CN107023724B

CN107023724B - Sealing connection device

Info

Publication number: CN107023724B
Application number: CN201710258285.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 励行根
Original assignee: NINGBO TIANSHENG SEALING PACKING CO Ltd
Current assignee: NINGBO TIANSHENG SEALING PACKING CO Ltd
Priority date: 2017-04-19
Filing date: 2017-04-19
Publication date: 2023-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-19
Also published as: CN107023724A

Abstract

The application relates to a sealing connection device, which comprises a first port piece, a second port piece, a sealing element and a locking piece; the first port piece is provided with a first connecting end, and a flange is arranged at the first connecting end; the second port piece is provided with a second connecting end; in the assembled state, the first connecting end is abutted with the second connecting end, the locking piece is fixedly connected with the second port piece, the sealing element is axially pressed between the second surface of the flange of the first port piece and the locking piece, the sealing element is abutted with the inner annular surface of the second connecting end, and the first port piece and the second port piece are sealed and isolated from the outside through the sealing element. The sealing connection device is particularly suitable for the sealing connection field between high-pressure and high-temperature medium, temperature and pressure changing medium pipelines and containers, such as the aerospace field and the deep sea field.

Description

Sealing connection device

Technical Field

The application relates to the field of sealing, in particular to a sealing connection device for connecting a high-temperature high-pressure variable-temperature variable-pressure fluid medium pipeline and equipment.

Background

The transfer lines for fluid media such as gases or liquids and the storage containers often need to be connected in a sealed manner by connectors. The detachable flange sealing connection has the advantages of simple structure and convenient operation, and is widely applied to sealing connection of pipelines and containers in the fields of chemical industry, energy sources and machinery. The traditional flange connection mode adopts a fastening bolt to connect two ports to be connected by using a flange. A sealing element is placed on the sealing surface of the flange port. The fastening bolts, while connecting the two end faces together, also press the sealing element tightly against the sealing surface in the axial direction of the flange.

The main problem with the above-mentioned flanged connections is that an increase in the pressure of the fluid medium in the pipes and the storage vessel will reduce the pressure acting on the sealing element, loosening the sealing element. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the connection of high pressure and high temperature pipes and vessels, causing difficulties in the sealing of the flange connection and leakage of the fluid medium. In order to ensure a sufficient sealing prestress during installation, a sufficiently large fastening screw is required. The large bolts require the flange diameter to be correspondingly increased, and the large-diameter flange with the same thickness has the problem of insufficient rigidity, so that the flange is increased in diameter and also in thickness, and the conventional high-pressure flange connector is quite heavy in structure.

In order to solve the problem that the sealing tightness is reduced due to the high-pressure medium and the sealing element is loosened, engineering technicians design various sealing modes, and the pressure of the medium is utilized to increase the force acting on the sealing element, namely, the self-tightening high-pressure sealing, such as: nonmetallic B-ring seals, wood seals, bridgman seals, wedge ring seals, and the like.

However, wood seals, bridgman seals, and wedge ring seals are only suitable for end cap seals, and cannot be used for connection of pipes and containers; the nonmetallic B-shaped ring is limited by the use temperature of an elastic nonmetallic material, and cannot meet the requirement of high-temperature high-pressure sealing connection.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the application is that: aiming at the problems that the sealing tightening force is relaxed and leakage occurs due to the increase of the internal medium pressure or the temperature change of the sealing connection device of the current high-temperature high-pressure fluid medium pipeline and the container, the sealing connection device with reliable sealing performance is provided.

A sealing connection device comprises a first port piece, a second port piece, a sealing element and a locking piece; the first port piece is provided with a first connecting end and a flange at the first connecting end, wherein the flange is provided with a first surface and a second surface which are arranged at intervals in the axial direction; the second port piece is provided with a second connecting end, and the second connecting end is provided with an end face and an inner annular face; in the assembled state, the first connecting end is abutted with the second connecting end, so that the first port piece is communicated with the inside of the second port piece, the first surface of the flange is opposite to the end face of the second connecting end, the locking piece is fixedly connected with the second port piece, the sealing element is axially pressed between the second surface of the flange of the first port piece and the locking piece, and the sealing element is abutted against the inner ring surface of the second connecting end, so that the first port piece and the second port piece are sealed and isolated from the outside through the sealing element.

