Conformable Pressure Vessel for Aircraft Evacuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft emergency evacuation systems face challenges in reducing the overall space occupied by inflatable rescue apparatuses due to the large size of cylindrical pressure vessels, which requires extensive labor for packing and reduces volumetric efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A conformable pressure vessel system comprising multiple individual pressure vessels connected fluidly, arranged parallel to each other, and capable of forming various shapes such as flat, bent, semi-cylindrical, or arc shapes, to reduce weight and footprint, and efficiently inflate inflatable rescue apparatuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cylindrical pressure vessel is used to store high pressure fluid, then the pressure vessel can maintain structural integrity, but the overall space occupied by the evacuation system increases and volumetric efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is divided into multiple individual pressure vessels (e.g., four separate vessels) that are arranged in parallel. Each individual vessel encloses a separate inner volume, and they are fluidly connected through a manifold or connectors. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the required pressure storage capacity while reducing the overall footprint and improving volumetric efficiency compared to a single large cylindrical vessel.
2Quantity of substance
If a large cylindrical pressure vessel is used, then sufficient high pressure fluid can be stored, but extensive labor is required for packing the inflatable rescue apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the pressure vessel into multiple smaller individual vessels arranged in parallel, the overall configuration becomes more compact and easier to integrate with the inflatable rescue apparatus on the packboard. This reduces the packing complexity and labor required compared to accommodating a single large cylindrical vessel.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure vessels can be designed with flexible or conformable shapes rather than rigid cylindrical forms, allowing them to be packed more efficiently with the inflatable rescue apparatus and reducing the overall space required on the packboard.
3Volume of stationary object
If individual pressure vessels are arranged parallel to each other, then volumetric efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases due to fluid connections
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual pressure vessels are fluidly connected through a common manifold or elbow connectors, merging their functions into a unified system. This allows the parallel arrangement of vessels to achieve compact packaging while maintaining simplified fluid distribution architecture.
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 conformable pressure vessel system reduces the weight and footprint of the emergency evacuation system, allowing for easier packing and more efficient use of space, while maintaining the ability to inflate rescue apparatuses effectively.
Implementation Method 1
WO 2016/057023 A1 describes a pressure vessel to store high pressure fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The conformable pressure vessel (200, 300, 400) having: a plurality of individual pressure vessels (230), the individual pressure vessels (230) each having an outer wall (242) enclosing an inner volume (232). The inner volumes (232) are fluidly connected to each other. The individual pressures vessels (230) are oriented parallel to each other.