Collapsible Liquid Storage Tank for Trailer Cargo Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid transportation containers face issues such as instability due to high center of gravity, costly cleaning processes, water and chemical usage, and inefficiencies in converting between liquid and dry cargo transport, which affect safety and payload capacity.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible liquid storage tank system for trailers with movable side frames, a liquid impermeable bladder, and energy-absorbing materials, allowing for efficient conversion between liquid and dry cargo transport while minimizing the need for cleaning and reducing weight and sloshing effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container is made high enough to permit a person to enter for cleaning, then cleaning accessibility is improved, but the center of gravity increases making the container less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cleaning function from the main container structure by introducing a separate, removable inner liner that can be pulled out and cleaned externally. This eliminates the need for a man-port opening and high container walls, thereby maintaining stability while enabling cleaning access.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner liner acts as an intermediary between the container and the cleaning process. Instead of cleaning the container directly, the liner is removed and cleaned separately, mediating the cleaning operation without requiring structural modifications to the container walls.
2Reliability
If a reusable flexible inner liner is used, then cleaning between uses is required, but cleaning costs and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs disposable inner liners that are discarded after a single use rather than reusing and cleaning them. This eliminates cleaning costs and time while ensuring container cleanliness, as each new liner is inherently clean and ready for use.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the container is converted between liquid and dry cargo transport, then versatility is improved, but conversion time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into separate functional components: the main container structure and the removable inner liner. This segmentation allows the liner to be quickly removed or installed depending on cargo type, enabling rapid conversion between liquid and dry cargo transport without complex procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The container system is made dynamic through the removable liner that can be quickly added or removed based on transport needs. This dynamic configuration allows the container to adapt its functionality for different cargo types without permanent modifications or complex conversion mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If a man-port opening is provided for cleaning access, then cleaning is enabled, but the container structure becomes more complex and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning access function is extracted from the container structure by removing the need for a man-port opening entirely. The inner liner is designed to be removable through existing openings or mechanisms, separating the cleaning access requirement from the container's structural integrity and simplicity.
5Strength
If the container walls are made thick and rigid for structural integrity, then strength is improved, but weight increases reducing payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses flexible inner liners made of thin film materials that provide sufficient strength for their containment function without the weight of thick rigid walls. The liner's flexibility and thinness significantly reduce container weight while maintaining integrity for liquid and dry cargo containment.
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 system enhances safety and efficiency by lowering the center of gravity, reducing cleaning costs, and improving payload capacity while minimizing sloshing and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
energy-absorbing materials, allowing for efficient conversion between liquid and dry cargo transport while minimizing the need for cleaning and reducing weight and sloshing effects
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible liquid storage tank for use in an elongated trailer for selectively carrying solid freight and bulk liquid freight, comprising a first side frame configured for movement between a retracted position against a first trailer side wall for carrying solid freight and a deployed position for carrying liquid freight, a second side frame configured for movement between a retracted position against a second trailer side wall for carrying solid freight and a deployed position for carrying liquid freight, a rear frame positioned between the first and second side frames when the first and second side frames are in the deployed position, a liner having side walls connected to the first and second side frames and the rear frame, a liquid impermeable bladder disposed within the liner, and at least one baffle operatively arranged to be positioned between the first and second side frames.