Slanted Retaining Ring Valve Seal Assembly for Airflow Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valve seal assemblies in aerospace applications suffer from premature failure due to the lack of strong substrate attachment, leading to deformation and rupture of carbon seals under air flow forces, resulting in increased service frequency and costs.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly design featuring a retaining ring disposed at a slant in a cavity formed by the disk member and retainer, providing additional support and retention for the seal, along with a metal support to reduce stress and prevent excessive protrusion into the air stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional butterfly seal configuration is used, then the valve can be constructed with simple components, but the seal deforms under air flow pressure causing premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
A retaining ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the seal and the valve body. This retaining ring provides additional support to the seal, preventing it from deforming under air flow pressure while maintaining the overall simplicity of the valve assembly structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the seal element itself, the retaining ring for structural support, and the valve body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
2Reliability
If the seal is made of carbon material, then it provides good sealing properties, but it bends and ruptures under significant air flow forces
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly uses a composite structure combining carbon sealing material with a stronger retaining ring material. The carbon seal provides excellent sealing properties while the retaining ring provides structural strength to resist air flow forces, creating a composite system that leverages the advantages of both materials.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the seal assembly have different material properties optimized for their specific functions: the seal contact surface uses soft carbon material for sealing, while the retaining ring uses stronger material for structural support. This local differentiation of material quality allows each component to perform its specific function effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If the seal is not strongly supported on a base structure, then the assembly is simpler to manufacture, but the seal moves excessively under air flow causing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining ring serves as an intermediary support structure between the seal and the valve body. It provides stable positioning and support for the seal under air flow conditions while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a straightforward assembly process involving standard machining operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a valve assembly that includes a retaining ring disposed within a cavity formed by adjoining a retainer and a disk member. The retaining ring can be disposed at a slant with respect to an inner surface of the cavity.