Cryogenic Tower Guiding Device Wedge Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for installing loading and unloading towers in cryogenic fluid storage tanks, such as LNG, are complicated due to the need for multiple assembly steps and are affected by temperature variations that cause material expansion or contraction, requiring vertical mobility adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A guiding device with a first and second portion, both made of stainless steel, featuring complementary wedge shapes and adjustment means like screws, allows for sliding oblique walls to facilitate the positioning of the loading and unloading tower relative to the tank base, reducing the number of assembly steps by enabling vertical and horizontal adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional buffer supports with multiple intermediate positioning steps are used, then vertical translational mobility is achieved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer support is designed with a movable second portion that can slide along the oblique wall of the first portion, transforming the static multi-step assembly into a dynamic single-step process. The adjustment means enables the buffer support to adapt its position automatically during tower insertion, achieving vertical translational mobility without complex intermediate positioning steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer support is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion secured to the tower base and a second portion contacting the tank base. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill specific functions independently while maintaining overall simplicity, with the second portion providing vertical mobility and the first portion providing structural attachment.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple intermediate positioning steps are required for assembly, then precise positioning may be achieved, but installation time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer support is pre-configured with the adjustment means and movable second portion during manufacturing, so that during installation it automatically performs the positioning function in a single step. The oblique wall geometry and adjustment means are designed beforehand to guide the second portion to the correct position as the tower is inserted, eliminating the need for multiple intermediate positioning steps during installation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the loading and unloading tower is made mobile in vertical translation to adapt to material alterations, then temperature variation effects are compensated, but horizontal stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer support provides vertical mobility specifically at the contact point with the tank base, while the first portion secured to the tower base and the oblique wall structure maintain horizontal stability. The movable second portion locally enables vertical adjustment for temperature compensation, while the overall buffer support structure and its attachment to the tower base preserve horizontal stability throughout the installation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a guide device (16) intended to allow the positioning of a cryogenic fluid loading and/or unloading tower relative to a base of a storage tank, the guide device (16) comprising a first portion (18) intended to be integral with a base of the tower and a second portion (20) intended to be in contact with the base, the second portion (20) being configured to carry a buffer (30), the first portion (18) comprising at least one oblique wall (22) and the second portion (20) comprising at least one angled wall (26), the guide device (16) comprising an adjustment means (32) configured to slide the angled wall (26) along the oblique wall (22).