Tank Piston Seal with Friction-Reducing Annular Sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piston seal designs for tanks used to store and transport semisolid materials and viscous liquids face issues with friction, abrasion, and wear due to sliding contact between the seal and the tank's interior, particularly with compression-type seals where the sheath can deform and lose tautness, leading to potential damage and seal dislodgment.
Innovation Solution
A tank piston with an annular sheet made of friction-reducing material, sandwiched between rings and channel lands, securely holding the seal in place with minimized empty space between the sheet and the seal, using a combination of primary and secondary seals – a composite compression-type seal and an inflatable pneumatic seal assembly – to reduce friction and prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a compression-type seal is used to remain in continuous contact with the tank interior wall, then material leakage is prevented, but friction and wear increase causing seal damage or dislodgment
Solution Approach 1:
A friction-reducing sheath is introduced as an intermediary layer between the seal and the tank interior wall. The sheath is made of low-friction material that reduces direct contact and wear between the seal and the rigid tank surface, while still allowing the seal to maintain effective contact with the wall for preventing material leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction-reducing sheath is implemented as a flexible thin film or shell that covers the seal. This flexible layer conforms to the tank interior wall shape and provides a low-friction interface that protects the seal from abrasion while maintaining the necessary sealing contact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sheath is made taut to reduce friction, then seal protection is improved, but the sheath can deform and lose tautness during piston reciprocation
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt to the piston's reciprocating motion. The sheath can flex and deform slightly during movement while maintaining overall tautness, accommodating the changing geometry without losing its friction-reducing function or causing seal dislodgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath material properties are selected to provide optimal balance between tautness and flexibility. By carefully choosing materials with appropriate elastic modulus and tensile strength, the sheath maintains sufficient tautness to reduce friction while being flexible enough to accommodate piston movement without excessive deformation.
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 effectively minimizes frictional forces and extends the lifespan of the seal by maintaining its tautness, securely holding the seal within the channel without contact with the channel walls, and accommodating both compression-type and pneumatic seals, reducing wear and the risk of seal failure.
Implementation Method 1
an annular sheet made from a friction reducing material that is sandwiched between rings and channel lands
Implementation Method 2
an inflatable pneumatic seal assembly
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tank piston with an improved seal having a cap, a body attached to the periphery of the cap, a circumferential channel adjacent to the periphery of the cap and an annular seal held within the channel by an annular sheet. In one aspect of the invention the annular sheet secures the seal within the channel and is attached to the piston by a ring proximate to the periphery of the cap and a ring proximate to the back side of the circumferential channel. In another aspect of the invention the annular sheet is made from a friction reducing material and enables the piston to more easily move within the tank and subsequently extends the lifespan of the seal. Additionally, the annular sheet is fitted to the seal and attached above the front sidewall of the channel.