Bladder Storage Tank Assembly for Water on Water Reverse Osmosis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing reverse osmosis product water storage tank systems face challenges in assembling the bladder without damaging it during the welding process of the tank halves, as the bladder must either be collapsed through a small opening or exposed to heat, which can cause damage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a push-in fitting with O-rings and stainless steel prongs allows the bladder to be rolled up and temporarily secured with strings, keeping it away from the welding area, and then released after welding, ensuring protection from heat and easy assembly without a large opening or thin bladder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bladder is forced through the opening at the top of the tank after welding, then the tank structure can be maintained, but the bladder is likely to be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is installed in the tank half before welding occurs. The bladder is positioned and secured with strings prior to the welding process, allowing it to be in place during welding rather than requiring insertion afterward through a small opening that would damage it.
Solution Approach 2:
Strings are used as an intermediary temporary securing mechanism to hold the bladder in position during assembly and welding. The strings allow the bladder to be positioned correctly without requiring forceful insertion through the opening, and can be removed after welding is complete.
2Ease of manufacture
If the bladder is placed in the tank when the two shells are welded together, then assembly is simplified, but the bladder is exposed to heat and may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is positioned in the tank half before welding occurs, but protective measures are taken during welding. The bladder is secured with strings and positioned away from the direct welding zone, allowing welding to proceed without exposing the bladder to harmful heat while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding heat, which could damage the bladder, is managed by positioning the bladder and using strings to secure it away from the direct heat zone. The same heat that could harm the bladder is used to weld the tank halves together, but the bladder is protected through strategic positioning and temporary securing methods.
3Ease of operation
If a thinner bladder is used to facilitate passage through the opening, then assembly becomes easier, but the bladder robustness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is installed before welding rather than being forced through the opening afterward. This preliminary installation allows the use of a thicker, more robust bladder without compromising assembly ease, as the bladder can be positioned and secured with strings before the welding process completes the assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
Storage tank assemblies and methods for water on water reverse osmosis systems. A bladder type storage tank is fabricated by forming first and second shells, which when joined together at a center region of each shell, form a tank enclosure, the first shell having first and second openings therein away from the center region of the respective shell, coupling a bladder to the first opening in the first shell so that the bladder will be within the tank enclosure when the first and second shells are joined together at a center region of each shell, temporarily holding the bladder in a collapsed state away from the center region of the first shell with one or more strings and passing the strings through the second opening, welding the first and second shells together at the center region of each shell to form the tank enclosure, and withdrawing the strings to release the bladder.