Air-Oil Separator Housing Seal Layout for Tolerance Compensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air/oil separator systems face challenges in maintaining leakproof connections between gas passages and fluid outlets, leading to potential gas leakage and fluid contamination, due to component and assembly-related tolerances.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a housing-side fluid outlet sealing device between the second gas passage and the fluid outlet, which interacts with a corresponding connection-side sealing part to ensure a leakproof connection, reducing the risk of gas ingress into the fluid outlet and fluid ingress into the gas passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional connection methods are used without additional sealing devices, then the device structure remains simple, but leakage occurs due to dimensional tolerances and mechanical loads
Solution Approach 1:
A housing-side fluid outlet sealing device is introduced as an intermediary component between the second gas passage and the fluid outlet. This sealing device acts as a mediator that compensates for dimensional tolerances and mechanical loads, ensuring reliable sealing without requiring complex connection structures. The sealing device includes a sealing element that can deform to fill gaps caused by tolerances, and a support structure that absorbs mechanical loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing device is designed with pre-compression elements and flexible sealing materials that beforehand cushion against the effects of dimensional tolerances and mechanical loads. The sealing element is pre-compressed during assembly to ensure immediate sealing, and its flexible nature allows it to accommodate subsequent load variations without losing sealing effectiveness.
2Reliability
If tight tolerances are enforced to prevent leakage, then sealing performance improves, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device changes the physical parameters of the sealing interface by introducing a compliant sealing element that can alter its shape and volume in response to applied loads. This allows the sealing system to function effectively with wider dimensional tolerances, as the sealing element deforms to maintain contact and sealing pressure regardless of minor variations in component dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is constructed from flexible materials such as elastomers or rubber compounds that can deform under compression and shear loads. This flexibility allows the sealing element to accommodate dimensional tolerances in the housing and connection components, maintaining effective sealing without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances. The flexible material conforms to the mating surfaces, filling gaps and preventing leakage.
3Volume of moving object
If the fluid outlet is positioned radially between the first and second gas passages, then space utilization improves, but sealing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device merges multiple sealing functions into a single integrated component positioned at the fluid outlet. Rather than providing separate sealing arrangements for each gas passage and the fluid outlet, the invention combines these sealing requirements into one unified sealing device that addresses all interfaces simultaneously, simplifying the overall sealing structure despite the radial positioning of components.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a housing (18) for a separating device (12) for separating fluid from a gas, a housing cover (28) and a connecting part (16) of a device (12) and a device (12) for separating a fluid. The housing (18) has at least one first gas passage (82), which is centrally disposed relative to an axis (30) on a connection device (14). The housing (18) has at least one second gas passage (52), which is disposed radially outside the at least one first gas passage (82) with respect to the axis (30). The housing (18) has at least one fluid outlet (36, 48, 64) for fluid separated from the gas, which is disposed radially between the at least one first gas passage (82) and the at least one second gas passage (52) with respect to the axis (30). Between the at least one second gas passage (52) and the at least one fluid outlet (36, 48, 64), at least one housing-side fluid outlet sealing part (66) of at least one fluid outlet sealing device (92) is disposed, which is configured to sealingly interact with at least one corresponding connection-side fluid outlet sealing part (68) of the connecting part (16), which is provided for connecting the housing (18) with the connection device (14).