Stacked Sealant Bead Sealing for Irregular Gap Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing technologies struggle to create a robust, fluid-tight seal in component assemblies with irregular gaps and uneven surfaces without relying on redundant fillet and fairing seals, which can lead to hydrolocking and distortion.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of two sealant beads with specific dimensions and rheological properties, where the second bead has a smaller width and greater height than the first, forming a sealant stack that fills gaps and maintains a fluid-tight seal by rheological flow, even in the presence of irregularities, without redundant seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single sealant bead is applied to seal irregular gaps between components, then the sealing process is simple, but the seal reliability is insufficient and hydrolocking may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The sealant application is segmented into two distinct beads with different dimensional characteristics. The first bead has a larger width-to-height ratio for initial gap filling, while the second bead has a smaller width-to-height ratio for creating a fluid-tight barrier. This segmentation allows each bead to perform its specific function optimally, preventing hydrolocking while ensuring seal reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-dimension sealant application to a two-dimensional stacked configuration. By arranging sealant beads in a stacked configuration where the second bead is applied over the first bead, the solution addresses both gap filling and fluid-tight sealing requirements through dimensional layering, eliminating the need for redundant fillet and fairing seals.
2Reliability
If redundant fillet and fairing seals are added to ensure sealing in irregular gaps, then the seal reliability improves, but the risk of hydrolocking and distortion increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each sealant bead in the stack is designed with specific local quality characteristics. The first bead is optimized for gap filling with a larger width-to-height ratio, while the second bead is optimized for fluid-tight sealing with a smaller width-to-height ratio. This local quality differentiation allows the sealing system to address irregular gaps effectively without creating the conditions for hydrolocking that occur with uniform redundant seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the critical parameter of width-to-height ratio between the two sealant beads. The first bead has a larger width-to-height ratio for gap accommodation, while the second bead has a smaller width-to-height ratio for creating an effective fluid barrier. This parameter variation enables reliable sealing in irregular gaps while preventing the hydrolocking that results from excessive sealant volume in traditional redundant seal configurations.
3Reliability
If multiple sealant beads are applied in a stacked configuration, then the fluid-tight sealing reliability improves, but the application process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The first sealant bead is applied and allowed to skin or partially cure before applying the second bead. This preliminary action creates a stable base layer that supports the second bead application, preventing deformation while ensuring proper adhesion. This staged approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving superior fluid-tight sealing reliability compared to single-step application methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The second sealant bead is applied directly over the first bead, creating a nested stacked configuration. This nesting arrangement allows the sealant system to achieve complex sealing functionality through layered construction, where each layer contributes specific sealing properties, thereby improving fluid-tight reliability without requiring entirely separate sealing structures or complex application equipment.
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 method ensures a reliable, leak-free seal in component assemblies with uneven profiles by effectively filling gaps and preventing hydrolocking, while eliminating the need for additional fairing and fillet seals.
Implementation Method 1
The resultant component assembly is fluid-tight sealed via rheological flow of the first and second sealant beads when the second component is fastened to the first component
Data Source
AI summary
A method of sealing a component assembly includes applying onto a first component a first sealant bead having, in a cross-sectional view, a first width and a first height, wherein the first width is greater than the first height. The method also includes applying over the first sealant bead a second sealant bead having, in the cross-sectional view, a second width and a second height, thereby generating a sealant stack. The second width is equal to or smaller than the second height and the second width is smaller than the first width. The method additionally includes arranging over the sealant stack a second component, such that the sealant stack is positioned between the first and second components. Furthermore, the method includes fastening the second component to the first component with the sealant stack squeezed therebetween to generate a fluid-tight seal via rheological flow of the first and second sealant beads.