Metal Fuel Nozzle Valve Seals for High-Temperature Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fuel nozzle valve seals in gas turbine engines fail to maintain effective sealing at high temperatures due to the limitations of elastomers, which cannot withstand the elevated temperatures encountered in modern fuel systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of all-metal seals with specific geometries, such as thin washers, cone-shaped washers, and curved surfaces, that rely on geometry to provide compliance and achieve a 'crisp sealing line' with homogeneous contact pressure, reducing vulnerability to surface imperfections and allowing operation at high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastomers are used for sealing in fuel nozzle valves, then effective sealing is achieved at low temperatures, but the seals fail at high temperatures due to thermal degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastomer to metal (stainless steel or Inconel), fundamentally altering the temperature resistance characteristics. This material substitution enables the seal to withstand high temperatures (up to 1500°F) while maintaining sealing functionality, directly resolving the temperature limitation of elastomeric seals
2Temperature
If metal seals are used instead of elastomers, then high temperature resistance is achieved, but compliance and sealing effectiveness must be maintained through geometric design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved sealing surfaces on both the plunger and valve seat, replacing flat surfaces with geometrically complex curved profiles. This curvature design enables the rigid metal seal to conform to surface imperfections and maintain effective sealing contact, compensating for the lack of elastomeric compliance through geometric sophistication
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies localized geometric features specifically at the sealing interface (curved surfaces, precise tolerances) while keeping the rest of the plunger structure relatively simple. This concentrates the complexity only where needed for sealing effectiveness, optimizing the balance between thermal resistance and sealing performance
3Productivity
If lightly loaded plungers are used, then fuel flow control is efficient, but sealing reliability is compromised at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite sealing system combining metal plunger material (stainless steel or Inconel) with precisely engineered geometric features. This composite approach integrates the thermal resistance of metal with the sealing effectiveness of curved surfaces, achieving both high-temperature reliability and efficient fuel flow control without requiring heavy plunger loading
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel nozzle valve includes a fuel nozzle valve liner having a channel with an opening for allowing fuel to flow therethrough and a seat. A plunger has a stud and a base substantially perpendicular to the stud, the plunger being configured to move relative to the fuel nozzle valve liner to seal or to open the opening of the fuel nozzle valve. The fuel nozzle valve further includes a metal resilient member configured to contact the base of the plunger and the seat of the fuel nozzle valve liner to seal the opening of the fuel nozzle valve when the plunger is moved to seal the fuel nozzle valve.