SEALING COMPONENT, IN PARTICULAR FOR SEALING A VAPOR CHAMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE SURROUNDINGS OR TWO VAPOR CHAMBERS HAVING DIFFERENT PRESSURES, AND USE THEREOF

Abstract

Provided is a sealing component, in particular for sealing a vapor chamber with respect to the surroundings or two vapor chambers having different pressures, including at least one ring- or ring-segment-shaped main body, which is at least substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which has two end-face walls and a lateral wall connecting the two end-face walls, a support structure being provided within the main body, which support structure connects the two end-face walls to each other.

Claims

1. A sealing component for sealing off a vapor chamber from surroundings or two vapor chambers with different pressures, comprising: at least one annular or ring segment-shaped base body which is at least substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which has two lateral walls and a casing wall which connects the two lateral walls, wherein a supporting structure is provided within the base body, and connects the two lateral walls to one another.

2. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is formed integrally with the two lateral walls.

3. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is honeycomb-shaped or grid-shaped.

4. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of parallel cylindrical supporting elements and/or tubular supporting elements, and one axial end of each cylindrical or tubular supporting element is integrally connected to one lateral wall and the other axial end of each cylindrical or tubular supporting element is connected integrally to the other lateral wall.

5. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is rotationally symmetrical in relation to a rotational axis of the base body.

6. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is formed such that a rigidity varies in an axial direction and/or the supporting structure is formed such that the rigidity varies in a radial direction and/or the supporting structure is formed such that the rigidity varies in a circumferential direction.

7. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one lateral wall is formed to be flat.

8. A sealing component for a turbo-machine, comprising; an annular or ring segment-shaped base body which is at least substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which has two lateral walls and a casing wall which connects the two lateral walls, wherein a wall thickness at least of one lateral wall varies in a radial direction and/or in a circumferential direction.

9. The sealing component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base body and the supporting structure were produced by a selective laser melting from a powder bed.

10. The sealing component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base body and the supporting structure are composed of a nickel-based steel alloy, a nickel-based high-temperature steel alloy, or a steel high-alloyed with chromium and nickel.

11. The sealing component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wall thickness at least of one lateral walls and/or the casing wall lies in a range from 0.1 to 7 mm.

12. The sealing component as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one through-bore is provided in at least one of the two lateral walls and/or in the casing wall.

13. The sealing component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the casing wall includes an undulating cross-section.

14. The sealing component as claimed in claim 8, wherein a sealing lip extends in the circumferential direction and across an entire circumference of the base body, the sealing lip provided externally on at least one lateral wall.

15. The use of at least one sealing component as claimed in claim 1 for sealing off a vapor chamber, in which a vapor pressure prevails, from a further vapor chamber, in which a further vapor pressure different from the vapor pressure prevails, or from a chamber with ambient pressure preferably in such a manner that the external surfaces of the base body are exposed to the lower pressure and the internal surfaces of the base body are exposed to the higher pressure.

16. A method comprising: utilizing at least one sealing component of claim 1 for sealing off a vapor chamber, in which a vapor pressure prevails, from a further vapor chamber, in which a further vapor pressure different from the vapor pressure prevails, or from a chamber with ambient pressure in such a manner that external surfaces of the base body are exposed to the lower pressure and the internal surfaces of the base body are exposed to the higher pressure.

Description

BREIF DESCRIPTION

[0032] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a partial section through a valve sealed off by means of a conventional U-ring;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sealing component according to the embodiments of the invention with a supporting structure with tubular supporting elements;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective partial view of the sealing component from FIG. 2, wherein the front lateral wall is represented to be transparent;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a further ed perspective partial view of the sealing component from FIG. 2,

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through the sealing component from FIG. 2 in a schematic representation;

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a cross-section through a second embodiment of a sealing component according to the embodiments of the invention which has a grid-shaped supporting structure; and

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a cross-section through a third embodiment of a sealing component according to the embodiments of the invention which has a honeycomb-shaped supporting structure.

