Butt alignment device and method for large-diameter thin-walled rocket tank cylinder segment girth welding

Abstract

The present application relates to a docking correction device and method for large-diameter thin-walled rocket tank cylinder segment girth welding, which comprises a flexible tensioning ring belt, two rigid holding ring hoops and a plurality of axial tensioning mechanisms. The two rigid holding ring hoops are respectively arranged on the outer walls of the upper and lower cylinder segments, and are respectively used for correcting the macro roundness deviation of the docking girth. The flexible tensioning ring belt is arranged on the outer wall area of the docking girth, and a plurality of micro edge deviation adjusting mechanisms are arranged on the circumference of the flexible tensioning ring belt. The micro edge deviation adjusting mechanism comprises a process visual window and a radial adjusting piece. The process visual window is used for exposing the local area of the docking girth. The radial adjusting piece is used for adjusting the local radial edge deviation of the docking girth. A plurality of axial tensioning mechanisms are arranged between the two rigid holding ring hoops along the circumference of the rigid holding ring hoops, and the axial tensioning mechanisms are used for adjusting the axial gap of the docking girth. The present application can improve the assembly efficiency and also improve the final welding quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, specifically to a butt joint correction device and method for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of lightweight and reusable technologies for spacecraft structures, thin-walled pressure-bearing structures such as liquid rocket propellant tanks are evolving towards larger diameters, thinner walls, and higher precision manufacturing. For large-diameter, thin-walled rocket tank sections made of stainless steel, aluminum alloys, or other metals, the quality of the circumferential seam connection between adjacent sections directly affects the subsequent welding quality, weld load-bearing capacity, and overall tank reliability. Especially in automated welding processes such as laser welding, plasma welding, and TIG welding, errors such as radial misalignment and axial clearance at the circumferential seam connection must be controlled within a small range; otherwise, problems such as incomplete penetration, weld collapse, localized stress concentration, and increased post-weld deformation can easily occur.

[0003] In existing technologies, temporary tack fixing is typically used to assist in positioning and correcting the butt joint assembly of adjacent upper and lower thin-walled cylinder sections. However, while this method can improve the butt joint condition of the cylinder sections to some extent, it still has at least the following drawbacks in the high-precision circumferential joint assembly of large-diameter thin-walled structures: 1. Traditional temporary tack welding methods typically use existing external tensioning or clamping fixtures to provide radial clamping force to improve the roundness of the cylinder section or reduce radial misalignment. However, this method can only achieve radial correction of the cylinder section individually and cannot simultaneously apply axial traction to adjacent upper and lower thin-walled cylinder sections, thus failing to actively adjust the axial clearance. Therefore, even if the radial misalignment is improved to some extent, if the axial clearance cannot be reduced to the allowable range for welding simultaneously, defects such as incomplete fusion, incomplete penetration, burn-through, weld collapse, or discontinuous weld formation may still occur during subsequent welding processes.

