Mechanical Seal Groove Segmentation for Vibration Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical seal devices in semiconductor production facilities face challenges in preventing abrasion powder incorporation into sealed fluids due to vibration and contact between seal surfaces, which existing designs fail to adequately address, leading to product contamination.

Innovation Solution

A mechanical seal device design featuring a rotational seal ring with arc-shaped grooves and a stationary seal ring with strategically sized outlet portions and partition walls, which suppresses the Pneumatic Hammer phenomenon and maintains a non-contact state by utilizing pressure differences to prevent seal surface contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If the volume of grooves on the stationary seal surface is increased to prevent seal surface contact, then floating force is improved, but vibration due to Pneumatic Hammer phenomenon worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefloating forceVSAvoidvibration

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The groove is divided into two distinct parts: a first groove portion and a second groove portion. The first groove portion has a larger volume to generate sufficient floating force, while the second groove portion has a smaller volume to suppress Pneumatic Hammer phenomenon and reduce vibration. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize its function independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the groove are assigned different volumes and functions. The first groove portion (near the seal surface) has larger volume for floating force generation, while the second groove portion (deeper in the structure) has smaller volume for vibration suppression. This local differentiation of groove properties resolves the contradiction between floating force and vibration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If the volume of grooves on the stationary seal surface is decreased to suppress Pneumatic Hammer phenomenon, then vibration is improved, but floating force becomes insufficient causing seal surface contact

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovevibrationVSAvoidfloating force

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If grooves of approximately the same size are formed on both stationary and rotational seal surfaces, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the effect of rotational grooves cannot be obtained sufficiently causing vibration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegroove symmetryVSAvoidvibration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure is designed with asymmetric volume distribution between its portions. The first groove portion has a larger volume while the second has a smaller volume, creating local quality differences that generate the necessary floating force and suppress vibration simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The groove volume parameters are optimized by creating two distinct portions with different volumes. The first groove portion has a larger volume for floating force generation, while the second groove portion has a smaller volume for vibration suppression, achieving optimal performance through parameter differentiation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Effectively prevents abrasion powder incorporation into sealed fluids by reducing vibration and maintaining a non-contact state between seal surfaces, ensuring the integrity of semiconductor production processes.

Implementation Method 1

The vibration is a phenomenon called Pneumatic Hammer caused by compressibility of a pressure fluid supplied between the rotational seal surface and the stationary seal surface.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPneumatic Hammer phenomenon: Fluid Hammer

Implementation Method 2

a mechanical seal device design featuring a rotational seal ring with arc-shaped grooves and a stationary seal ring with strategically sized outlet portions and partition walls, which suppresses the Pneumatic Hammer phenomenon and maintains a non-contact state by utilizing pressure differences to prevent seal surface contact

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS7744094B2Mechanical seal device

Publication Date: 2010.06.29 EAGLE INDS

AI summary

A mechanical seal device includes a rotational seal ring connected to a rotational shaft, having a rotational seal surface and arc-shaped grooves arranged on the rotational seal surface. The grooves are sectionalized by partition walls. A stationary seal ring has a stationary seal surface facing the rotational seal surface of the rotational seal ring. A spring biases the stationary seal ring against the rotational seal ring. Outlet portions are formed on the stationary seal surface of the stationary seal ring and connect with a fluid supply path for supplying a pressure fluid. A circumferential direction length (W3) of each outlet portion is made to be ½ of a circumferential direction length (W1) of each partition wall or longer (W3≧W1/2); and a circumferential direction length (W3) of the outlet portions is made to be shorter than a circumferential direction length (W2) of the arc-shaped grooves (W3<W2).