Grooved Seal Rotor Structure to Resist Coning Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotors in seal assemblies face distortion issues due to non-uniform mounting surfaces and thermal effects, leading to coning and warping of the rotor face, which affects the sealing performance.
Innovation Solution
A coning-resistant rotor design featuring an axially-extending web with circumferential grooves and a tapered channel on the rotor base, allowing for flexibility and reduced distortion, and optimized through finite element analysis to maintain the rotor face's squareness and flatness under high clamping forces and thermal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high clamping forces are applied to the rotor, then torque load resistance is improved, but rotor face distortion (coning) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor base is segmented into multiple regions by introducing circumferential grooves that divide the base into radial segments. This segmentation allows each segment to deform independently under clamping forces, accommodating surface non-uniformities while maintaining overall structural integrity and preventing rotor face coning.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor base is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, creating regions of varying stiffness. Thinner regions allow for localized deformation to accommodate mounting surface irregularities, while thicker regions maintain structural strength. This local quality variation enables the rotor to adapt to non-uniform clamping forces without developing coning distortion.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rotor structure is made more flexible to reduce distortion, then rotor face flatness is improved, but torque load resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor base is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt its stiffness under different loading conditions. The circumferential grooves create a structure that is more compliant under static clamping forces (reducing coning) but maintains sufficient rigidity under dynamic torque loads, achieving both distortion reduction and load resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor employs a composite structure combining regions of different stiffness characteristics. The base material is configured with varying thickness and incorporates grooves that create a composite-like behavior, where certain regions are more compliant while others maintain high stiffness, enabling simultaneous achievement of flatness and strength.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the rotor face is maintained rigid to resist distortion, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to non-uniform mounting surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor base is divided into multiple radial segments by circumferential grooves, allowing each segment to independently adapt to local mounting surface variations. This segmentation provides adaptability to non-uniform surfaces while the overall segmented structure maintains structural stability through distributed load paths.
Data Source
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AI summary
A coning-resistant rotor (10) for a seal assembly and a method for tuning such a rotor are disclosed. An embodiment of the rotor (10) includes a rotor base (12), a rotor head (16), and an axially-extending web (20) interposed between the rotor base and rotor head, where¬ in the web (20) includes axial and radial web regions (22, 24, 26) defined by circumferential grooves (30a, 30b) provided in the web. The rotor base (12) may include a sealing surface and an inner diameter surface, and the inner diameter surface includes a channel with a taper.