Optionally, in an assembled state, the sealing element between the locking member and the second surface of the flange is further compressible in an axial direction by an internal medium pressure.

Optionally, the locking member is fixedly connected with the second port member through a bolt.

Optionally, the locking member is a locking nut, and is connected with the second port member through threads.

Optionally, the first connection end of the first port piece includes a first body and a flange that are connected to each other, the second connection end of the second port piece includes a second body and a fixing portion that are connected to each other, in the assembled state, the fixing portion surrounds the flange and the first body and is fixedly connected to the locking member, the locking member has a first end far away from the first port piece and a second end close to the first port piece, the first end is fixedly connected to the fixing portion, and the second end is inserted between the first body and the fixing portion.

Optionally, the locking member includes a spacing leg extending from the second end, the locking member having a spacing distance from the second surface of the flange, the spacing leg being configured to limit a minimum of the spacing distance.

Optionally, the second end of the locking member and/or the second surface of the flange has a bevel, against which the sealing element abuts.

Optionally, the second end of the locking member has a connection mechanism fixedly connected to the sealing element, so that the locking member and the sealing element form a complete part.

Alternatively, the locking member is formed by splicing a plurality of detachable sub-assemblies.

Alternatively, the sealing element is a soft metal, graphite, polymer or composite filler, or is a non-metallic O-ring, metallic O-ring or C-ring seal.

Compared with the traditional flange connection mode, the main function of the fixed connection between the locking piece and the second port piece is that the sealing element is not applied with enough pressure, but only the pressure of medium in the pipeline or the container is resisted, so that the load required by the fixed connection is greatly reduced, the size is reduced, and the overall size and the weight of the whole connector are reduced. The sealing connection device assembly can prevent the sealing tightening force from loosening under high medium pressure and can be used for sealing connection of high-temperature and high-pressure pipelines and/or containers.

Drawings

In order to clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings that are used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It is evident that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and that other drawings may be obtained from these drawings without inventive effort for a person of ordinary skill in the art;

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a sealing connection device of the present application employing bolts as fasteners;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the sealing connection of the present application employing bolts as fasteners;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a seal connection of the present application having a threaded connection;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a seal attachment of the present application having a retaining leg locking member;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a retaining member with a retaining leg according to the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a seal attachment having a beveled locking member of the present application;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of area A of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a ramped locking member of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional structural view of an embodiment of a seal attachment device of the first port member of the present application having a beveled surface;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic view of area B of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a seal attachment of the present application wherein the retaining member and the sealing member are one integral piece;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged schematic view of region C of FIG. 11;

fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the retaining member with sub-assembly of the present application.

Detailed Description

In order to clearly explain the technical scheme of the present application, the following will describe the technical scheme of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the application.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the present application provides a sealing connection device 10 for external sealing connection and internal fluid communication between devices to be connected, such as between pipes, between pipes and containers, or between containers. The sealing connection 10 includes a first port 100, a second port 200, a sealing element 400, and a locking member 300; the first port 100 has a first connection end 102 and is provided with a flange 110 at the first connection end 102, the flange 110 having a first surface 112 and a second surface 114 spaced apart in an axial direction; the second port 200 has a second connection end 202, the second connection end 202 having an end face 222 and an inner annular face 212. The second connection end 202 is configured to interface with the first connection end 102.

The sealing connection device 10 is in a detachable structure, in an assembled state, the first connection end 102 is abutted with the second connection end 202, so that the first port 100 is communicated with the interior of the second port 200, the first surface 112 of the flange 110 is used for being opposite to the end face 222 of the second connection end 202, the locking piece 300 is fixedly connected with the second port 200, the sealing element 400 is pressed between the second surface 114 of the flange 110 of the first port 100 and the locking piece 300 along the axial direction, and the sealing element 400 is abutted against the inner ring surface 212 of the second connection end 202, so that the first port 100 and the second port 200 are sealed from the outside through the sealing element 400.

