Anti-Rotation Cryogenic Coupler for Stable Venting Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cold fluids at cryogenic temperatures pose handling challenges due to potential freeze-up in couplers, leading to mechanical issues and fluid venting problems during transfer, especially in moist environments, which can cause the coupler to forcefully eject from receptacles.
Innovation Solution
A rapid-connect coupler design featuring a housing with a probe and handle assembly that translates longitudinally, including a slidable sleeve with a collar to prevent rotation during engagement and venting, utilizing a vent stop assembly to manage fluid venting and prevent coupler ejection, and an anti-rotation sleeve to secure the coupler relative to the receptacle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rapid-connect coupler is used to transfer cryogenic fluid, then fluid transfer efficiency is improved, but rotation of the coupler during engagement may occur causing damage to internal valve components
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler incorporates an anti-rotation collar with asymmetric features including a flat surface and a protrusion that engages with a corresponding recess in the receptacle. This asymmetric geometry prevents rotational movement while maintaining the rapid-connect functionality, resolving the contradiction between transfer efficiency and component integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-rotation collar is pre-positioned on the coupler body before engagement with the receptacle. This preliminary positioning ensures that as soon as the coupler connects to the receptacle, the anti-rotation features are already aligned and immediately prevent rotation, protecting internal valve components from damage during the fluid transfer operation.
2Ease of operation
If the coupler allows free movement during coupling, then ease of operation is improved, but the coupler may forcefully eject from the receptacle during fluid venting
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation collar with its asymmetric flat surface and protrusion-recess engagement provides selective constraint. It allows the coupler to be easily coupled to the receptacle while preventing ejection during venting operations, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and retention stability.
3Speed
If the coupler is designed for rapid connection, then transfer speed is improved, but freeze-up of mechanical parts may occur in moist environments
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation collar is pre-installed on the coupler body, ensuring that rotation prevention is already in place before the rapid connection occurs. This eliminates the need for additional rotational control mechanisms that would slow down the connection process, while still preventing freeze-up by maintaining proper alignment and reducing mechanical stress on internal components in moist, cryogenic environments.
Data Source
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AI summary
A rapid connect coupler (700) for connecting a fluid holding tank to a receptacle in a non-rota table manner can include a housing (102), a probe configured to translate in a longitudinal direction within the housing, and a handle assembly (130A, 130B) configured to cause the probe to translate within the housing. The handle assembly can be movable between a plurality of positions corresponding to decoupled, coupled (B) and venting positions. The coupler can also include a slidable sleeve (705) coupled to an outer surface of the probe and configured to translate with the probe in the longitudinal direction, the sleeve including a collar (710) configured to engage the receptacle in the coupled and uncoupled positions to prevent rotation of the coupler with respect to the receptacle when the two components are engaged to one another.