ConFlat® vacuum flange application and analysis in various non-circular flange geometries

THP16
18 Sept 2025, 16:40
1h
The Loop

The Loop

Lund, Sweden
Poster Presentation FEA methods Thursday Poster Session

Speaker

Michael Seegitz (National Synchrotron Light Source II)

Description

The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory uses an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system to operate, which typically uses circular ConFlat (CF) flanges to connect vacuum components together. With varying equipment design restrictions, the implementation of non-circular CF flanges is being studied as a possible alternative, as it has been used in other accelerators. Here, an analysis of noncircular CF flanges was conducted to identify sealing problems associated with such flanges, particularly at the HEX beamline. Autodesk Inventor and ANSYS Workbench were used to create models and conduct finite element analysis (FEA) simulations, respectively. Parameters relating to the flange rigidity and geometry were performed to find problem areas. The results suggest that the geometry, combined with plastic deformation of the CF knife-edge and uneven pressure distribution, may contribute to the overall sealing failure.

Author

Michael Seegitz (National Synchrotron Light Source II)

Co-authors

Andrew Kudler (National Synchrotron Light Source II) Hannah Brodsky (National Synchrotron Light Source II) Paul Palecek (Brookhaven National Laboratory) Robert Todd (Brookhaven National Laboratory)

Presentation materials

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