Coated Fabric for Nuclear Inflatable Structures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable structures for nuclear industrial environments face challenges in meeting strict specifications for flexibility, airtightness, and fire resistance while avoiding halogen and metal compounds, with existing membranes being heavy, inflexible, and difficult to repair.
Innovation Solution
A coated textile with a synthetic yarn core, one side coated with silicone and the other with a halogen-free thermoplastic polymer, incorporating flame-retardant compounds to achieve a higher calorific value below 18 MJ/kg, and allowing for on-site repair with adhesive sealing strips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the weight of the textile core is significantly reduced to meet the specification of less than 400g/m2, then the membrane becomes flexible and meets weight requirements, but the thickness decreases increasing the risk of contact between the silicone-based coating layer and the coating layer on the opposite side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-uniform textile core structure with alternating dense and open zones. The dense zones provide barrier function to prevent coating contact, while open zones maintain flexibility and reduce overall weight. This localized variation in density resolves the contradiction between weight reduction and coating separation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin film technology by reducing the textile core thickness to minimal necessary levels while maintaining functionality. The alternating dense/open zone structure allows the membrane to remain thin and flexible while the dense zones provide sufficient barrier to prevent coating layer contact, resolving the weight versus reliability contradiction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a polyester-based textile coated with silicone-based material on one side and PVC-based material on the other side is used, then fire resistance and coating protection are improved, but the membrane becomes heavy, inflexible, and contains chlorine making it unusable in nuclear industrial environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the PVC-based coating layer containing chlorine from the membrane structure, replacing it with a halogen-free thermoplastic polymer coating. This extraction eliminates the harmful chlorine element while maintaining the protective coating function, and allows for significant weight reduction in the textile core.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining a lightweight synthetic yarn textile core with alternating dense and open zones, coated on one side with silicone-based material and on the other with halogen-free thermoplastic polymer. This composite structure achieves fire resistance through the silicone coating while maintaining low weight and flexibility.
3Weight of moving object
If the textile core thickness is reduced to achieve lower weight, then flexibility and weight specifications are met, but the distance between coating layers decreases increasing the risk of contact between incompatible coating materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating alternating dense and open zones within the textile core. The dense zones are strategically positioned to provide localized barrier function preventing coating contact, while allowing the overall core thickness to be reduced for weight and flexibility requirements. This resolves the contradiction between thinness and coating protection.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If existing multilayer membranes without PVC are used, then halogen-free requirement is met, but the membranes are too flexible and elastic and are not airtight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by creating alternating dense and open zones in the textile core, with the dense zones providing airtight barrier function while open zones maintain flexibility. The silicone-based and thermoplastic polymer coatings on opposite sides work together with this structure to achieve both halogen-free property and airtightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the lightweight synthetic yarn textile core with alternating dense/open zones, silicone-based coating on one side, and halogen-free thermoplastic polymer coating on the other side. This composite structure achieves the balance between flexibility, airtightness, and halogen-free requirement.
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 solution provides a flexible, lightweight, and repairable membrane that meets the stringent requirements for use in all nuclear zones, ensuring airtightness, fire resistance, and mechanical strength, while preventing contact between incompatible coating layers.
Implementation Method 1
said coating layers each comprising at least one identical or different flame-retardant compound in a sufficient quantity so that the coated textile has a higher calorific value less than or equal to 18 MJ/kg
Implementation Method 2
said first face being coated by a layer of silicone-based coating and said second face being coated by a layer of thermoplastic polymer-based coating
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention concerns a coated fabric, capable of being used in particular as a fabric in an inflatable, halogen-free structure, comprising a textile core based on synthetic yarns having a first face and a second face opposite said first face, said first face being coated with a silicone-based coating layer and said second face being coated with a thermoplastic polymer-based coating layer, said coating layers each comprising at least one identical or different flame retardant compound in an amount sufficient for the coated textile to have a gross calorific value of 18 MJ/kg or less.