DETALED DESCRIPTION

[0040] FIG. 1 already cited above shows a metal ring 3 with a U-shaped cross-section which is used in the manner known to the applicant e.g. to seal off the interior of a valve housing 1 closed by a cover 2 from the surroundings. It is characterized by a wall thickness of approximately 5 mm.

[0041] Forged U-ring 3 has a comparatively long delivery time and must be procured from qualified suppliers. It was provided with oversize and adapted by subsequent mechanical machining in terms of its outer dimensions to the gap defined between valve housing 1 and cover 2 for receiving thereof. This can furthermore be associated with local leaks in the region of creep deformations, which occur in a non-uniform manner over the circumference of metal ring 3, of bearing banks 4, 5 on cover 2 and housing 1.

[0042] These disadvantages are reliably avoided with sealing component 6 according to the embodiments of the invention. A first embodiment of such is represented in perspective in FIG. 2. FIGS. 3 and 4 show enlarged perspective partial views of these sealing components 6 and a cross-section through this is represented schematically in FIG. 5. Sealing component 6 comprises an annular base body 7 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which has two lateral walls 8 and a casing wall 9 which connects two lateral walls 8. The cross-sectional form of base body 7 can be inferred in particular from FIG. 5 which shows a cross-section through base body 7 in the region of one half of sealing component 6.

[0043] The outer diameter of annular base body 7 is, in the case of the represented exemplary embodiment, approximately 250 mm and the inner diameter is approximately 190 mm. The axial extent of the base body, i.e. its width is approximately 20 mm and the radial extent in cross-section, i.e. the height is approximately 30 mm. The two lateral walls 8 are formed to be flat and have a consistent wall thickness of approximately 1 mm. As can be inferred in particular from FIG. 5, casing wall 9 is formed to be undulating in cross-section in the case of the represented exemplary embodiment. The wall thickness of undulating lateral wall 9 is also approximately 1 mm. Of course, other values are not ruled out.

[0044] A supporting structure 10 is provided according to the embodiments of the invention within base body 7 formed by both lateral walls 8 and casing wall 9.

[0045] In the case of the represented exemplary embodiment, supporting structure 10 is formed by a plurality of tubular supporting elements 11 which are arranged in base body 7 and extend in the axial direction and parallel to one another. The term axial direction refers to a direction which coincides with rotational axis 12 of annular base body 7. The wall thickness of tubular supporting elements 11 is approximately 0.7 mm in the present case.

[0046] As is apparent in the figures, one axial end of each supporting element 11 is connected to one lateral wall 8 and the respective other axial end is connected to other lateral wall 8 of base body 7. In this case, the connections of supporting elements 11 and lateral walls 8 are integral. This means that base body 7 and supporting structure 10 provided therein form a one-piece component.

[0047] The supporting structure can be adapted individually on the basis of the wall thickness and/or the angle of inclination. The angle of inclination is defined by the orientation of supporting elements 11 and lateral walls 8. In the case of the represented exemplary embodiment, supporting elements 11 are, as is apparent in the figures, oriented orthogonally to the two parallel lateral walls 8. Alternatively to this, the supporting elements can also run obliquely through base body 7, i.e. are not oriented orthogonally to the two lateral walls 8. The rigidity can also be influenced via a variation of the angle of supporting elements 11.

[0048] The integral formation of base body 7 and supporting structure 10 is due to the fact that sealing component 7 according to the embodiments of the invention was produced by selective laser melting from the powder bed. Base body 7 and supporting structure 10 were jointly constructed in layers. The powder bed here comprised a metal powder composed of a high-alloyed steel with chromium and nickel, concretely X.sub.12CrNi.sub.18-8 or also another suitable material. Base body 7, i.e. lateral walls 8 and undulating casing wall 9 as well as all tubular supporting elements 11 which form supporting structure 10 are correspondingly composed of this alloy.

