Accumulator Breather Vent With Rupture Disc for EOL Pressure Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current breather vents in electric accumulators are not compatible with satisfactory end-of-line (EOL) testing procedures, leading to economic losses and productivity issues due to their gas-permeable nature, which prevents valid testing and compromises the structural integrity of the accumulators.
Innovation Solution
A breather vent design featuring a peripheral frame with a breathing membrane and an impermeable membrane that acts as a rupture disc, allowing safe EOL testing by discharging overpressures while maintaining structural integrity, enabling reliable and quick integration into the accumulator's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gas-permeable membrane is used in the breather vent, then pressure can be equalized during usage, but structural integrity is compromised under forced overpressure conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The rupture disc acts as a pre-prepared safety mechanism that activates beforehand under excessive pressure conditions. It provides a controlled failure mode that protects the overall structural integrity of the accumulator by allowing pressure relief before the main casing can be damaged, thus cushioning the system against catastrophic failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The rupture disc is designed as a disposable safety component that sacrifices itself to protect the main accumulator structure. It is a low-cost element intended to fail under extreme overpressure conditions, providing a controlled failure point that preserves the integrity and reusability of the expensive main accumulator housing.
2Reliability
If special test facilities with confined external testing volume are used, then EOL testing can be conducted, but the process becomes cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The testing complexity and special facility requirements are extracted from the EOL testing process by integrating the pressure relief function directly into the breather vent membrane assembly. The rupture disc mechanism enables standard accumulators to undergo EOL testing using conventional equipment, removing the need for specialized confined testing volumes and complex test protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The breather vent membrane assembly with the rupture disc achieves multi-functionality: it serves both as a pressure equalization device during normal operation and as an EOL testing enabler during manufacturing. This universal design allows the same component to fulfill different functions under different conditions, eliminating the need for separate specialized testing facilities.
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
Enables reliable and efficient EOL testing without compromising the accumulator's functionality, allowing for precise determination of pressure behavior and potential reworking of non-conforming units, thus reducing economic losses and improving productivity.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable and gas-permeable membrane which allows for a safe 'transitional' increase or decrease of the internal accumulator pressure
Implementation Method 2
an impermeable membrane (4) inscribed in the peripheral frame (2), which is configurable at least between a pre-testing condition, wherein it keeps a structural integrity under application of a pressure lesser than a predetermined threshold value, and a post-testing condition wherein it defines at least a pressure discharge opening in occurrence of the just cited threshold value of pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A breather vent comprises a peripheral frame and a breathing membrane contained within in the peripheral frame and adapted to withstand a given range of nominal pressure exerted on a surface of the breathing membrane; the breather vent further comprises an impermeable membrane contained within in the peripheral frame and configurable between a pre-testing condition, wherein it keeps a structural integrity under application of a pressure lesser than a predetermined threshold value, and a post-testing condition, wherein it defines at least a pressure discharge opening in occurrence of said threshold value of pressure exerted on said surface of the breathing membrane, the breathing membrane being adapted to keep a structural integrity over time both in occurrence of said pre-testing condition and of said post-testing condition of the impermeable membrane.