Additive-Manufactured Seal Rotor With Internal Cooling to Limit Coning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotors in high temperature/high speed environments suffer from distortions such as coning due to clamping forces, inertial forces, pressure differences, and thermal loads, which can lead to improper sealing and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufactured dynamic seal rotor with enhanced functionality is developed, featuring internal features such as annular cavities and a radial web with a fluid channel, which allows for tuning of rotor face coning and active cooling, reducing mass and stress while improving sealing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If clamping force is applied to the rotor, then the rotor can resist high torque loads and maintain closure of shaft-mounted components, but rotor face distortion (coning) occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is divided into multiple segments including an outer ring, inner ring, and radial web structure. This segmentation allows the rotor to maintain structural integrity under clamping forces while reducing overall distortion. The radial web connects the inner and outer rings, creating a distributed structure that better resists deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the rotor's structural parameters by introducing annular cavities and optimizing the radial web configuration. These parameter changes reduce the rotor's mass and moment of inertia, allowing for reduced clamping forces that minimize face distortion while maintaining sufficient torque resistance.
2Weight of moving object
If rotor mass is reduced through additive manufacturing, then cooling efficiency improves and stress is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional additive manufacturing to create complex internal features including annular cavities and radial web structures that cannot be achieved with conventional manufacturing. This dimensional freedom allows for optimized mass distribution and integrated cooling channels while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor incorporates annular cavities that create a porous-like structure, reducing mass while maintaining structural strength. These cavities also serve as cooling channels, allowing fluid flow to remove heat from the rotor during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional manufacturing methods are used, then manufacturing process is simpler, but internal features and fluid channels cannot be integrated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated rotor structure manufactured through additive processes. The radial web simultaneously provides structural support, connects the annular cavities, and defines fluid channels. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate components and assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial web structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, creates fluid communication between annular cavities, and optimizes mass distribution. This multi-functionality is achieved through the additive manufacturing process that can create complex geometries in a single 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 additive manufactured rotor effectively reduces undesirable distortions by up to 50-70%, enhances cooling efficiency, and maintains rotor face flatness within operating tolerances, leading to improved sealing performance and operational reliability in high temperature/high speed environments.
Implementation Method 1
The radial web can define a fluid channel for providing fluid communication between the first annular cavity of the outer ring and the second annular cavity of the inner ring
Implementation Method 2
An additive manufacturing process differs significantly from conventional, erosive manufacturing methods. As used herein, the term 'additive manufacturing' should not be construed to encompass fabrication or joining of previously formed objects. Instead of milling a work piece from a solid block, the components of an additive manufacturing are present as a starting material of fine powder and are built layer by layer
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufactured rotor for a seal assembly is provided. The rotor surrounds a central axis and extends along the central axis from a first axial end to an opposite second axial end. The rotor is rotatable about an axis of rotation that is co-axial with the central axis. The rotor can include an outer ring and an inner ring that is connected to the outer ring by a radial web. The outer ring has a rotor face for providing a sealing surface at the first axial end. The outer ring can define a first annular cavity and the inner ring can define a second annular cavity that is radially separated from the first annular cavity. The radial web can define a fluid channel for providing fluid communication between the first annular cavity of the outer ring and the second annular cavity of the inner ring.