The primary function of the secure connection between the lock 300 and the second port 200 is not to exert sufficient pressure on the sealing element 400, but only against the pressure of the medium inside the pipe or vessel, and therefore the load required for the secure connection between the lock 300 and the second port 200 is greatly reduced, with a consequent reduction in size, resulting in a reduction in the overall size and weight of the entire sealing connection 10. As can be seen from fig. 2, when the internal medium pressure of the connection device increases, the increased medium pressure acts on the sealing member 400 through the first port 100, the second port 200 and the locking member 300, so that the pressure acting on the sealing member 400 increases with the increase of the internal medium pressure, and thus, the sealing connection device 10 can prevent the relaxation of the sealing tightening force under high medium pressure, and can be used for sealing connection of high-temperature and high-pressure pipes and/or containers. Whereas the pressure acting on the sealing element 400 is reduced when the internal medium pressure increases with a conventional flanged connection.

In the assembled state, the sealing element 400 is subjected to axial pressure to effect an initial seal. The retaining member 300 has a spaced area between the flange 110 of the first port 100 for receiving the sealing element 400. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, retaining member 300 may be completely spaced from flange 110 such that when the pressure of the medium in the connected device increases, the pressure of the medium may act on sealing element 400 through second surface 114 of flange 110 of first port 100, causing the sealing force on sealing element 400 to increase with increasing pressure of the medium, causing sealing element 400 to compress further in the axial direction, thereby preventing stress relaxation on sealing element 400 at high pressure of the medium, resulting in a self-sealing seal. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, retaining member 300 may not be entirely spaced from flange 110 by sealing element 400, and that portions of retaining member 300 may contact the surface of flange 110 to form a support while forming a space to receive and compress sealing element 400 to effect a seal.

Specifically, the first port 100 has a first mounting end 106 for mounting to a device to be connected, such as a pipeline or a container. The first port 100 may be an integrally formed tube or ring having a first through bore 104 extending from a first mounting end 106 to a first connection end 102. The second port 200 has a second mounting end 206 for mounting to another device to be connected, such as a pipeline or a container. The second port 200 may be an integrally formed tube or ring having a second through bore 204 extending from a second mounting end 206 to a second connection end 202. In the assembled state, the first through-hole 104 communicates with the second through-hole 204, allowing communication of a fluid medium between two devices to be connected. The first surface 112 of the first connection end 102 and the end surface 222 of the second connection end 202 have a gap therebetween, which communicates with the first through hole 104 and the second through hole 204 inside, and needs to be sealed to be isolated from the outside. The edge of the gap that is closer to the outside is the outside edge 12.

The first connecting end 102 and the second connecting end 202 are preferably directly abutted and contacted, the end face 222 of the second connecting end 202 contacts the first surface 112 of the first connecting end 102 to form an annular connecting surface, the edges of the connecting surface, which are close to the first through hole 104 and the second through hole 204, are inner edges, the edges, which are close to the outer edges, are outer edges 12, and the outer edges 12 are annular.

The sealing element 400 is a ring-shaped member that is pressed against and engages the inner annulus 212, preferably the outer rim 12, by the locking member 300 to form a seal between the first port 100 and the second port 200, isolating the first and second through holes 104, 204 from the environment. The sealing element 400 is an elastic member capable of being elastically deformed under pressure. The material of the sealing element 400 may be selected according to the specific working conditions, and may be, for example, soft metal, graphite, polymer or composite material. The sealing element 400 may be a non-metallic O-ring, metallic O-ring or metallic C-ring seal.

In the first port 100, the first connection end 102 preferably includes a first body 120 and a flange 110 that are connected to each other. The flange 110 has an annular structure, and the flange 110 is disposed around the first body 120 and protrudes from the first body 120 to the side of the first port 100.

