Angle Bracket Sealing for Thermal Stress in Insulated Tanks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof and thermally insulating tanks for liquefied gases face challenges in managing thermal deformations and stresses on sealing membranes during temperature changes and movement, which can lead to deterioration of sealing characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The use of angle irons that directly couple to load-bearing walls, preventing stress transmission through edge blocks and allowing for simplified installation and increased mechanical stress handling, while also reducing the need for additional fixing steps and adapting the spacing between edge blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anchor strips are attached to edge insulation blocks in prefabrication and aligned during tank fabrication, then the waterproof membrane can be welded onto the anchor strips, but the process requires multiple fixing steps including riveting of angles on edging blocks which increases device complexity and manufacturing time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the angle iron from the edge insulation block assembly, making it a separate component that is directly coupled to the load-bearing walls. This separation eliminates the need for riveting or additional fixing steps between the angle iron and edge blocks, while maintaining the sealing function through direct coupling to the structural walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the anchoring system into distinct functional components: the angle iron serves as a separate structural element directly coupled to load-bearing walls, while edge insulation blocks remain as thermal insulation components. This segmentation simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for mechanical fastening between these components.
2Strength
If angle irons are directly coupled to load-bearing walls, then the rigidity of angle irons is enhanced and mechanical stress handling is improved, but the prefabrication process requires adaptation of spacing between edge blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the coupling parameter from mechanical fastening (riveting) to direct structural coupling. The angle iron is directly coupled to load-bearing walls through integrated connection points, which enhances rigidity and mechanical stress resistance while allowing flexible adaptation of spacing between edge blocks during the fabrication process.
3Reliability
If multiple fixing steps are used to attach angle irons to edge blocks, then the connection is secure, but the installation time and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the angle iron coupling function directly with the load-bearing wall structure. By integrating the connection points into the load-bearing walls themselves, the system achieves secure connection through direct structural coupling, eliminating the need for separate fixing steps and significantly improving installation speed.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A watertight and thermally insulating tank integrated into a polyhedral load-bearing structure, a first load-bearing wall (2) and a second load-bearing wall (3) forming an edge (1), the tank comprising a first tank wall having a thermally insulating barrier and a watertight membrane, the tank further comprising an angle bracket (9), the angle bracket (9) comprising a first wing (10) and a second wing (11) such that the angle bracket (9) watertightly connects the watertight membrane of the first tank wall and the watertight membrane of the second tank wall at the edge (1), in which the angle bracket (9) comprises a pair of first tabs (33) and a pair of second tabs (33),the tank comprising a pair of first anchor rods (12) coupled to a respective first lug (33) and a pair of second anchor rods (12) coupled to a respective second lug (33) so as to transmit a tensile force between the angle bracket (9) and the first and second load-bearing walls (2,3) and retain the angle bracket (9) on the thermally insulating barriers.