Cryogenic Break-Away Conduit for Automatic Leak Shutoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transfer of high-pressure cryogenic fluids is fraught with safety risks due to potential hose failures and human errors during fluid delivery operations, which can lead to personal injury, property damage, and costly fluid waste, including the release of hazardous fumes.
Innovation Solution
A high-pressure cryogenic fluid conduit with a break-away coupling and cryogenic seal that activates a safety feature to prevent fluid flow when a predetermined force is applied, ensuring the conduit switches from a normal to a safety-activated mode, thereby preventing leaks and spills by moving valve bodies to seal the fluid openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible hose is used to transfer high-pressure cryogenic fluids, then ease of connection and limited range of motion are improved, but the risk of hose failure and subsequent safety hazards increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is divided into separate housing sections (first housing, second housing) connected by a break-away coupling, allowing the system to segment and separate safely upon failure rather than relying on a single continuous hose
Solution Approach 2:
The break-away coupling is designed to fail in a controlled manner under excessive force, converting the harmful effect of hose failure into a beneficial safety feature that prevents catastrophic whip-back and fluid release
2Stability of the object's composition
If a durable hose material is used, then resistance to deterioration is improved, but the weight and rigidity of the conduit increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit uses composite construction with an inner tube made of flexible material (such as rubber or plastic) reinforced with braided or woven layers of metal or synthetic fibers, providing both durability and flexibility while managing weight
3Reliability
If a break-away coupling is added to prevent hose failure hazards, then safety protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The break-away coupling is pre-designed with a weakened section at the intended failure point, so that when excessive force is applied, it fails in a predictable and controlled manner without requiring complex sensors or active control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The break-away coupling acts as an intermediary element between the two housings, providing a simple mechanical interface that either maintains connection or allows safe separation based on applied forces
4Reliability
If valve bodies are added to seal fluid openings upon failure, then fluid leak prevention is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Valve bodies are pre-positioned within the housings with sealing surfaces oriented to automatically engage and seal the fluid passages when the break-away coupling fails and the housings separate, preventing fluid leaks without requiring active control
Solution Approach 2:
The valve bodies are designed to automatically seal the fluid openings through the mechanical motion of housing separation itself, eliminating the need for external actuators, sensors, or control systems to trigger the closing action
Data Source
AI summary
High-pressure cryogenic fluid conduits that deliver high-pressure cryogenic fluids from a first point to a second point. This high-pressure fluid conduit has a safety feature that is activated when the high-pressure cryogenic fluid conduit fails due to exposure to a predetermined force. The safety feature is activated by the fracture of an annular ring that is positioned at either end of the high-pressure fluid conduit and is calibrated to fracture when exposed to the predetermined force. Fracture of the annular ring closes valves at each end of the high-pressure fluid conduit, thereby stopping the flow of high-pressure fluid from the high-pressure fluid source as well as the escape of high-pressure fluid from the high-pressure fluid container.