Composite Vane with Air Pockets for Gas Stream Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air intake systems in salt spray environments, such as shipboard engines, face challenges in separating moisture from inlet air effectively while minimizing weight to maintain ship stability and preventing corrosion, as traditional separators are heavy, prone to stress cracking, and require maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A composite vane made using pultrusion, with a main curved section and air pockets, designed to reorient the gas stream and separate liquid droplets through inertial impaction, made from fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) for maximum efficiency and reduced weight, corrosion resistance, and low maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional separators are used to remove liquid droplets from gas stream, then separation effectiveness is achieved, but weight increases making ship less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The vane is constructed from fiber-reinforced polymer composite material, which provides high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. This composite structure achieves the required mechanical properties and separation effectiveness while significantly reducing the weight compared to traditional metal separators, thereby maintaining ship stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The vane features a curved profile with a rounded leading edge and tapered trailing edge. This curved geometry is optimized to reorient the gas stream and maximize liquid droplet impaction on the vane surface, achieving effective separation while using minimal material and reducing overall weight.
2Reliability
If traditional separators are used in salt spray environment, then separation function is provided, but corrosion occurs requiring maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-reinforced polymer composite material inherently provides corrosion resistance to salt spray and marine environments. The composite structure does not rust or corrode like traditional metal separators, eliminating the need for protective coatings and reducing maintenance requirements while maintaining effective moisture separation capability.
3Reliability
If traditional separators are used, then liquid removal is achieved, but stress cracking occurs reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material structure provides superior resistance to stress cracking compared to traditional metals. The fiber reinforcement distributes stresses throughout the structure, preventing crack propagation that commonly occurs in metal separators under cyclic loading and environmental stress, thereby enhancing long-term reliability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If air intake is located high on ship to minimize water entrainment, then water intake is reduced, but ship stability decreases due to weight distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The curved vane profile with optimized radius of curvature creates effective liquid droplet impaction zones. This geometric design maximizes separation efficiency in a compact, lightweight structure, allowing the air intake to be positioned higher on the ship without compromising stability, as the lightweight vane minimizes the weight penalty.
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 composite vane achieves up to 100% removal efficiency for liquid droplets and maintains ship stability by minimizing weight and preventing corrosion, with reduced maintenance needs and no stress cracking, while ensuring efficient moisture separation.
Implementation Method 1
separate liquid droplets through inertial impaction
Implementation Method 2
The composite vane has a profile capable of formation by pultrusion, for removing liquids entrained in a gas stream
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A vane having a profile capable of formation by pultrusion is disclosed. The vane can be used for removing liquids entrained in a gas stream. The vane includes a main curved section oriented generally parallel to the gas stream and curved to reorient the gas stream, the main curved section causing a first and a second change of direction of the gas stream; a first air pocket formed on a first side of the main curved section, the first air pocket sized and oriented into the gas stream where the gas stream first changes direction; and a second air pocket formed on a second side of the main curved section, the second air pocket smaller than the first air pocket and sized and oriented into the gas stream where the gas stream makes the second direction change.