Pump Seal Assembly With Elastomer Support for Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical seals in pumps, especially those used for liquid foodstuffs, are prone to vibration-induced impairment and require precise alignment, making maintenance and cleaning difficult.
Innovation Solution
A sealing arrangement featuring a ceramic sliding surface in contact with an elastomer element, which compensates for vibrations and deformations, ensuring constant contact and reliable sealing, and includes a sealing sleeve supported by elastomer elements for enhanced stability and ease of maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical seal with ceramic sliding surface and static surface is used, then sealing reliability is improved, but the seal is impaired by vibrations and requires precise alignment making maintenance difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into a sealing element with sliding surface and a separate pressing element with elastomer. This segmentation allows the pressing element to be replaced independently during maintenance, simplifying service operations while maintaining the sealing reliability of the ceramic sliding surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer material properties are selected to provide vibration compensation through elastic deformation. The elastomer's ability to deform elastically under vibration conditions maintains constant pressing force on the sliding surface, ensuring sealing reliability while reducing sensitivity to alignment variations.
2Reliability
If a mechanical seal with resiliently preloaded static surface is used, then sealing function is improved, but vibrations during operation impair the seal function
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer pressing element is designed to absorb and compensate for vibrations before they can impair the sealing function. The elastomer's elastic properties provide a cushioning effect that maintains stable contact between the sliding surface and sealing interface despite vibrational disturbances during pump operation.
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 provides a reliable, vibration-resistant sealing effect that is easy to maintain and replace, ensuring the pump channel's integrity even under high pressures and temperatures, and can be retrofitted into existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
The deformable elastomer element can at least partially compensate for vibrations and deformations of the rotor or the pump housing during operation of the pump
Data Source
AI summary
A pump comprises: at least one rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation; a pump housing surrounding the rotor, wherein a pump channel is formed between a radially inner surface of the pump housing and a radially outer surface of the rotor; and a seal assembly that seals the pump channel to an end surface of the rotor. The seal assembly comprises: a sliding surface which is provided on one of the rotor and the pump housing and which extends perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotor; a static surface provided on the other of the rotor and the pump housing; and a first elastomer element attached to the static surface and pressed against the sliding surface in the axial direction.