Adjustable Clip for Refractory Structure Height Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High temperature furnaces face structural support issues as metal or metal composite members bend, warp, or deform, necessitating adjustments in the vertical height of refractory structures without disassembling them.
Innovation Solution
A clip apparatus with an adjuster mechanism that allows for vertical height adjustments by securing to hanger or refractory structures, using fasteners and locks to compensate for deformation without disassembly, enabling quick maintenance and repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional structural members (I-beams, steel rails) are used to support refractory structures in high temperature furnaces, then the support structure provides substantial strength and stability, but the structural members bend, warp, or deform under extreme heat over time, requiring complex disassembly and reassembly for adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into separate functional components: a fixed mounting portion attached to the structural member and an adjustable portion that can be independently repositioned. This segmentation allows the support structure to maintain overall strength while enabling localized adjustments without disassembling the entire refractory structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support apparatus transitions from a static, fixed-position support to a dynamic system where the adjustable portion can be repositioned along the structural member. This dynamic capability allows the support to adapt to deformations in the structural member caused by thermal effects, maintaining proper support height without full disassembly.
2Manufacturing precision
If the entire refractory structure including support members is removed for height adjustment, then precise vertical height adjustment can be achieved, but maintenance time and operational disruption are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the support function into independent adjustable components, the system enables precise vertical height adjustment of the refractory structure without requiring removal of the entire assembly. Only the adjustable portion needs to be repositioned, dramatically reducing maintenance time while maintaining adjustment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable support portion acts as an intermediary between the fixed structural member and the refractory structure. This intermediary component absorbs the adjustment need, allowing the refractory structure to be repositioned vertically without disassembling the entire support system, thus reducing maintenance time while achieving precise height control.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If structural members are allowed to deform naturally under high temperature, then the furnace can operate continuously without interruption, but the vertical height and position of the refractory structure change, affecting operational stability
Solution Approach 1:
The support apparatus compensates for thermal deformation by changing the position parameter of the adjustable portion along the structural member. As the structural member deforms under heat, the adjustable support can be repositioned to maintain the correct vertical height and stability of the refractory structure, allowing continuous operation without compromising structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A clip for supporting a refractory structure and/or a hanger structure. The clip can have a body with two legs connected to a top. A fastener that extends through the top can be adjusted and/or secured to fix a relative position of the clip with respect to the refractory structure and/or the hanger structure. An adjuster that extends through the top, such as a tab connected to or integrated with the top, can be used to adjust a distance, such as a vertical height, of the clip with respect to adjacent fixed structural members. The adjuster can be used to compensate for a distance change resulting from the refractory structure, the hanger structure, one or more adjacent fixed structural members, and/or any other similar structure, bending, flexing and/or otherwise deforming due to exposure of the components to a relatively high temperature.