In the second port 200, it is preferable that the second connection end 202 includes a second body 220 and a fixing portion 210 connected to each other, and the fixing portion 210 protrudes from the second body 220, thereby forming a stepped structure. The second body 220 is adapted to be coupled to the flange 110, preferably such that the second body 220 abuts and contacts the first surface 112 of the flange 110 in the assembled state. The fixing portion 210 is fixedly connected to the locking member 300, the fixing portion 210 is in a ring structure and is disposed around the second body 220, and in the assembled state, the fixing portion 210 is disposed around the flange 110, and an inner diameter of the fixing portion 210 is matched with an outer diameter of the flange 110, so that the flange 110 can move in the axial direction. More preferably, the fixing portion 210 includes an inner annular surface 212, and the inner annular surface 212 contacts the sealing member 400.

The fixing portion 210 is further disposed around the first body 120 and spaced apart from the first body 120 by a first distance I in a radial direction (i.e., perpendicular to the extending direction of the first through hole 104).

The locking member 300 is preferably an integral ring member, and in the assembled state, the locking member 300 is sleeved outside the first port member 100, and the locking member 300 is fixedly connected with the second port member 200, so that the first port member 100 is limited in the radial direction. In a preferred embodiment, the locking member 300 is insertable between the first body 120 and the fixing portion 210, more preferably the insertion portion has a dimension substantially equal to the first distance I in the radial direction and is in dimensional engagement with the first body 120 and the fixing portion 210. In the present embodiment, the lock 300 and the first port 100 are relatively movable in the axial direction (i.e., the extending direction of the first through hole 104) so that the pressure applied to the seal member 400 by the first port 100 increases when the internal pressure increases. In a preferred embodiment, the locking member 300 has a first end 302 distal from the first connecting end 102 and a second end 304 proximal to the first connecting end 102, the first end 302 being fixedly coupled to the second port 200, the second end 304 being interposed between the first body 120 and the fixing portion 210. The second end 304 is preferably sized to mate with the first body 120 and the stationary portion 210. In the assembled state, retaining member 300 is axially spaced from flange 110 a second distance II. Preferably, the second distance II is less than the dimension of the seal 400 when uncompressed, such that the seal 400 is in a compressed state. Retaining member 300 and second port 200 may be coupled by a securing member 500, such as by a screw or bolt. Accordingly, the second end 304 of the locking member 300 has a through hole for the bolt to pass therethrough, and the fixing portion 210 of the second port 200 has a screw hole for connection with the bolt.

Specifically, a conventional flange connector with a diameter of 45 mm and a medium pressure of 42MPa has a flange diameter of 205 mm and a total thickness of 120 mm, and the fastening bolts M30X4 have a total weight of about 18 kg; with the embodiment of the application, the maximum diameter is 115 mm, the total thickness is 59 mm, and the total weight of the fastening bolt M8X8 is 3.5 kg. The embodiments of the present application reduce the size by about half and the weight by only 1/5 compared to conventional solutions.

Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, to reduce size and weight, for a small diameter (inner diameter 26 mm) seal attachment 10, a lock 300 may be coupled to the second port 200 by threads 310. Preferably, the locking member 300 is inserted between the first body 120 and the fixing portion 210, and the surface of the second end 304, which contacts the fixing portion 210, has mating threads 310, for example, the locking member 300 may be a locking nut. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, retaining member 300 may be disposed around the outside of stationary portion 210 (not shown) and have mating threads 310 on the surface that contacts stationary portion 210. The locking member 300 coupled by the screw 310 is not coupled to the second port 200 by the fixing member 500, thereby enabling the sealing coupling device 10 to have a small size and weight.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in one embodiment, the temperature and/or pressure of the medium within the conduit and/or vessel may be unstable and constantly changing. Retaining member 300 may include a stop leg 320, with stop leg 320 extending from second end 304. In the assembled initial sealing state, the sealing member 400 is compressed by the locking member 300 to an initial elastic deformation, forming an initial seal. The limiting feet 320 can be abutted against the flange 110 or spaced apart, and are determined according to actual use conditions. When the stopper 320 is spaced from the flange 110 in the assembled initial sealed state, as the internal medium pressure increases, the medium pressure acts on the sealing member 400 through the flange 110, increasing the pressure on the sealing member 400 and simultaneously decreasing the gap between the stopper 320 and the second surface 114 of the flange 110 to zero. At this time, even if the medium pressure continues to increase, the deformation of the sealing member 400 remains substantially unchanged. The maximum amount of deformation of the sealing element 400 remains substantially fixed due to the presence of the stop foot 320, avoiding excessive deformation. After abutment between stop foot 320 and second surface 114 of flange 110 is achieved, the force to which sealing element 400 is subjected is substantially constant, avoiding excessive deformation and relaxation of sealing element 400 due to elevated internal pressures or often severe variations. Since the sealing member 400 is still compressed by the locking member 300, even if the axial micro-movement is performed due to the change of the gap between the first port 100 and the second port 200, the sealing effect is not affected. The requirement for deformation resistance stiffness of the fixture 500 and the entire connection device 10 under high and ultra-high pressure conditions is reduced compared to conventional flange connections. The overall connection device is therefore smaller in size and lighter in weight.

Referring to fig. 6-8, in one embodiment, second end 304 of retaining member 300 has a sloped surface 306 and a flat surface 308. A sealing element 400, such as a non-metallic O-ring, a metallic C-ring or a metallic O-ring, is disposed in the space between the chamfer 306 and the flange 110. When the flat surface 308 is spaced from the flange 110, the pressure of the medium acts on the sealing element 400 through the second surface 114 of the flange 110 of the first port 100, causing the sealing force on the sealing element 400 to increase with increasing pressure of the medium, causing the sealing element 400 to compress further in the axial direction, thereby preventing stress relaxation on the sealing element 400 at high medium pressures, and creating a self-sealing seal. When the flat surface 308 and the flange 110 are abutted against each other in the initial assembled state, the sealing member 400 is subjected to substantially constant pressure thereafter, and a change in the stress on the sealing member 400 due to an increase in internal pressure or a frequent drastic change can be avoided, thereby avoiding a relaxation phenomenon of the sealing member 400.

Referring to fig. 9 and 10, in one embodiment, the second surface 114 of the flange 110 has a slope 1142 and a plane 1144, and the plane 1144 and the second end 304 of the locking member 300 may be spaced apart from or abut against each other. A sealing element 400, such as a non-metallic O-ring, a metallic C-ring or a metallic O-ring, is disposed in the space between the chamfer 1142 and the second end 304 of the locking member 300.

The embodiments of fig. 6-10 described above reduce the machining accuracy and assembly difficulty of the parts, and the sealing elements 400 can be used with beveled flange 110 or second end 304 to achieve a simple, effective and reliable seal.

In one embodiment, the locking member 300 is fixedly connected to the sealing member 400 to form an integral part, so that the sealing member 400 and the locking member 300 can be assembled and disassembled simultaneously, thereby improving the convenience of assembly. Second end 304 of retaining member 300 may have an attachment mechanism, such as mounting groove 330, that allows sealing element 400 to be snapped into mounting groove 330 and thereby fixedly attached to second end 304.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, in an embodiment, the flange 110 has a slope 1142, in an assembled state, the second end 304 of the locking member 300 and the plane 1144 of the flange 110 may be spaced apart from or abut against each other, the sealing element 400 connected to the second end 304 of the locking member 300 is spread by the slope 1142 of the flange 110, and the sealing element 400 presses against the inner ring surface 212 of the second connecting end 202, so that the first port 100 and the second port 200 are sealed from the outside through the sealing element 400.

