Self-energizing Seal Segmented Rings for Pipe Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional seals fail to simultaneously manage leakage, corrosion, and temperature in high-pressure, high-temperature environments, especially when components undergo movement, leading to reliability issues and costly maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A self-energizing seal comprising a housing with inelastic annular seal ring segments and self-energizing ring segments that move within a circumferential slot to engage the pipe surface, allowing for translational and rotational movement while maintaining a seal, constructed from materials like stainless steel to withstand extreme conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional seals are used in high-pressure, high-temperature environments, then sealing function is provided, but the seals experience significant wear and fail under movement conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring is designed with segmented structure that allows relative movement between segments, enabling the seal to dynamically adapt to pipe movement while maintaining sealing contact. The segments can slide relative to each other along the circumferential direction, providing flexibility without compromising sealing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring is divided into multiple segments that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the seal to accommodate movement while maintaining continuous sealing contact with the pipe surface, resolving the contradiction between rigidity needed for sealing and flexibility needed for movement accommodation.
2Loss of substance
If mechanical seals are used to control leakage, then sealing is provided, but tolerances between seal and pipe result in substantial leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented seal ring design allows the segments to dynamically adjust their positions to maintain optimal sealing contact with the pipe surface, compensating for manufacturing tolerances and ensuring minimal leakage without requiring extremely tight tolerance control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fabric sleeve seals are used for movement accommodation, then flexibility is provided, but the seals are vulnerable to failure in high temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The seal employs a composite structure combining metal segments with sealing elements, providing both the flexibility needed for movement accommodation and the temperature resistance required for high-temperature environments. The metal segments provide structural integrity while allowing relative movement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If metal bellows seals are used for movement, then movement capability is provided, but the seals have limited fatigue life before cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented seal ring design distributes movement stresses across multiple segments rather than concentrating them in a single bellows structure. This segmentation reduces fatigue loading on individual components, extending the overall fatigue life while maintaining movement capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-energizing seal includes a housing and a plurality of annular seal ring segments movable relative to the housing. The annular seal ring segments include a circumferential slot and a plurality of holes defining a flow passage into the circumferential slot. A plurality of self-energizing ring segments are disposed in the circumferential slot. The annular seal ring segments and the self-energizing ring segments establish a seal with the exterior of a pipe and permit movement of the pipe in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the pipe.