[0004] 2. Existing external tensioning or clamping fixtures often obscure part or all of the circumferential seam area during use, making it difficult for operators to directly observe the misalignment, gaps, and fit of the butt joint. It also makes welding (such as in-situ spot welding or partial root pass welding) difficult in the butt joint area. Therefore, operators typically need to clamp a section of the cylinder segment locally, then loosen or move the fixture to observe, adjust, or tack weld. However, for thin-walled cylinder segments, the unloading or transfer of the fixture can easily trigger elastic rebound and stress release, altering the already corrected butt joint condition. This not only affects assembly efficiency but also the final weld quality.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections. This device can simultaneously apply radial correction force and axial traction force to the section, thereby synchronously adjusting radial misalignment and axial clearance. At the same time, the device can also avoid obstructing the circumferential seam area during correction and tack welding, allowing for direct observation and welding without loosening the tooling. This can prevent elastic rebound and stress release of the thin-walled section, thus maintaining the stability of the butt joint state at all times. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a butt joint correction device and method for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, so as to solve at least some of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, comprising a flexible tensioning ring belt, at least two rigid clamping ring hoops, and several axial tensioning mechanisms. The two rigid clamping rings are respectively disposed on the outer walls of the upper and lower cylinder sections. The two rigid clamping rings are used to perform external clamping control on the upper and lower cylinder sections to correct the macroscopic roundness deviation of the butt joint between the upper and lower cylinder sections. The flexible tensioning ring is disposed on the outer wall region of the butt joint. The flexible tensioning ring has several micro-misalignment adjustment mechanisms spaced circumferentially along its periphery. Each micro-misalignment adjustment mechanism includes a process viewing window and a radial adjustment component. The process viewing window is correspondingly disposed to the butt joint and is used to expose a local area of ​​the butt joint for observation, measurement, spot welding, or temporary fixing operations. The radial adjustment component is correspondingly disposed to the process viewing window and is used to adjust the local radial misalignment of the butt joint to reduce the local radial misalignment to a preset range. Several axial tensioning mechanisms are evenly arranged between two rigid clamping rings along the circumference of the rigid clamping ring. The axial tensioning mechanisms are used to apply axial traction to the upper cylinder section and the lower cylinder section to adjust the axial gap of the mating ring joint.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rigid clamping ring includes several rigid clamping arc hoops, and each pair of adjacent rigid clamping arc hoops are connected to each other by a first connecting bolt, the first connecting bolt being used to adjust the constraint force of the rigid clamping ring.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the head end and tail end of the flexible tensioning ring are connected to each other by a second connecting bolt, the second connecting bolt being used to adjust the constraint force of the flexible tensioning ring.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the process viewing window has an oval hole structure, and the center lines of the butt joint, the flexible tensioning ring belt along the circumferential direction, and the center line of the process viewing window along the length direction are all aligned.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the radial adjustment member includes at least two radial adjustment through holes and a radial adjustment set screw threaded into the radial adjustment through holes; The two radial adjustment through holes are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the process viewing window with the center line of the process viewing window as the axis of symmetry. The ends of the two radial adjusting set screws near the docking circumference are respectively abutted against the ends of the upper cylinder section and the lower cylinder section near the docking circumference.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the two radial adjusting set screws is fitted with a flexible pad at one end near the docking ring seam. One of the flexible pads abuts against the end of the upper cylinder section near the docking ring seam at one end, and the other flexible pad abuts against the end of the lower cylinder section near the docking ring seam at one end.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the radial adjusting set screw has a ball joint at one end near the mating ring seam, and the flexible pad is limited to rotate with the radial adjusting set screw through the ball joint.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the axial tensioning mechanism includes an adjusting sleeve and at least two axial tensioning rods; The outer wall of the adjusting sleeve is provided with an anti-slip structure; The two axial tensioning rods are respectively threaded into both ends of the adjusting sleeve, and both axial tensioning rods are coaxially arranged with the adjusting sleeve; One of the axial tension rods has a left-hand threaded connection with the adjusting sleeve, while the other axial tension rod has a right-hand threaded connection with the adjusting sleeve. The ends of the two axial tensioning rods away from the adjusting sleeve are respectively connected to the two rigid clamping ring hoops.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, both rigid clamping rings are fixedly connected with outward flanges, and both outward flanges are provided with a plurality of tensioning holes spaced apart circumferentially. The plurality of tensioning holes of one outward flange are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of tensioning holes of the other outward flange. The ends of the two axial tensioning rods in each axial tensioning mechanism that are away from the adjusting sleeve in the axial tensioning mechanism are respectively provided through the two tensioning holes located on the same vertical axis. An axial tensioning block is detachably connected to one end of the axial tensioning rod away from the adjusting sleeve to which it is connected. The axial tensioning block abuts against the outer wall of the outwardly flanged edge to achieve the connection between the axial tensioning rod and the rigid clamping ring.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of using a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, the method comprising the steps of using the butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections as described in any of the first aspects above.

[0017] Beneficial effects This invention has at least the following technical effects: 1. This invention, through the coordinated arrangement of a flexible tensioning ring belt, a rigid clamping ring hoop, and an axial tensioning mechanism, can simultaneously apply radial correction force and axial traction force to adjacent upper and lower thin-walled cylinder sections. This allows for simultaneous adjustment of the radial misalignment and axial clearance of the ring seam, enabling multi-dimensional correction of the ring seam under the same assembly condition. This improves assembly efficiency and ensures consistency of different docking parameters during docking.

