Piston Sealing Ring Assembly With Gap Cover for Wear Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sealing ring assemblies in piston and cylinder devices face challenges with radial wear, leading to increased leakage and stress due to gap formation between ring segments, especially when using self-lubricating materials that exhibit higher wear rates, which limits their operational life and performance.
Innovation Solution
The sealing ring assembly incorporates a gap cover element that widens as the ring wears, maintaining contact with the cylinder bore and preventing leakage by using wedge-shaped recesses and gap cover elements that move radially outward to compensate for wear, ensuring a consistent seal even under high pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If self-lubricating material is used for the seal, then ease of operation is improved, but wear rate increases leading to higher leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple ring segments with gaps between them, allowing each segment to move independently and maintain sealing contact despite wear. The gap cover element further segments the gap region to prevent leakage paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring segments are designed to be dynamically adjustable, moving radially outward as wear occurs to maintain sealing contact. The gap cover element also moves dynamically to follow the changing gap geometry.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the seal is split into ring segments to compensate for radial wear, then duration of action is improved, but leakage increases due to gap opening
Solution Approach 1:
The gap cover element acts as an intermediary component that bridges the gaps between ring segments. It prevents direct leakage paths through the gaps while allowing the segments to move and wear, effectively mediating between the need for wear compensation and leakage prevention.
3Reliability
If gap cover element is used to prevent leakage, then reliability is improved, but bending stress increases in the front cover ring
Solution Approach 1:
The gap cover element is strategically positioned only at the locations where gaps exist between ring segments, rather than covering the entire circumference. This localized approach prevents leakage at critical points while minimizing the overall stress on the front cover ring.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a sealing ring assembly having ring segments configured to seal a high-pressure region from a lower pressure region of a piston and cylinder device. The sing segments are configured to move radially outward and wear during operation of the piston via the cylinder device. The ring segments include, for example, wedge-shaped features that engage with corresponding wedge recesses in the interfaces between ring segments. The sealing ring assembly may include a high-pressure boundary and a low-pressure boundary. As the sealing ring wears, the ring segments stay engaged with the interfaces, so that ring gaps do not form on the low pressure boundary.