Tapered Seal Coupling for Combustion Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional couplings for combustion instruments are inadequate for safe and efficient operation in high-temperature and high-pressure combustion devices, as they are susceptible to performance degradation or damage, and there is a need for easy-to-use and make coupling solutions that allow for effective monitoring of combustion processes.
Innovation Solution
A coupling system featuring a window with a tapered seal surface and a union body that includes a bore with a tapered segment for hermetic sealing and optical coupling, using a sealant like graphite to ensure a secure and radiation-transmissive connection between the combustion and instrument spaces, allowing for safe installation and operation in extreme conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional couplings are used to connect instruments to combustion devices, then the coupling can be made and used relatively simply, but the instrument is susceptible to performance degradation or damage due to exposure to high temperatures and pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coupling device as an intermediary component between the combustion device and the instrument. This coupling includes a window body with a tapered seal surface that creates a hermetic barrier, protecting the instrument from direct exposure to high temperature and pressure while still allowing optical transmission for flame monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the critical sealing function from the overall coupling system and concentrates it in the tapered seal surface of the window body. This specialized sealing element is specifically designed to handle the thermal and pressure loads, separating the sealing function from the optical transmission function.
2Reliability
If a coupling device is designed to protect instruments from high temperature and pressure, then instrument safety is improved, but the coupling becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the window body: optical transmission (through the transparent window material), mechanical sealing (via the tapered seal surface), and structural support (through the union body and flanged body). This integration reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall coupling structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling is segmented into distinct functional components: the window body with tapered seal surface for sealing, the union body for mechanical connection, and the flanged body for instrument attachment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
3Reliability
If a tapered seal surface is used to create hermetic sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a taper angle range of 35-40 degrees for the seal surface, which provides a favorable balance between sealing effectiveness and manufacturability. This parameter range allows for adequate sealing performance while accommodating normal manufacturing variations, reducing the need for extremely tight tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite sealing by combining the tapered seal surface geometry with sealant material (such as graphite) to achieve hermetic sealing. This composite approach combines the mechanical sealing action of the tapered surface with the filling and adhering properties of the sealant, achieving reliable sealing without requiring extreme manufacturing precision.
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
Enables safe and efficient monitoring of combustion processes in high-temperature and high-pressure environments by providing a durable, easy-to-use coupling solution that maintains instrument integrity and allows for safe removal and replacement without disrupting the combustion device's operation.
Implementation Method 1
The seal surface can receive a load having an axial force component of equal magnitude to an opposing axial force associated with pressure applied to the interior surface
Implementation Method 2
The window can be transmissive to radiation having wavelengths from 280 nm to 1200 nm
Data Source
AI summary
A window for viewing combustion includes a window body having an interior surface facing a combustion space, an opposed exterior surface facing an instrument space, and a seal surface between the interior and exterior surfaces. The seal surface tapers from the interior surface to the exterior surface and hermetically separating the instrument space from the combustion space. A coupling for connecting a combustion space to an instrument space includes a union body, flanged body and locking body all aligned along an optical axis. The union body defines a tapered bore in which a viewing window for viewing combustion is disposed.