Referring to fig. 13, in order to increase the convenience of assembling and disassembling the sealing connection device 10, in one embodiment, the locking member 300 has a block structure, and includes a plurality of sub-assemblies 360, and the plurality of sub-assemblies 360 may be spliced into the locking member 300 having a complete ring structure in other embodiments.

Compared with the conventional flange connection, since the pressure on the sealing element 400 is mainly derived from the internal medium pressure itself or is a fixed value and does not change with the medium pressure, the fixing member 500 fixedly connected between the locking member 300 and the second port member 200 has the main effect of not applying enough pressure to the sealing element 400 but only resisting the medium pressure in the pipe or the container, so that the load on the fixing member 500 is greatly reduced, the size is reduced, and the overall size and weight of the whole sealing connection device 10 are reduced. Since the elastic modulus of the aluminum alloy is only about 1/3 of that of steel, the effect of volume reduction and weight reduction will be particularly remarkable for the connection device using aluminum. The embodiment of the application thoroughly solves the problem of stress relaxation of the sealing element caused by high internal medium pressure in the traditional flange connection, and can realize reliable sealing connection under high pressure and ultrahigh pressure. The connection mode that the second distance between the second end 304 of the locking member 300 and the flange 110 has the minimum value can effectively solve the problem of leakage of the medium after the sealing element 400 is excessively compressed due to temperature and pressure changes.

The sealing connection device 10 is particularly suitable for the sealing connection field between high-pressure and high-temperature media, temperature and pressure changing media pipelines and containers, such as the aerospace field and the deep sea field.

The foregoing examples illustrate only a few embodiments of the application and are described in detail herein without thereby limiting the scope of the application. It should be noted that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the application, which are all within the scope of the application. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present application is to be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. The sealing connection device is characterized by comprising a first port piece, a second port piece, a sealing element and a locking piece; the first port piece is provided with a first connecting end and a flange at the first connecting end, wherein the flange is provided with a first surface and a second surface which are arranged at intervals in the axial direction; the second port piece is provided with a second connecting end, and the second connecting end is provided with an end face and an inner annular face; in an assembled state, the first connecting end is abutted with the second connecting end, the first port piece is communicated with the inside of the second port piece, the first surface of the flange is opposite to the end face of the second connecting end, the locking piece is fixedly connected with the second port piece, the sealing element is pressed between the second surface of the flange of the first port piece and the locking piece along the axial direction, the sealing element is abutted against the inner ring surface of the second connecting end, the first port piece and the second port piece are sealed and isolated from the outside through the sealing element, the locking piece is completely separated from the flange, the locking piece comprises a limiting pin extending from the second end, a spacing distance is reserved between the locking piece and the second surface of the flange, and the limiting pin is used for limiting the minimum value of the spacing distance;

in the assembled state, the sealing element between the locking member and the second surface of the flange is further compressible in an axial direction by an internal medium pressure.

2. The sealing connection of claim 1, wherein the locking member is fixedly connected to the second port member by a bolt.

3. The sealing connection of claim 1, wherein the locking member is a locking nut threadably coupled to the second port.

4. The sealing connection of claim 1, wherein the first connection end of the first port includes a first body and the flange that are connected to each other, the second connection end of the second port includes a second body and a securing portion that are connected to each other, the securing portion is disposed around the flange and the first body and fixedly connected to the locking member in the assembled state, the locking member has a first end that is distal from the first port and a second end that is proximal to the first port, the first end is fixedly connected to the securing portion, and the second end is interposed between the first body and the securing portion.

5. The sealing connection of claim 1 wherein the second end of the locking member and/or the second surface of the flange has a chamfer on which the sealing element abuts.

6. The sealing connection of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said second end of said locking member has a connection mechanism fixedly connected to said sealing member such that said locking member forms an integral part with said sealing member.

7. The sealed connection of claim 1, wherein the locking member is formed from a plurality of separable subassemblies that are spliced together.

8. The sealing connection of claim 1, wherein the sealing element is a soft metal, graphite, polymer or composite filler, or is a non-metallic O-ring, metallic O-ring or C-ring seal.