Shaft Seal Assembly With Floating Stator for Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shaft seal technologies fail to provide a satisfactory seal when a rotatable shaft is angularly misaligned, leading to reduced efficiency and increased wear, and they often require tight clearances that are not adaptable to operational conditions such as misalignment, which complicates cleaning and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A shaft seal assembly that incorporates a labyrinth seal with a floating stator and a spherical interface, allowing for angular misalignment while maintaining a tight seal through a combination of o-ring channels and anti-rotation pins, and utilizing pressurized sealing fluids to enhance seal efficacy and facilitate 'clean-in-place' procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tight clearances are used in shaft seal assemblies, then sealing efficiency is improved, but adaptability to shaft misalignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a floating stator that can dynamically adjust its position relative to the rotor, allowing the seal clearance to adapt to shaft misalignment while maintaining sealing effectiveness. The floating stator is not rigidly fixed but can move axially and radially to accommodate misalignment conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly is divided into separate components including a rotor, floating stator, and housing, allowing independent movement and adjustment of each component. This segmentation enables the floating stator to compensate for misalignment while maintaining tight sealing clearances.
2Reliability
If tight clearances are used in shaft seal assemblies, then sealing efficiency is improved, but wear increases due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The floating stator provides dynamic adjustment capability that prevents excessive wear by accommodating misalignment movements, thereby extending the service life of sealing components while maintaining tight clearances for effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The design anticipates misalignment conditions and provides clearance compensation mechanisms in advance, preventing direct contact and wear between sealing surfaces during misalignment events.
3Reliability
If tight clearances are used in shaft seal assemblies, then sealing efficiency is improved, but cleaning and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is segmented into removable components including the floating stator and rotor, allowing easy disassembly for cleaning and maintenance while maintaining tight sealing clearances during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating stator can be extracted or removed from the assembly for separate cleaning and maintenance, simplifying the maintenance process while allowing tight clearances to be maintained in the assembled state.
4Adaptability or versatility
If spherical interface with floating stator is used, then adaptability to misalignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical interface creates a simple yet effective dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows the floating stator to self-align with the rotor during misalignment conditions without requiring complex control systems or additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical interface geometry provides inherent adaptability to misalignment through its curved surface, allowing automatic adjustment of the floating stator position without complex mechanical linkages or adjustment mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for effective sealing during both aligned and misaligned conditions, reducing wear and improving operational efficiency while enabling easy cleaning and maintenance by maintaining a consistent seal integrity and fluid barrier.
Implementation Method 1
A spherical interface is formed between the floating stator and the rotor which allows for misalignment of the shaft
Implementation Method 2
o-ring channels and anti-rotation pins, and utilizing pressurized sealing fluids to enhance seal efficacy
Implementation Method 3
utilizing pressurized sealing fluids to enhance seal efficacy and facilitate 'clean-in-place' procedures
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 3
AI summary
A shaft seal assembly comprises a stator configured to engage a housing and a rotor positioned within the stator. The stator may include a main body, a stator inward radial projection extending radially inward from the stator main body, and a collection groove adjacent the stator inward radial projection. The rotor may include a rotor main body and a rotor axial projection extending from the rotor main body. The rotor axial projection may be positioned adjacent a distal end of the stator inward radial projection.