Metal Seal Ring With Harder Substrate And Softer Contact Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal-to-metal seals in subsea well assemblies face challenges in maintaining shape integrity under high pressures, as the metal may yield beyond its strength, leading to permanent deformation and loss of sealing functionality, while requiring softer metal for contact with harder surfaces, creating a contradictory design requirement.
Innovation Solution
A metal-to-metal seal assembly with a seal ring having two legs with a softer metal section for contact surfaces and a harder main metal section, where the softer section is continuously extended between the legs to prevent separation and deformation, allowing the seal to withstand high pressures without permanent shape alteration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the metal in the sealing member is made softer to yield against the facing sealing surface, then the sealing capability is improved, but the shape stability deteriorates causing permanent deformation under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring is designed with non-uniform material properties: the sealing surfaces are made of softer metal to ensure yielding and sealing capability, while the main body and legs are made of harder metal to maintain shape stability under high pressure. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and shape retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring employs a composite structure combining two different metals with distinct properties. The softer metal is applied as a coating or layer on the sealing surfaces, while the harder metal forms the structural backbone. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of sealing capability (through the softer surface) and shape stability (through the harder substrate).
2Stability of the object's composition
If the metal in the sealing member is made harder to maintain shape under high pressure, then the shape stability is improved, but the sealing capability deteriorates due to inability to yield against the sealing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring is designed with non-uniform material properties: the sealing surfaces are made of softer metal to ensure yielding and sealing capability, while the main body and legs are made of harder metal to maintain shape stability under high pressure. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and shape retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring employs a composite structure combining two different metals with distinct properties. The softer metal is applied as a coating or layer on the sealing surfaces, while the harder metal forms the structural backbone. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of sealing capability (through the softer surface) and shape stability (through the harder substrate).
3Reliability
If additional soft inlays are added to the sealing surfaces to improve sealing, then the sealing capability is improved, but the device complexity and fabrication cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surfaces are integrated directly into the seal ring structure rather than being separate inlays. The softer metal is applied as a coating or layer that becomes an integral part of the seal ring, eliminating the need for separate inlay components and their associated installation and alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring employs a composite structure combining two different metals with distinct properties. The softer metal is applied as a coating or layer on the sealing surfaces, while the harder metal forms the structural backbone. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of sealing capability (through the softer surface) and shape stability (through the harder substrate).
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 solution enables the seal to maintain functionality under high pressures without permanent deformation, eliminating the need for additional soft inlays in the sealing surfaces, reducing fabrication costs and wear, and ensuring consistent sealing performance.
Implementation Method 1
The legs are adapted to be elastically bent and forced towards each other when the seal ring is forced into said narrowed annulus cross section from said adjacent part of the annulus
Implementation Method 2
this metal should be sufficiently soft to make it yield in the position of contact against the facing sealing surface, in order to provide for a tight seal
Data Source
AI summary
Seal assembly (201) for a subsea well assembly with inner and outer circular sealing surfaces (215a, 215b) in an annulus (211). It has a seal ring (203) with a cross section exhibiting two legs (205a, 205b), with seal ring seal surfaces (209a, 209b). The seal ring comprises a main metal section (217) having metal with the same or higher degree of hardness than the metal in said facing circular sealing surfaces (215a, 215b). The seal ring seal surfaces comprise a seal ring surface metal (210a, 210b) which is of a softer metal than the metal in the circular sealing surfaces (215a, 215b) and the metal in the main metal section (217). The seal ring (203) comprises a second section (219) comprising said seal ring surface metal (210a, 210b), the second section (219) extending continuously between said seal ring seal surfaces (209a, 209b) on the respective legs.