Split Housing Seal Arrangement for Easy Mounting and Tight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seal arrangements for housing parts, especially large and heavy components like gas turbines, face challenges in achieving a tight seal while ensuring simple mounting, often risking damage to the seal or inadequate sealing due to pressure differences.
Innovation Solution
A seal arrangement featuring a flat sealing strip inserted along receiving grooves with a helical strip providing radial force for secure contact on both outer flanks, and a second outer flank with a sloping or arcuate cross-section to facilitate easy mounting and reliable sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a continuous groove with a sealing element is used in one or both housing parts, then a seal is achieved, but the mounting becomes complex and risky for large heavy housing parts
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is segmented into multiple discrete sealing segments rather than a continuous seal. These segments are placed into grooves on the end faces of the housing parts, allowing them to be independently positioned and secured without complex continuous groove structures. This segmentation simplifies mounting while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing segments are pre-positioned in the grooves on the end faces before the housing parts are joined together. This preliminary placement ensures the seals are correctly positioned and secured before the final assembly, eliminating the risk of damage during mounting and ensuring proper sealing without complex installation procedures.
2Weight of stationary object
If heavy and large housing parts are joined together, then the housing structure is achieved, but the seal may be damaged or inadequate sealing occurs due to pressure differences
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing solution applies local quality by placing discrete sealing segments at specific locations (in grooves on the end faces) rather than requiring a continuous seal around the entire perimeter. This localized approach concentrates the sealing function where most needed, ensuring reliable sealing under pressure differences while accommodating the weight and size of large housing parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system uses composite construction with sealing segments made of sealing material positioned within grooves that may have retaining structures. This composite approach combines different materials and structures to create a robust sealing system that can withstand the pressure differences encountered in large heavy housing parts while maintaining seal integrity.
3Reliability
If a groove is arranged in both opposing housing parts with a sealing element covering the gap, then sealing is improved, but the mounting process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is divided into multiple discrete segments that are placed into grooves on both housing parts. This segmentation allows each segment to be independently positioned and secured, simplifying the mounting process compared to installing a continuous sealing element across both parts. The discrete segments can be easily handled and positioned without complex alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves in both housing parts serve as intermediaries that receive and secure the sealing segments. These grooves act as mediating structures that hold the seals in place during assembly, making the mounting process easier by providing defined positions for the sealing elements rather than requiring free-floating or complex positioning 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
Ensures both simple and secure mounting of housing parts while maintaining a tight seal, even under varying pressure conditions, by using a flat sealing strip and helical strip combination with a geometrically designed second outer flank.
Implementation Method 1
a helical strip (07) which extends along the first receiving groove (14) and is clamped in the first receiving groove (14) under elastic deformation in the radial direction of the helical strip (07), thus applying a radial force onto the sealing strip (06)
Data Source
AI summary
A seal arrangement for sealing a gap between two housing parts, the gap being situated between opposite end faces of the housing parts. In the first housing part, there is a first receiving groove on the first end face, in which first receiving groove a sealing strip is arranged which protrudes out of the receiving groove and lies against a first outer flank. The sealing strip engages in an opposite second receiving groove of the second housing part and lies against a second outer flank. For position securing purposes and to achieve a sealing effect, even if there is no differential pressure, a spiral strip is provided, which spiral strip is situated in the first receiving groove and exerts an elastic force on the sealing strip.