigerant compressor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant compressors face challenges in reducing friction between rotating and non-rotating parts, leading to inefficiencies and potential leakage in refrigerant loops.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a floating ring seal with a nose configured to contact a housing, combined with a low friction coating including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) applied to one or both of the nose and the housing, reduces friction and enhances sealing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a floating ring seal contacts the housing to prevent leakage, then sealing reliability is improved, but friction increases causing the seal to lock under high pressure drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a low friction coating (such as PTFE, diamond-like carbon, or other lubricious coatings) to the surface of the floating ring seal or the housing contact surface. This changes the friction parameter of the contact interface, allowing the seal to maintain reliable contact for sealing while reducing friction forces to prevent locking under high pressure drops.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures where the floating ring seal combines a base material (providing structural strength) with a low friction coating layer (providing reduced friction). This composite structure enables the seal to simultaneously achieve reliable sealing contact and low friction operation, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and friction prevention.
2Force
If the nose radial dimension is reduced to minimize contact area, then friction is reduced, but sealing effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By applying a low friction coating to the nose surface, the patent changes the friction parameter, allowing the nose to maintain a small radial dimension (minimizing contact area and friction) while still achieving effective sealing through the reduced friction interface that prevents locking.
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 use of CNT low friction coatings on the floating ring seal significantly reduces friction, preventing the seal from 'locking' under high pressure drops and maintaining efficient operation of the refrigerant compressor.
Implementation Method 1
a low friction coating including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is applied to one or both of the nose and the housing
Implementation Method 2
The use of CNT low friction coatings on the floating ring seal significantly reduces friction, preventing the seal from 'locking' under high pressure drops
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerant compressor according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a floating ring seal having a nose configured to contact a housing. Further, a low friction coating including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is applied to one or both of the nose and the housing. In another aspect of this disclosure, the floating ring seal has first and second noses configured to contact the housing, and the first nose is radially spaced-apart from the second nose.