Cryogenic Liquid Supply Layout With Internal Relief Valve Damping

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional liquid supply systems for cryogenic liquids face issues with decreased cooling efficiency and relief valve malfunction due to heat exchange and icing, leading to pressure fluctuations and potential damage from excessive fluid pressure.

Innovation Solution

A sealed liquid supply system with a pump driven by a linear actuator, featuring relief valves inside the sealed container to prevent pressure buildup and maintain low temperatures, along with a damping structure using a gas layer to suppress pulsation, eliminating the need for external dampers and enhancing cooling efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a relief valve is provided outside the sealed container, then pressure can be released, but heat exchange occurs and cooling efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure controlVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The relief valve is nested inside the sealed container, placing the pressure relief mechanism within the cryogenic environment. This eliminates heat exchange at the relief valve location and maintains cooling efficiency while providing necessary pressure control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cryogenic liquid itself serves as an intermediary medium for pressure relief. The relief valve releases cryogenic liquid into the sealed container rather than to the atmosphere, using the existing cryogenic environment as a buffer to avoid heat exchange and maintain system cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a relief valve is provided outside the sealed container, then pressure can be released, but icing of moisture causes functional decline

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure controlVSAvoidicing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The relief valve operates within the inert cryogenic atmosphere inside the sealed container, isolated from atmospheric moisture. This prevents icing and functional decline of the relief valve while maintaining its pressure control function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Solution Approach 2:

The relief valve is nested inside the sealed container, placing it within the cryogenic environment where moisture icing does not occur. This protects the relief valve from atmospheric humidity while maintaining pressure relief capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Stability of the object's composition

If a damper is provided in the piping system, then pressure fluctuation is suppressed, but heat exchange occurs and cooling efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure stabilityVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The damper function is extracted from the external piping system and integrated into the sealed container environment. The bellows structure inside the container provides pressure fluctuation suppression without external heat exchange, maintaining cooling efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure stabilization function is merged with the sealed container environment. The bellows and cryogenic liquid work together as an integrated system to suppress pressure fluctuations internally, eliminating the need for separate external dampers that would cause heat exchange.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution effectively suppresses relief valve decline and improves cooling efficiency by maintaining low temperatures and reducing pressure fluctuations, preventing damage from excessive pressure and ensuring continuous cryogenic liquid supply without external damping structures.

Implementation Method 1

heat exchange that occurs in the parts such as the relief valve or damper

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

a pump disposed in a cryogenic liquid contained inside the sealed container and driven by a linear actuator

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLinear actuator: Linear Motor

Implementation Method 3

a first relief valve that is connected to the first conduit within the sealed container and releases the cryogenic liquid into the sealed container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure relief: Depressurisation

Data Source

PatentEP2933585B1Liquid supply system
Publication Date: 2018.06.06 EAGLE INDS
  • EP2933585B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2933585B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2933585B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Provided is a liquid supply system that can suppress a functional decline of relief valves and improve cooling efficiency. The system is characterized by including a sealed container (110), a pump (120) disposed in a cryogenic liquid (L) contained inside the sealed container (110) and driven by a linear actuator (130), a first conduit (K1) for directing the cryogenic liquid (L) pumped out by the pump (120) to a cooled device (300) provided outside the sealed container (110), a second conduit (K2) for returning the cryogenic liquid (L) from the cooled device (300) into the sealed container (110), and a relief valve (170) that is connected to the first conduit (K1) within the sealed container (110) and releases the cryogenic liquid (L) into the sealed container (110).