[0049] A sealing lip 13 which extends circumferentially and across the entire scope of base body 7 is furthermore provided externally on both lateral walls 8, which sealing lip 13 was also formed in the course of the selective laser melting from the powder bed for production of sealing component 7. Sealing lips 13 are only represented in FIG. 4, wherein only that sealing lip 13 is apparent which extends on lateral wall 8 which points forward in FIG. 4. An identical sealing lip 13 is provided on the other lateral wall 8, which points backward in FIG. 4, of base body 7. Both sealing lips 13 extend, as is apparent in FIG. 4, close to the inner circumference of lateral walls 8, therefore have a diameter which only slightly exceeds its inner diameter.

[0050] Since sealing component 6 has according to the embodiments of the invention a supporting structure 10 arranged in base body 7, which supporting structure 10 takes on the supporting properties of sealing element 6, lateral walls 8 and casing wall 9 can have a significantly smaller wall thickness than U-ring 3 from FIG. 1. If, instead of U-ring 3, sealing component 6 according to the embodiments of the invention as represented in FIG. 1 is used in a valve in order to seal off the inner space of housing 1 from the surroundings with lower pressure, lateral walls 8 of base body 7 can therefore also much more flexibly follow large creep deformations in the region of bearing banks 4, 5 on cover 2 and housing 1. Since, in operation, comparatively thin-walled base body 7 is exposed internally to a higher pressure than on the outside, it inflates, as a result of which a particularly reliable sealing action is achieved. The undulating configuration of casing wall 9 facilitates a deformation as a result of the internally higher pressure since the undulating form offers greater freedom of deformation than a smooth, more rigid wall.

[0051] Since the sealing component was manufactured by printing, concretely selective laser melting from the powder bed, it isparticularly in the case of inspectionquickly available and does not have to be stored for a long time. A required target geometry can furthermore be obtained directly. Subsequent mechanical machining, as is necessary in the case of a forged part with oversize, is dispensed with. As a result of production by a generative method, there is further maximum flexibility in terms of the concrete configuration both of supporting structure 10 and of base body 7.

[0052] Two further embodiments of a sealing component 6 according to the embodiments of the invention are represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, whereinas in FIG. 5 for the first exemplary embodimenta cross-section through sealing component 6 in the region of one half is shown. The two further embodiments differ from those from FIGS. 1 to 5 solely by a differently configured supporting structure 10. The same components are provided with the same reference numbers.

[0053] Concretely, a grid-shaped supporting structure 10 is provided in base body 7 in the case of the second embodiment represented in FIG. 6. Supporting structure 10 is rotationally symmetrical in the circumferential direction in relation to rotational axis 12 of base body 7. In the case of the represented exemplary embodiment, grid walls 14 of supporting structure 10 are oriented parallel or orthogonally to lateral walls 8. Other orientations which do not comprise grid walls 14 which run parallel or orthogonally to lateral walls 8 and/or to one another are also possible.

[0054] In the case of the third embodiment according to FIG. 7, a honeycomb-shaped supporting structure 10 which is rotationally symmetrical in the circumferential direction also in relation to axis 12 is provided in base body 7. It also applies in terms of honeycomb walls 15 of this supporting structure 10 that a different orientation to that represented is possible.

[0055] In terms of the advantages of the second and third embodiment, the same applies as was explained above for the first embodiment represented in FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0056] In contrast to the three exemplary embodiments described here which are characterized by supporting structures 10, the local rigidity of which does not change in the axial, radial or circumferential direction, a rigidity which is changeable in one or more of these directions, i.e. a changeable flexibility, can be provided in a targeted manner. For example, if one is dealing with a particularly pronounced creep deformation of bearing banks 4, 5 in their regions which lie radially further to the outside, the rigidity of supporting structure 10 can be configured to be deliberately lower there and thus the freedom of movement of lateral walls 8 can be configured to be deliberately higher there. This can be achieved, for example, by a smaller wall thickness of tubular supporting elements 11 or grid walls 14 or honeycomb walls 15 in that region of respective supporting structure 10 which lies radially further to the outside. It is also possible that, as an alternative to the three exemplary embodiments described above, the sealing component is not formed in one piece, rather comprises a plurality of segments which respectively have a ring segment-shaped base body with supporting structure arranged therein and, in particular combined to form a closed ring, form a sealing arrangement for the gap between valve housing 1 and cover 2.

[0057] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0058] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.