Supercharger Compressor Housing Seal Fixing With Local Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for manufacturing supercharger compressor housings require expensive facilities and are prone to failures such as deformation or detachment of abradable seals due to creeping, especially with the press-fitting method, limiting the anchor effect and increasing manufacturing complexity.

Innovation Solution

A method using local heating with infrared or ultrasonic welding machines to deform and fix abradable seals within radial and axial grooves in the compressor housing, allowing for a larger projecting portion and simpler facility requirements compared to thermal spraying or insert-molding methods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the press-fitting method is used to fix the abradable seal, then the seal can be attached to the compressor housing, but the seal deforms due to creeping causing drop or detachment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal anchoring reliabilityVSAvoidseal shape stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The abradable seal is divided into multiple projection portions that extend into the groove portion, creating multiple anchoring points distributed along the seal. This segmentation prevents uniform creeping deformation and distributes stress, thereby maintaining seal stability while ensuring reliable attachment to the compressor housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The seal attachment is enhanced by adding a radial dimension component through projection portions that extend in the radial direction into the groove. This dimensional addition creates an anchor effect that prevents both axial and radial displacement, solving the creeping deformation problem by constraining the seal in multiple directions simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the bulging amount of the bulging portion is increased to attain a higher anchor effect, then the anchor effect is improved, but the press-fitting becomes difficult and the abradable seal is deformed or damaged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanchor effectVSAvoidpress-fitting ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Projection portions are strategically positioned at specific locations along the abradable seal rather than uniformly distributing deformation. This localized approach concentrates the anchor effect at critical positions while maintaining ease of press-fitting in other areas, avoiding excessive deformation or damage to the seal material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Manufacturing precision

If thermal spraying or insert-molding methods are used to form the abradable seal, then the seal can be formed directly on the compressor housing, but expensive and large-size manufacturing facilities are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal formation precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing facility complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The abradable seal is pre-formed with projection portions integrated into its structure before installation onto the compressor housing. This preliminary formation of the seal with built-in anchoring features eliminates the need for complex thermal spraying or insert-molding facilities, as the anchor effect is achieved through the pre-designed projection portions rather than complex manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This approach enables the manufacture of supercharger compressor housings with improved seal anchoring and reduced manufacturing complexity, preventing seal deformation and detachment, while enhancing the anchor effect and sealing performance.

Implementation Method 1

A method using local heating with infrared or ultrasonic welding machines to deform and fix abradable seals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation heating: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

A method using local heating with infrared or ultrasonic welding machines to deform and fix abradable seals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic vibration heating: Ultrasonic Vibration

Data Source

PatentEP3584424B1Method for manufacturing supercharger compressor housing
Publication Date: 2022.08.10 TEIKOKU PISTON RING CO LTD
  • EP3584424B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3584424B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3584424B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When a compressor housing with an abradable seal is manufactured, the housing can be manufactured by manufacturing equipment simpler than a thermal spraying device, an injection molding device, etc., and between the abradable seal and a groove part provided to a main-body side of the compressor housing, a protruding part having greater length along the axial direction of the groove can be formed by deforming a portion of the abradable seal. This invention provides: a method for manufacturing a supercharger compressor housing, in which a supercharger compressor housing is manufactured through at least a local heating step for locally heating an area to be heated HT, which is part of an abradable seal 10, and a mounting/fixing step for mounting and fixing the abradable seal 10 to a mounting/fixing surface 140 of a compressor housing main body 100, the locally heated area to be heated HT being inserted while being deformed into groove parts 140 provided to the mounting/fixing surface 140 in the mounting/fixing step; and a compressor housing created using this manufacturing method.