Cryogenic Tank Mutual Support Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic storage tanks for liquid methane face challenges such as space inefficiency, weight, and heat transfer due to the need for external structural supports and heavy materials, limiting their application and increasing costs, especially in non-cylindrical designs.
Innovation Solution
The use of a support system comprising rods and webbing structures between the inner and outer vessels, allowing for mutual support and eliminating the need for internal bunding, with the inner vessel's pressure forcing the outer vessel walls outward through thin-walled composite tubes, and incorporating para-aramid synthetic fibers like Kevlar for enhanced strength and reduced wall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If external structural supports are used for cryogenic storage tanks, then structural stability is improved, but footprint space is wasted and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural support function with the vacuum insulation jacket by integrating support arms that extend from the inner vessel to the outer vacuum jacket. This combination eliminates the need for separate external support structures, allowing the tank to maintain structural stability while minimizing footprint space.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is nested within the vacuum insulation layer, with support arms positioned between the inner vessel and outer jacket. This nesting arrangement allows the support structure to utilize the existing vacuum space without adding external bulk, thereby reducing footprint space while maintaining structural integrity.
2Stress or pressure
If heavy or thick materials are used to accommodate pressure, then pressure resistance is improved, but cost increases and heat transfer worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction for the inner vessel and support structure, combining materials with high strength-to-weight ratios. This allows the tank to withstand cryogenic pressures without requiring excessive thickness or weight, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining pressure resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes thin-walled but structurally optimized vessel walls and support arms that leverage geometric shaping and material properties to achieve high pressure resistance with minimal thickness. This reduces weight while maintaining the required pressure containment capability.
3Stress or pressure
If thick materials are used for pressure containment, then pressure resistance is improved, but heat transfer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material layers with varying thermal properties, placing low thermal conductivity materials in critical heat transfer paths while maintaining structural integrity. This reduces heat transfer to the cryogenic contents while preserving pressure resistance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The design optimizes wall and support structure thickness to minimize thermal conduction paths. By using thin but structurally efficient geometries, the tank reduces heat ingress from the outer environment to the cryogenic liquid, improving thermal insulation performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for storing materials, such as cryogenic materials, with inner and outer vessels of a storage tank that mutually support each other. An inner vessel may also have a webbing, such as a rope lattice, that provides additional support for the storage tank.