[0018] 2. By setting a process viewing window, the present invention can expose a local area of ​​the circumferential weld, that is, the circumferential weld area can be unobstructed during the correction and tack welding process. The weld can be directly observed, adjusted or tack welded without repeatedly loosening or moving the tooling. This can avoid the elastic rebound and stress release caused by unloading of the thin-walled cylinder section, maintain the stability of the docking state, and improve the final welding quality of the circumferential weld.

[0019] 3. By setting the radial adjustment component, the present invention can adjust the local radial misalignment (micro-misalignment) of the circumferential seam, thereby improving the butt joint quality and the final welding quality of the circumferential seam. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper and lower cylinder sections in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the rigid clamping ring hoop in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flexible tensioning ring belt in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the axial tensioning mechanism in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of adjusting the local radial misalignment in the docking ring seam area, as exemplified in this invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Upper cylinder section; 2. Lower cylinder section; 3. Butt joint circumferential seam; 4. Rigid clamping ring; 5. Outward flange; 6. Tensioning hole; 7. First connecting bolt; 8. Flexible tensioning ring band; 9. Radial adjustment through hole; 10. Process viewing window; 11. Second connecting bolt; 12. Radial adjustment set screw; 13. Axial tensioning rod; 14. Adjusting sleeve; 15. Axial tensioning block; 16. Radial adjustment nut; 17. Flexible pad. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and to exemplify the principles of the present invention, and are not configured to limit the present invention. In addition, the structural components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some structural components or regions in the drawings may be enlarged for other structural components or regions to aid in the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] The directional terms used in the following description refer to the directions shown in the figures and are not intended to limit the specific structure of the embodiments of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a structure or component that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other structural elements that are not expressly listed or inherent to the structure or component. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or apparatus that includes the element.

[0026] Spatial relation terms such as "below," "under," "under," "low," "above," "on," and "high" are used for descriptive convenience to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element, indicating that these terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device, in addition to those different from those shown in the figure. Furthermore, phrases such as "one element on / below another element" can indicate that two elements are in direct contact, or that there are other elements between the two elements. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are also used to describe individual elements, areas, parts, etc., without specifically indicating order or sequence, and should not be considered restrictive. Similar terms are used throughout the description to represent similar elements.

[0027] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without requiring some of these specific details. The following description of embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the invention by illustrating examples of the invention.

[0028] Firstly, such as Figures 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections.

[0029] In the following embodiments, there may be descriptions such as "this device". It should be understood that "this device" refers to the butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket tank sections provided by the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, this device can be used to assemble (e.g., docking, alignment, and subsequent welding) the docking circumferential seam 3 formed between the upper section 1 and the lower section 2 in a large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank.

[0031] It should be understood that this embodiment only illustrates the assembly of welds between large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, and does not limit the device to be used only for large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections. In this embodiment, the large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank section can be a thin-walled cylindrical structure made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, aluminum-lithium alloy, or other metals, and its diameter, wall thickness, and welding method can be determined according to the actual model and process requirements. For example, in this embodiment, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 can be two cylinder sections with the same diameter and wall thickness, and both the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 can preferably be made of stainless steel.

[0032] In this embodiment, the device includes at least a flexible tensioning ring belt 8, at least two rigid clamping ring hoops 4, and several axial tensioning mechanisms. Preferably, it comprises one flexible tensioning ring belt 8, two rigid clamping ring hoops 4, and several axial tensioning mechanisms, wherein: In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the inner contours of the two rigid clamping rings 4 are adapted to the outer contours of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, respectively, and the two rigid clamping rings 4 are respectively set on the outer walls of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2. The two rigid clamping rings 4 can be used to provide external clamping control for the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 (external clamping control means providing overall radial constraint on the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2), thereby providing external roundness references for the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, and further correcting the macroscopic roundness deviation of the butt joint circumferential seam 3 between the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a flexible tensioning ring 8 is disposed on the outer wall region of the butt joint 3, and a number of micro-misalignment adjustment mechanisms are evenly spaced along its circumference. Each micro-misalignment adjustment mechanism includes a process viewing window 10 and a radial adjustment component. The process viewing window 10 is correspondingly disposed to the butt joint 3 and can be used to expose a local area of ​​the butt joint 3, allowing operators / external welding equipment to observe, measure, tack weld, or temporarily fix the butt joint 3 through the process viewing window 10. The radial adjustment component is correspondingly disposed to the process viewing window 10 and can be used to adjust the local radial misalignment (micro-misalignment) of the butt joint 3, reducing the local radial misalignment of the butt joint 3 to a preset range.

