Optimizing the sealing structure of high-pressure hose joints requires coordinated improvements across multiple dimensions, including material selection, structural design, manufacturing processes, and installation and maintenance, to address the challenges of media leakage under high-pressure environments. The core objective is to ensure stable sealing under long-term high-pressure conditions by enhancing the pressure resistance, aging resistance, and adaptability of the seals.
The performance of the sealing material directly determines the pressure resistance of the joint. Traditional rubber seals are prone to plastic deformation under high-pressure extrusion, leading to seal failure. Therefore, high-strength materials with low compression set, such as fluororubber or hydrogenated nitrile rubber, are required. These materials maintain elastic deformation under high pressure, reducing the risk of leakage. Simultaneously, the material must possess excellent resistance to the media. For example, in hydraulic oil environments, materials with good compatibility with the oil must be selected to avoid damage to the sealing surface due to chemical corrosion. Furthermore, the material's temperature resistance must be matched to the operating conditions to prevent a decline in sealing performance caused by low-temperature embrittlement or high-temperature aging.
The sealing structure design must balance strength and flexibility. Traditional O-ring seals are prone to leakage due to high-pressure misalignment or wear. They can be optimized into a combined sealing structure, such as adding a retaining ring to the O-ring. The rigid support of the retaining ring disperses high-pressure stress and prevents the O-ring from being squeezed into the gap. For conical sealing joints, the cone angle tolerance must be strictly controlled to ensure that the cone angle at the pipe end is less than the cone angle at the hole by 1 degree, avoiding seal failure due to excessive clearance. Simultaneously, the pipe end must be kept sharp to prevent poor contact caused by passivation.
The precision of the manufacturing process is crucial to the reliability of the seal. During the joint crimping process, the crimping amount must be precisely calculated based on the properties of the inner rubber layer of the high-pressure hose, the thickness of the skeleton layer, and the outer sleeve dimensions. Insufficient crimping will lead to oil leakage, while excessive crimping may cause cracks or bulges in the inner rubber layer. Radial crimping technology, utilizing the shrinkage of the mold inner diameter to apply a compressive force perpendicular to the high-pressure hose axis, can uniformly reduce the outer sleeve diameter, forming a tight clamp with the core tube. In addition, the core tube surface needs to be machined with serrated grooves, achieving a smoothness of ▽5 or higher, to eliminate stress concentration points and prevent damage to the inner rubber layer of the high-pressure hose.
The impact of installation process on sealing performance cannot be ignored. Excessive bending should be avoided when installing high-pressure hose connectors; the bending radius should be no less than 1.5 times the pipe diameter to prevent internal wire breakage or misalignment of the sealing surface. Simultaneously, it should be kept away from heat sources, and heat insulation plates should be installed if necessary to prevent material expansion or softening due to high temperatures. For hoses with significant weight, additional supports should be added to reduce deformation caused by gravity. During installation, special tools should be used to clean the interface to ensure no debris remains, preventing impurities from scratching the sealing surface.
Sealing adaptability under dynamic operating conditions requires key optimization. In pulsed pressure cycles, the seal must withstand alternating stress, which can easily lead to fatigue damage. By incorporating a spring structure into the seal, the spring force can compensate for the deformation of the sealing surface caused by pressure changes, maintaining a continuous seal. For vibrating environments, joint structures with strong vibration resistance, such as crimp joints, should be selected. Their robust design effectively resists vibration impacts and extends seal life.
The long-term stability of the sealing structure depends on regular maintenance. The condition of the seals should be checked periodically, and aged or damaged components should be replaced promptly. For detachable joints, disassembly and assembly must be performed according to specifications to avoid damage to the sealing surface due to improper operation. Simultaneously, the seal compression should be adjusted according to operating conditions; for example, the compression should be appropriately increased under high-pressure environments to compensate for the decrease in sealing performance caused by material creep.
Optimization of the sealing structure of high-pressure hose joints needs to be integrated throughout the entire process of materials, design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. By adopting high-performance sealing materials, optimizing the sealing structure, improving manufacturing precision, standardizing installation processes, and enhancing dynamic adaptability, the risk of high-pressure leakage can be significantly reduced, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the system.
