Bellows Sampling Container for Cryogenic Liquid Phase Integrity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LNG spot sampling devices require complex purging and filling procedures to preserve sample integrity, and constant pressure containers with moving pistons lack absolute tightness, compromising sample integrity and control over sample quantity.
Innovation Solution
A variable volume and variable pressure sampling container with a bellows receptacle enclosed in a pressurized external chamber, where the external chamber maintains the bellows in a compressed state, allowing the receptacle to expand as the sample transitions from liquid to gas phase, balancing internal pressures to maintain sample integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a rigid sampling container is used, then structural strength is maintained, but volume cannot be adjusted to match varying sample sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs a flexible membrane instead of rigid walls, allowing the volume to dynamically adjust according to the sample size while maintaining structural integrity. The membrane can expand and contract elastically to accommodate different gas volumes without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The container's volume parameter is made variable through the flexible membrane design, allowing continuous adjustment of the internal volume to match the sampled gas quantity. This eliminates the need for fixed-volume containers and complex adjustment mechanisms while maintaining strength through the membrane's material properties.
2Reliability
If sampling is performed at ambient pressure, then equipment complexity is reduced, but sample composition changes due to pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary pressurization of the sampling container to match the process pressure before sampling occurs. This preliminary action equalizes the pressure differential, allowing accurate sampling without requiring complex pressure control mechanisms during the actual sampling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane container automatically equalizes pressure with the process environment during sampling, eliminating the need for active pressure control systems. The membrane's elasticity allows the container to self-adjust to pressure changes, maintaining sample integrity without additional equipment.
3Volume of moving object
If a flexible membrane container is used, then volume can be adjusted, but maintaining strength during pressurization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane is constructed from composite materials that combine flexibility with high strength-to-weight ratio. These composite materials allow the membrane to withstand pressurization forces while maintaining the ability to flex and adjust volume, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane design allows dynamic distribution of stress during pressurization, concentrating forces in optimized regions while maintaining overall flexibility. The dynamic response of the membrane to pressure changes enables volume adjustment while preserving structural strength through intelligent force distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The container captures and stores cryogenic liquids or natural gas samples in their original liquid phase without compromising integrity, enabling transport and analysis with a virtually limitless lifespan and precise control over sample quantity.
Implementation Method 1
The container comprises a flexible membrane
Implementation Method 2
sampling container that can be used to sample process gas at process pressure
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5
AI summary
An improved method and container for capturing a sample of cryogenic liquid direct from a process pipeline or for accumulating grab samples of natural gas is provided. The container is configured to seal a sample of cryogenic liquid in the container in its original liquid phase and stores the sample in its gas phase. The container is also configured to seal an accumulation of grab samples of natural gas in the container in its gas phase. The container comprises a bellows receptacle provided within a pressurised external chamber.