[0034] It should be noted that, while the flexible tensioning ring belt 8 is kept taut, the butt joint 3 needs to be observed, measured, spot welded, or temporarily fixed through the process viewing window 10.

[0035] In this embodiment, by setting the rigid control ring hoop 4 and the flexible tensioning ring belt 8, the misalignment of the mating ring seam 3 can be adjusted from the "macro" and "micro" perspectives respectively (macro misalignment is the macro roundness deviation, and micro misalignment is the local radial misalignment). That is, the two can jointly form a synergistic correction structure that combines macro roundness control and local leveling.

[0036] In this embodiment, the process viewing window 10 can be a through-hole structure, which can be used to expose a local area of ​​the mating ring seam 3. This allows the state of the mating ring seam 3 to be observed directly through the process viewing window 10, and allows external welding equipment to perform subsequent welding work on the mating ring seam 3 directly through the process viewing window 10, without having to repeatedly loosen or move the device before observation, adjustment or tack welding.

[0037] In this embodiment, the observation of the state of the butt joint 3 includes, but is not limited to, observing the misalignment, gap and fit of the butt joint 3. The subsequent welding work on the butt joint 3 includes, but is not limited to, local spot welding, local root pass welding and other fixing operations (or temporary fixing operations) on the butt joint 3, and none of them are particularly limited here.

[0038] In this embodiment, several axial tensioning mechanisms are evenly spaced between two rigid control ring hoops 4 along the circumference of the rigid control ring hoops 4. The axial tensioning mechanisms can apply axial traction (axial tension force) to the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, driving them closer together in the axial direction, thereby reducing the axial gap of the butt joint 3 to a preset assembly or welding allowable range (i.e., adjusting the axial gap of the butt joint 3).

[0039] In this embodiment, the rigid clamping ring 4, the flexible tensioning ring 8, the radial adjustment component, and the axial tensioning mechanism work together to form a coordinated docking correction structure that synchronously adjusts the macroscopic roundness of the cylinder sections (i.e., the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2), the local radial misalignment of the mating circumference seam 3, and the axial clearance of the mating circumference seam 3. That is, through the arrangement of the rigid clamping ring 4, the flexible tensioning ring 8, the radial adjustment component, and the axial tensioning mechanism, the macroscopic roundness deviation, the local radial misalignment, and the axial clearance of the mating circumference seam 3 can be adjusted simultaneously. The four components work together to greatly improve assembly efficiency.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rigid clamping ring 4 can be composed of several rigid clamping arc hoops, and each pair of adjacent rigid clamping arc hoops can be connected to each other by a first connecting bolt 7. The tension of the rigid clamping ring 4 can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of screwing (tightness) of the first connecting bolt 7 onto the cylindrical sections (i.e., the upper cylindrical section 1 and the lower cylindrical section 2).

[0041] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the rigid clamping ring 4 can be composed of two rigid clamping arc hoops, each of which is a semi-circular structure, to form a rigid clamping ring 4 with a ring structure. Each pair of adjacent rigid clamping arc hoops can be connected to each other by four first connecting bolts 7. The above content is not particularly limited.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, the head end and tail end of the flexible tensioning ring belt 8 can be connected to each other by a second connecting bolt 11. The degree of screwing in (tightness) of the second connecting bolt 11 can adjust the constraint force of the flexible tensioning ring belt 8 in the outer wall region of the mating ring seam 3 (i.e., adjust the tension state of the flexible tensioning ring belt 8).

