Cryogenic Quick-Release Coupling With Guided Spring Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency-release couplings are not suitable for vacuum-insulated cryogenic lines, leading to difficulties in quickly releasing connections during emergencies, which can result in potential fire risks and energy losses due to evaporation of cryogenic fluids.
Innovation Solution
A plug-in coupling design featuring a coupling plug and socket with elastic means, such as helical springs, and guide columns to ensure quick release without skewing, along with clamps and a locking hook mechanism for secure engagement and disengagement, allowing for rapid separation under tensile forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional emergency-release couplings are used for vacuum-insulated cryogenic lines, then the coupling can be released quickly in emergencies, but the coupling cannot maintain proper alignment during release, causing skewing and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
Guide columns act as intermediary elements between the coupling plug and coupling socket, providing a guided path that maintains alignment during the release process. The guide columns prevent skewing while allowing the elastic means to rapidly push the coupling halves apart, thus enabling both quick release and stable alignment.
2Loss of energy
If the coupling plug and coupling socket are plugged one inside the other to a great extent for good thermal insulation, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but quick release becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling is segmented into functional components: the deeply inserted plug-and-socket structure for thermal insulation, and the separately positioned elastic means (springs) with guide columns for rapid release. This segmentation allows the insulation portion to remain deeply inserted while the release mechanism acts independently to quickly separate the couplings when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic means (springs) are pre-compressed during the plugging process, storing potential energy. When release is required, this pre-stored energy is immediately converted to kinetic energy, enabling rapid separation without requiring the deeply inserted structure to be manually pulled apart, thus achieving both good insulation and quick release.
3Speed
If elastic means are added to enable quick release, then release speed is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic means (springs) are designed to automatically perform the release function without requiring external power sources, control systems, or additional actuation mechanisms. The springs self-compress during plugging and self-expand during release, providing quick release functionality while minimizing added complexity.
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 proposed coupling enables quick and secure release of vacuum-insulated cryogenic lines during emergencies, minimizing the risk of fire and energy loss by utilizing stored elastic energy and preventing skewing, thus ensuring safe and efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
The guide column has arranged on it elastic means which, in the assembled state of the plug-in coupling, are subjected to stressing and which subject the coupling plug and/or coupling socket to an elastic force
Data Source
AI summary
A plug-in coupling for connecting a first double-walled vacuum-insulated cryogenic line to a second. The plug-in coupling has a coupling plug and a coupling socket. The coupling plug can be plugged into the coupling socket, these being retained in a plugged-together state by fixing means. A guide column is arranged on the coupling plug or the coupling socket. The guide column has arranged on it elastic means which, in the assembled state of the plug-in coupling, are subjected to stressing and which subject the coupling plug and/or coupling socket to an elastic force which strives to release the coupling plug and coupling socket from one another as soon as the fixing means no longer hold the coupling plug and coupling socket together. The elastic energy stored in the elastic means ensures that, in the event of an emergency, the coupling plug and coupling socket are quickly released from one another.