Bladder Accumulator Housing Segmentation for Axial Strength

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing bladder accumulators face challenges in achieving high strength values while maintaining cost-effectiveness, often requiring large access openings for valve insertion and resulting in uneven fiber winding designs that compromise strength and increase production costs.

Innovation Solution

The method involves extruding a plastic tube over the bladder, integrating it into a mold to shape the plastic core container, and then winding it with plastic fibers, allowing for smaller access openings and a more even fiber distribution, which enhances axial strength and reduces production costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If large access openings are provided in the accumulator housing for valve insertion, then valve installation is facilitated, but the fiber layer composite has weaknesses and axial strength is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve installationVSAvoidaxial strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into a tubular central part and separate cap parts. The caps are detached from the central part during production, allowing valve insertion through the cap rather than through large openings in the main housing body. This segmentation enables small opening sizes while maintaining housing strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Valves are inserted into the caps before the caps are attached to the central part. This preliminary action allows valve installation to be performed when the opening is still accessible, avoiding the need for large openings in the finished housing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If differently sized valve openings are provided in the accumulator housing, then both gas filling valve and liquid valve can be inserted, but the fiber layer composite requires different winding designs for each opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve accommodationVSAvoidfiber winding design
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is segmented into a central part and separate caps. Each cap can be designed with its own optimized opening size and shape for specific valve types. This allows different valve configurations without complicating the main housing's fiber winding design, as each cap is a separate component with its own winding pattern.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If standard GRP pipes are used for the central part, then production costs are reduced, but high strength values in the axial direction are difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidaxial strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The housing uses composite construction with GRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) for the central part and cap parts. The fiber layers are wound at specific angles and embedded in resin matrices to achieve high axial strength. This composite material approach allows cost-effective production while meeting strength requirements through optimized fiber reinforcement patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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

This approach enables the production of bladder accumulators with high strength values and reduced production costs by integrating the bladder into the plastic core container during shaping, allowing for smaller valve openings and more efficient fiber winding, thereby minimizing delamination risks and material usage.

Implementation Method 1

The plastic core container (20) is obtained by means of a blow molding process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBlow molding:

Implementation Method 2

shaping the plastic tube with an integrated bladder in a mold corresponding to a predeterminable plastic core container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMolding:

Implementation Method 3

winding the outside of the plastic core container with at least one plastic fiber to create the storage housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiber winding:

Data Source

PatentEP3308070B1Method for the production of a bladder accumulator and bladder accumulator produced according to said method
Publication Date: 2020.06.10 HYDAC TECH GMBH
  • EP3308070B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the production of a bladder accumulator (10) which separates two media chambers (16, 18) from one another in a storage housing (12) by means of a bladder body (14), comprising at least the following production steps: - extruding a plastic tube over the bladder body (14); - shaping the plastic tube with the integrated bladder body (14) in a molding tool that corresponds to a predeterminable plastic core container (20), and - winding at least one plastic fiber from the outside on the plastic core container (20) for the purpose of creating the storage housing (12).