[0043] In this embodiment, as Figure 5 As shown, the number of second connecting bolts 11 can be two, and there is no special limitation here.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the process viewing window 10 can be an oval hole structure, and the butt joint circumferential seam 3 and the flexible tensioning ring 8 are aligned (flushed) with each other along the center lines of their circumferential directions and the center line of the process viewing window 10 along its length direction.

[0045] It should be noted that the center line of the process viewing window 10 along its length is the long axis of its oval hole structure.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the radial adjustment component includes at least two radial adjustment through holes 9 and a radial adjustment set screw 12 threaded into the radial adjustment through holes 9. Preferably, the radial adjustment component includes two radial adjustment through holes 9. The two radial adjustment through holes 9 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the process viewing window 10 with the center line along the length direction of the process viewing window 10 as the axis of symmetry (i.e.,...). Figure 5 (The top and bottom sides of the process view window 10).

[0047] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 7As shown, the ends of the two radial adjusting screws 12 near the mating circumferential seam 3 respectively abut against the ends of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 near the mating circumferential seam 3. That is, one radial adjusting screw 12 abuts against the end of the upper cylinder section 1 near the mating circumferential seam 3, and the other radial adjusting screw 12 abuts against the end of the lower cylinder section 2 near the mating circumferential seam 3.

[0048] Preferably, the axis of the radial adjusting set screw 12 is set along or approximately along the radial direction of the cylinder section.

[0049] Optionally, the radial adjusting set screw 12 can be threaded into the radial adjusting through hole 9 by means of the radial adjusting nut 16 fixedly connected to the outer wall of the flexible tensioning ring belt 8, which is not particularly limited here.

[0050] It should be noted that, for ease of understanding, Figure 7 An exemplary schematic diagram is provided showing a local radial misalignment in the mating circumferential seam 3 region of the upper cylinder section 1. The convex region of the upper cylinder section 1 is its exemplary local radial misalignment, and the dashed area of ​​the upper cylinder section 1 is its standard circular trajectory. Therefore, by adjusting the screw 12 radially, the convex region of the upper cylinder section 1 (i.e., its local radial misalignment) can be pushed into the dashed area (i.e., its standard circular trajectory), thereby adjusting the local radial misalignment of the mating circumferential seam 3.

[0051] It should be noted that during the process of screwing in the radial adjustment set screw 12 (i.e., during the process of adjusting the local radial misalignment of the mating ring seam 3), the axial clearance and local radial misalignment of the mating ring seam 3 can be detected in real time using feeler gauges, gap gauges, dial indicators, laser displacement sensors or visual measurement devices, and the screwing amount of the radial adjustment set screw 12 can be gradually adjusted according to the detection results.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, the radial adjustment set screw 12 may also be a helical push rod, a pneumatic push rod, a hydraulic push rod, a servo electric push rod, a piezoelectric actuator, or other adjustment modules capable of generating radial displacement and radial thrust, and no particular limitation is made herein.

[0053] Furthermore, in order to reduce scratches and indentations on the outer wall surfaces of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 during the screwing in of the radial adjusting set screw 12, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 7 As shown, both radial adjusting screws 12 have flexible pads 17 that are rotatably fitted at the ends of the two radial adjusting screws 12 near the docking annular seam 3. One of the flexible pads 17 abuts against the end of the upper cylinder section 1 near the docking annular seam 3, and the other flexible pad 17 abuts against the end of the lower cylinder section 2 near the docking annular seam 3.

[0054] Optionally, the flexible pad 17 can be made of polyurethane, copper, nylon or polyetheretherketone, and no particular limitation is made here.

[0055] Furthermore, in order to avoid scratching the outer wall surfaces of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 due to the rotation of the radial adjustment screw 12 during the screwing process, in this embodiment, the radial adjustment screw 12 is ball-jointed with a ball (not shown in the figure) at one end near the mating ring seam 3, and the flexible pad 17 can be limited to rotate with the radial adjustment screw 12 through the ball.

[0056] Optionally, the ball bearings can be made of PEEK material, which is not specifically limited here.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the axial tensioning mechanism includes an adjusting sleeve 14 and at least two axial tensioning rods 13, preferably including one adjusting sleeve 14 and two axial tensioning rods 13. Wherein: In this embodiment, as Figure 6 As shown, two axial tension rods 13 are threaded onto both ends of the adjusting sleeve 14, and both axial tension rods 13 are coaxially arranged with the adjusting sleeve 14. The ends of the two axial tension rods 13 furthest from the adjusting sleeve 14 are respectively connected to two rigid clamping rings 4.

