Segmented Piston Ring Guidance to Prevent Seal Segment Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piston rings for piston compressors can suffer damage when pushed back, leading to a reduced sealing effect and potential leakage, especially under high pressure and temperature loads.
Innovation Solution
A piston ring design featuring a first annular body and a segmented sealing ring with guide means that prevent rotation and allow transverse displacement, eliminating the risk of collision and damage to the sealing ring segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sealing ring segments are pushed back to compensate wear, then sealing effect is improved, but damage risk to sealing ring segments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is divided into multiple sealing ring segments that can move independently. Each segment can be pushed back individually to compensate for wear, maintaining the sealing effect. The segmentation allows controlled movement of each segment without affecting the entire sealing ring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide means are introduced as intermediary elements between the sealing ring segments and the first annular body. These guide means (guide ribs and guide grooves) mediate the movement of sealing ring segments, allowing transverse displacement while preventing rotation and collision, thus enabling wear compensation without damage.
2Reliability
If sealing ring segments are allowed to move for wear compensation, then sealing performance is improved, but collision and damage to segments may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring segments are designed to be dynamic rather than static. They can move transversely to compensate for wear while maintaining their sealing function. The guide means enable controlled dynamic movement without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide means act as intermediaries that constrain the movement of sealing ring segments. The guide ribs and guide grooves work together to allow necessary transverse displacement for wear compensation while preventing harmful rotations and collisions that would damage the segments.
3Duration of action of moving object
If guide means are added to prevent rotation, then service life is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide means are segmented into guide ribs on the sealing ring segments and corresponding guide grooves on the first annular body. This segmentation allows the guide means to be integrated into existing components rather than adding separate complex guiding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide means are merged with the existing structural elements. Guide ribs are formed on the sealing ring segments and guide grooves are formed on the first annular body, combining the guiding function with the structural components themselves, thereby minimizing additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Piston ring having a first annular body and a second annular body, which annular bodies, are arranged adjacent to and concentric with one another in the axial direction (A), the first annular body having a radially outwardly directed outer side, an upper and a lower flank and a radially inwardly directed inner side, the second annular body being designed as a segmented sealing ring having a plurality of sealing ring segments, which sealing ring segments each have a radially outwardly directed sealing surface, an up-per and a lower sealing ring segment flank and a radially inwardly directed inner side, the sealing ring segments each being guided on the first annular body by means of at least one guide means, which guide means substantially prevent twisting of the sealing ring segments against the first annular body in the circumferential direction (U) and permit displacement of the sealing ring segments transversely to the axial direction (A).