System and method for sealing a fluid system in a safety condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767565-B2
Application number	US-201615240418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A system comprises a pipe defining a fluid passage, the pipe having a first rate of thermal expansion. A housing defines an opening for receiving an end of the pipe for fluid circulation between the fluid passage and an interior of the housing, the housing having a second rate of thermal expansion lesser than the first rate of thermal expansion, at least one annular gap defined between a periphery of the opening and the end of the pipe when the system is below a safety condition threshold temperature. Seal(s) seal the annular gap, wherein the pipe and the housing are configured and the first and second rates of thermal expansion are selected so that, when the system exceeds the safety condition threshold temperature, the end of the pipe contacts the periphery of the opening by thermal expansion to seal the annular gap independent of the at least one seal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a pipe defining a fluid passage, the pipe having a first rate of thermal expansion,
a housing defining an opening for receiving an end of the pipe for fluid circulation between the fluid passage and an interior of the housing, the housing having a second rate of thermal expansion lesser than the first rate of thermal expansion, at least one annular gap defined between a periphery of the opening and the end of the pipe when the system is below a safety condition threshold temperature, and
at least one seal sealing the annular gap,
wherein the pipe and the housing are configured and the first and second rates of thermal expansion are selected so that, when the system exceeds the safety condition threshold temperature, the end of the pipe contacts the periphery of the opening by thermal expansion to seal the annular gap independent of the at least one seal.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the annular gap is defined between an outer circumference of the pipe and an inner circumference of the opening, and/or between an axial end of the pipe and a counterbore surface of the opening.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe and the periphery of the housing are made of metal, for metal to metal contact in the safety condition.

4. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a layer of sacrificial material provided on at least one of the periphery of the opening and of the periphery of the end of the pipe and configured to form a sacrificial liquid-tight seal when the system exceeds the safety condition threshold temperature.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the sacrificial material is at least one of an intumescent paint and intumescent dry coating.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the sacrificial material is located inward of the at least one seal relative to an interior of the housing.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the layer of sacrificial material is provided on an annular clearance in the periphery of the opening.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal is partially received in an annular groove in the periphery of one of the pipe and the opening of the housing.

9. A method of sealing a fluid system in a safety condition comprising:
sealing an annular gap defined between a periphery of a pipe and a periphery of an opening of a housing with at least one seal when a temperature surrounding the system is below a safety condition threshold temperature;
thermally expanding the pipe at a first rate;
thermally expanding the housing at a second rate, the second rate being lesser than the first rate; and
closing the gap by thermal expansion of the pipe into sealing contact with the periphery of the pipe when the temperature surrounding the system reaches the safety condition threshold temperature.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein closing the gap comprises forming a metal-to-metal seal between the pipe and the periphery of the opening.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein closing the gap comprises compressing a sacrificial material between the pipe and the periphery of the opening to form a liquid-tight joint.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein closing the gap comprises swelling a sacrificial material being at least one of an intumescent paint and intumescent dry coating.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein compressing the sacrificial material comprises compressing the sacrificial material inwardly of the at least one seal relative to an interior of the housing.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein closing the gap comprises closing the gap by at least one of a radial contact and an axial contact between the periphery of the pipe and the periphery of the opening of the housing.

15. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a transfer pipe defining a fluid passage, the pipe having a first rate of thermal expansion,
a housing defining an opening for receiving an end of the pipe for fluid circulation between the fluid passage and an interior of the housing, the housing having a second rate of thermal expansion lesser than the first rate of thermal expansion, at least one annular gap being defined between a periphery of the opening and the end of the pipe when a temperature surrounding the system is below a safety condition threshold temperature, and
at least one seal in the annular gap,
wherein the pipe and the housing are configured and the first and second rates of thermal expansion are selected so that, when the system exceeds the safety condition threshold temperature, the end of the pipe contacts the periphery of the opening by thermal expansion to seal the annular gap independent of the at least one seal.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15 , wherein the pipe and the periphery of the housing are made of metal, for metal to metal contact in the safety condition.

17. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15 , further comprising a layer of sacrificial material provided on at least one of the periphery of the opening and of the periphery of the end of the pipe and configured to form a sacrificial liquid-tight seal in the safety condition.

18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 17 , wherein the sacrificial material is located inward of the at least one seal relative to an interior of the housing.

19. The gas turbine engine according to claim 18 , wherein the layer of sacrificial material is provided on an annular clearance in the periphery of the opening.

20. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the end of the pipe contacts the periphery of the opening by thermal expansion to seal the annular gap independent of the at least one seal, and a layer of sacrificial material forms a sacrificial liquid-tight seal between the end of the pipe contacts the periphery of the opening.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Di Florio Domenico
• Hosking Eric

Classifications

• F16L57/04

  against fire or other external sources of extreme heat · CPC title

• F02C7/25

  Fire protection or prevention (in general A62) · CPC title

• F16L21/035

  placed around the spigot end before connection ({F16L21/022,} F16L21/025 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title