Sliding Compensator Clamp Ring for Pressure-Resistant Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding compensators in gas-insulated electrical power transmission devices face challenges in providing reliable sealing, sufficient movement absorption, and long-term durability while being easy to manufacture and assemble, with bellows or flexible sections often leading to complexity, fatigue, and premature failure.
Innovation Solution
A sliding compensator design featuring a clamping ring connection between a first and second pipe section, allowing for a rigid and secure fastening of a piston element, which includes a clamping ring with inwardly projecting protrusions engaging grooves on both sections, enabling easy assembly and maintenance, and ensuring pressure resistance and reliable sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bellows or flexible sections are used to absorb movement, then movement absorption capability is improved, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a piston element with sealing elements (O-rings, lip seals) that provide flexible sealing capability while maintaining a rigid structural framework. The piston can move axially within the cylinder to absorb thermal expansion and contraction, replacing complex bellows with a simpler piston-cylinder arrangement that achieves movement absorption without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding compensator is divided into distinct functional segments: first and second pipe sections for structural support, a piston element for movement absorption, and sealing elements for gas-tight barriers. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining movement absorption capability
2Ease of manufacture
If threaded connection is used between first pipe section and piston element, then assembly is enabled, but pressure resistance decreases due to material weakening from thread cutting
Solution Approach 1:
A clamping ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the first pipe section and the piston element. The clamping ring provides a threaded connection interface that can be assembled, while the main structural connection remains intact without thread cutting. This mediator allows assembly capability while preserving the strength of the primary pressure-containing structure
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded connection is localized to the clamping ring rather than the main pipe sections or piston element bodies. This localizes the material weakening to a non-critical component (the clamping ring) while preserving the full material strength and cross-section of the pressure-containing components, thus maintaining pressure resistance while enabling assembly
3Reliability
If overlapping components are used in connection design, then connection security is improved, but compensation path length decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection design transitions from axial overlapping (one-dimensional) to radial clamping (two-dimensional). The clamping ring applies radial clamping force to secure the piston element to the first pipe section, eliminating the need for axial overlap. This dimensional change allows the full axial length to be available for compensation path while maintaining connection security through radial confinement
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a sliding compensator (1) for a gas-insulated electrical power transmission device, comprising a first pipe section (2) and a second pipe section (3) which are coaxially aligned and movable relative to each other along a principal axis (100), wherein the first and second pipe sections (2, 3) each define a portion of an encapsulation volume (90). Furthermore, a piston element (4) is provided, which is rigidly connected to the first pipe section (2), and a cylinder wall (38) is rigidly connected to the second pipe section (3), wherein the piston element (4) is fitted in a sealing and slidable manner between an inner surface of the cylinder wall (38) and an outer surface of the second pipe section (3), thereby defining a compensation volume (92). The rigid connection between the first pipe section (2) and the piston element (4) is established by means of a clamping ring (6).