Adaptive Gas Cylinder with Enlarged Tubular Wall
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas cylinders for vehicles and other applications often have unused space due to irregularly shaped compartments, which limits the storage capacity and traction autonomy, especially in gas-traction vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A gas cylinder design featuring a tubular wall with both enlarged and narrowed portions formed in a single piece of seamless steel, allowing for adaptive fitting in irregular spaces and secure locking, while maintaining structural integrity and minimizing wall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standard cylindrical gas cylinder is used, then the manufacturing and installation are simple, but there is unused space in irregularly shaped compartments reducing storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder incorporates localized enlarged portions at specific zones (such as near the base or intermediate sections) while maintaining standard cylindrical geometry in other areas. This allows the cylinder to adapt to irregular compartment shapes by expanding into available spaces without compromising the overall structural integrity or requiring complete redesign of the cylinder geometry.
2Ease of manufacture
If the cylinder wall thickness is reduced to minimize material usage, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the structural strength and pressure resistance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder employs variable wall thickness design where the wall is thinner in non-critical areas and maintains standard thickness in high-stress zones such as the ogive, base, and transition areas. This optimized thickness distribution reduces overall material consumption and manufacturing cost while preserving structural strength where it is most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylinder utilizes composite construction combining steel or aluminum base material with fiber-reinforced composite wrapping (such as carbon fiber or glass fiber layers). This composite structure provides enhanced strength-to-weight ratio, allowing reduced wall thickness while maintaining or improving structural strength and pressure resistance.
3Reliability
If locking brackets are added to secure the cylinder, then the safety and anti-theft protection improve, but the device complexity and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking brackets are integrated directly into the cylinder structure by forming protruding portions on the cylinder body that serve dual purposes: maintaining structural integrity and providing built-in mounting points for locking mechanisms. This integration eliminates separate locking components and reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The enlarged portions of the cylinder serve multiple functions: they adapt to irregular compartment shapes for better space utilization, provide structural reinforcement zones, and create natural seats for locking brackets. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~9
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A gas cylinder (1) comprising a cylinder body (2) with a tubular wall (5) having at least a first tubular portion (11) that is enlarged, and at least a second tubular portion (12) that is adjacent and narrowed relative to the first tubular portion (11).