[0058] In this embodiment, the threaded engagement between one axial tensioning rod 13 and the adjusting sleeve 14 is a left-hand thread, and the threaded engagement between the other axial tensioning rod 13 and the adjusting sleeve 14 is a right-hand thread, meaning the two axial tensioning rods 13 have opposite thread directions. With this configuration, rotating the adjusting sleeve 14 can drive the two axial tensioning rods 13 closer to or further apart, i.e., it can drive the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 closer to each other axially, thereby reducing the axial gap of the mating circumferential seam 3 to within the preset assembly or welding allowable range.

[0059] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, both rigid clamping rings 4 are fixedly connected with outward flanges 5, and each outward flange 5 has a number of tensioning holes 6 evenly spaced along its circumference. Among them, the number of tensioning holes 6 of one outward flange 5 corresponds one-to-one with the number of tensioning holes 6 of the other outward flange 5, and the ends of the two axial tensioning rods 13 in each (single) axial tensioning mechanism that are away from the adjusting sleeve 14 in the axial tensioning mechanism are respectively inserted into the two tensioning holes 6 that are located on the same vertical axis.

[0060] In this embodiment, an axial tensioning block 15 is detachably connected to one end of the axial tensioning rod 13 away from the adjusting sleeve 14 to which it is connected, and the axial tensioning block 15 abuts against the outer wall of the outer flange 5, that is, located at... Figure 1 The upper axial tensioning block 15 abuts against the area located Figure 1 The top of the upper center outward flange 5 is located at Figure 1 The lower axial tensioning block 15 abuts against the area located Figure 1 The bottom of the outer flange 5 at the lower center is used to connect the two axial tension rods 13 in each axial tensioning mechanism to the two rigid control ring hoops 4.

[0061] It should be noted that the end of the axial tensioning rod 13 away from the adjusting sleeve 14 it is connected to first passes through the tensioning hole 6, and then is detachably connected to the axial tensioning block 15. That is, the axial tensioning block 15 will abut against the outer wall of the outer flange 5 away from the adjusting sleeve 14. In this embodiment, the number of axial tensioning mechanisms is not particularly limited, as long as they can be evenly arranged along the circumference of the rigid control ring 4, thereby ensuring the uniformity and consistency of the axial gap of the mating ring 3. For example, the number of tensioning holes 6 opened on a single rigid control ring 4 can be the same as the number of axial tensioning mechanisms, or the number of axial tensioning mechanisms can be less than the number of tensioning holes 6 opened on a single rigid control ring 4 (this case requires that the axial tensioning mechanisms are evenly arranged along the circumference of the rigid control ring 4).

[0062] It should be understood that when adjusting the axial clearance of the butt joint 3, the adjusting sleeve 14 in each axial tensioning mechanism needs to be rotated synchronously (i.e., the adjusting sleeve 14 in each axial tensioning mechanism needs to be adjusted synchronously) in order to ensure the uniformity and consistency of the axial clearance of the butt joint 3 in real time.

[0063] Furthermore, to facilitate the rotation of the adjusting sleeve 14, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the outer wall of the adjusting sleeve 14 is provided with an anti-slip structure. The anti-slip structure can be... Figure 6 The planar structure shown is formed on the outer wall of the adjusting sleeve 14. For example, the outer wall of the adjusting sleeve 14 can be a regular hexagonal structure with six planar structures formed, and there is no particular limitation here.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, to meet the requirements of the welding process, a back protection structure can be provided inside both the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2. The back protection structure can be a back protection gasket, a back gas protection gasket, an inner support ring, an adjustable support ring, or other back protection structures that can provide local support and restraint (not shown in the figures). The back protection structure can be provided with an inert gas flow channel (not shown in the figures) to provide protective gas to the back of the butt joint 3 during subsequent welding processes (e.g., tack welding).

[0065] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of using a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, the method comprising the steps of using the butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections as described in any of the first aspects above.

[0066] Preferably, the method of use includes the following steps: First, the lower cylinder section 2 is fixedly installed on the assembly reference, positioner or other support platform. Then, the upper cylinder section 1 is hoisted above the lower cylinder section 2 and the end faces of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2 are initially aligned to connect and form the connecting ring seam 3 to be corrected.

[0067] The second step involves first installing two rigid clamping rings 4 on the outer sides of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, respectively. Then, adjusting the first connecting bolt 7 adjusts the constraint force of the rigid clamping rings 4 on the cylinder sections (i.e., the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2) to a suitable state. In this case, the two rigid clamping rings 4 can respectively perform macroscopic roundness control on the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, that is, the two rigid clamping rings 4 can respectively adjust the macroscopic roundness deviation of the upper cylinder section 1 and the lower cylinder section 2, which is also to adjust the macroscopic misalignment of the butt joint 3.

[0068] Third, firstly, install the flexible tensioning ring 8 on the outer side of the outer wall region of the butt joint 3, and simultaneously align the butt joint 3 with the long axis of the process viewing window 10. Then, adjust the second connecting bolt 11 to adjust the constraint force of the flexible tensioning ring 8 on the outer wall region of the butt joint 3, and adjust the constraint force to a suitable state.

[0069] Fourthly, firstly, thread the two axial tensioning rods 13 in each axial tensioning mechanism to their corresponding adjusting sleeves 14. Then, install the two axial tensioning rods 13 in each axial tensioning mechanism into the two tensioning holes 6 on the same axis via axial tensioning blocks 15. Finally, synchronously rotate the adjusting sleeves 14 in several axial tensioning mechanisms to adjust the axial clearance of the mating annular seam 3, thereby reducing the axial clearance of the mating annular seam 3 to within the range allowed by the preset assembly or welding.

[0070] Fifth, observe the local radial misalignment of the butt joint 3 through the process viewing window 10. When a local radial misalignment is found in the butt joint 3, the local radial misalignment can be finely adjusted by screwing in the radial adjustment set screw 12, and the local radial misalignment can be adjusted to the preset assembly or welding allowable range.

[0071] The sixth step, after the first five steps are completed, is to first perform spot welding, partial root pass welding, or other temporary fixing operations on a local area of ​​the butt joint 3 that meets the preset butt joint requirements through the process viewing window 10. Then, the butt joint 3 is observed, adjusted, and spot-fixed sequentially along the circumference until the entire circumference of the butt joint 3 meets the preset butt joint requirements.

[0072] Step 7: After completing the full circumference tack fixing or temporary fixation of the butt joint 3, the device can be retained, partially loosened, moved, or removed according to the actual welding process requirements, and then the butt joint 3 can be formally welded. The formal welding can be laser welding, TIG welding, plasma welding, electron beam welding, or other welding methods suitable for thin-walled tank circumferential joint connections, and no particular limitation is made here.

[0073] Through the above steps, the macroscopic roundness correction, local radial misalignment adjustment, axial clearance closure, and original fixation of the circumferential seam 3 can be performed in the same assembly process, thereby improving the consistency and stability of the circumferential seam correction assembly of large-diameter thin-walled tank sections.

[0074] It should be understood that the above-described embodiments or examples of the present invention can be combined with each other and have corresponding technical effects.

[0075] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A butt joint alignment device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, characterized in that, It includes a flexible tensioning ring belt (8), at least two rigid holding ring hoops (4), and several axial tensioning mechanisms; The two rigid clamping rings (4) are respectively set on the outer walls of the upper cylinder section (1) and the lower cylinder section (2). The two rigid clamping rings (4) are respectively used to perform external clamping control on the upper cylinder section (1) and the lower cylinder section (2) to correct the macroscopic roundness deviation of the butt joint (3) between the upper cylinder section (1) and the lower cylinder section (2). The flexible tensioning ring (8) is disposed on the outer wall area of ​​the butt joint (3). The flexible tensioning ring (8) is provided with a plurality of micro-misalignment adjustment mechanisms at intervals along its circumference. The micro-misalignment adjustment mechanism includes a process viewing window (10) and a radial adjustment component. The process viewing window (10) is disposed corresponding to the butt joint (3) and is used to expose a local area of ​​the butt joint (3) so as to observe, measure, spot weld or temporarily fix the butt joint (3) through the process viewing window (10). The radial adjustment component is disposed corresponding to the process viewing window (10) and is used to adjust the local radial misalignment of the butt joint (3) so as to reduce the local radial misalignment of the butt joint (3) to a preset range. Several axial tensioning mechanisms are evenly arranged between two rigid control ring hoops (4) along the circumference of the rigid control ring hoop (4). The axial tensioning mechanism is used to apply axial traction to the upper cylinder section (1) and the lower cylinder section (2) to adjust the axial gap of the docking ring seam (3).

2. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rigid control circular hoop (4) includes several rigid control circular arc hoops. Each pair of adjacent rigid control circular arc hoops are connected to each other by a first connecting bolt (7). The first connecting bolt (7) is used to adjust the constraint force of the rigid control circular hoop (4).

3. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 1, characterized in that, The head and tail ends of the flexible tensioning ring (8) are connected to each other by a second connecting bolt (11), which is used to adjust the constraint force of the flexible tensioning ring (8).

4. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process viewing window (10) has an oval hole structure. The center lines of the docking circumferential seam (3), the flexible tensioning ring (8) along the circumferential direction, and the center line of the process viewing window (10) along the length direction are all aligned.

5. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 4, characterized in that, The radial adjustment component includes at least two radial adjustment through holes (9) and a radial adjustment set screw (12) threaded into the radial adjustment through holes (9). The two radial adjustment through holes (9) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the process viewing window (10) with the center line of the length direction of the process viewing window (10) as the axis of symmetry; The ends of the two radial adjusting top screws (12) near the docking ring seam (3) respectively abut against the ends of the upper cylinder section (1) near the docking ring seam (3) and the lower cylinder section (2) near the docking ring seam (3).

6. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 5, characterized in that, Both radial adjusting top screws (12) are fitted with flexible pads (17) at one end near the docking ring seam (3). One of the flexible pads (17) abuts against the end of the upper cylinder section (1) near the docking ring seam (3), and the other flexible pad (17) abuts against the end of the lower cylinder section (2) near the docking ring seam (3).

7. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 6, characterized in that, The radial adjusting top screw (12) has a ball joint at one end near the docking ring seam (3), and the flexible pad (17) is in a limited rotational engagement with the radial adjusting top screw (12) through the ball joint.

8. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial tensioning mechanism includes an adjusting sleeve (14) and at least two axial tensioning rods (13). The outer wall of the adjusting sleeve (14) is provided with an anti-slip structure; The two axial tension rods (13) are respectively threaded into the two ends of the adjusting sleeve (14), and the two axial tension rods (13) are coaxially arranged with the adjusting sleeve (14); One of the axial tension rods (13) and the adjusting sleeve (14) have a left-hand thread, while the other axial tension rod (13) and the adjusting sleeve (14) have a right-hand thread. The ends of the two axial tensioning rods (13) away from the adjusting sleeve (14) are respectively connected to the two rigid holding ring hoops (4).

9. The butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both rigid clamping rings (4) are fixedly connected with outward flanges (5), and both outward flanges (5) are provided with a number of tensioning holes (6) spaced apart along the circumference. The number of tensioning holes (6) of one outward flange (5) corresponds one-to-one with the number of tensioning holes (6) of the other outward flange (5). The ends of the two axial tensioning rods (13) in each axial tensioning mechanism that are away from the adjusting sleeve (14) in the axial tensioning mechanism are respectively inserted into the two tensioning holes (6) located on the same vertical axis. The axial tension rod (13) is detachably connected to an axial tension block (15) at one end away from the adjusting sleeve (14) to which it is connected. The axial tension block (15) abuts against the outer wall of the outer flange (5) to achieve the connection between the axial tension rod (13) and the rigid clamping ring (4).

10. A method for using a butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket propellant tank sections, characterized in that... The method of use includes the steps of using the butt joint correction device for circumferential welding of large-diameter thin-walled rocket tank sections as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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