Curved Support Ring Converts Bending Stress to Tensile in Converter Trays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Sulfuric acid converters face material inefficiencies due to high loads and temperatures, leading to plastic deformation and potential rupture of trays, necessitating costly stainless steel and additional stiffening structures.
Innovation Solution
A support ring with an inclined upper surface and varying radii is used to convert bending stress into tensile stress, limiting plastic deformation and allowing for reduced material usage by eliminating the need for a grid structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a grid structure is used to support trays, then structural stability is improved, but material consumption and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the grid structure from the converter design, replacing it with a support ring system that provides necessary stability without the excessive material consumption of a full grid structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support system is segmented into discrete support rings positioned at specific locations, rather than using a continuous grid structure, thereby reducing overall material consumption while maintaining stability where needed
2Reliability
If stainless steel is used for trays and separating plates, then resistance to high temperature and corrosion is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Stainless steel is applied locally only to components requiring high temperature and corrosion resistance (trays and separating plates), while other components use less expensive materials, optimizing the balance between reliability and manufacturing cost
3Strength
If tray thickness is increased to bear catalyst weight, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but material consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Support rings are introduced as intermediary elements between the trays and the converter shell, bearing the catalyst weight and transferring it to the shell, thereby allowing thinner tray materials while maintaining load-bearing capacity
4Strength
If a support ring with inclined surface is used, then bending stress is converted to tensile stress, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support ring incorporates an inclined surface with specific curvature geometry that converts bending stress into tensile stress, optimizing the stress distribution while maintaining a relatively simple ring structure
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
This design achieves significant material savings of at least 70% by preventing tray rupture while maintaining structural integrity, reducing manufacturing costs and weight.
Implementation Method 1
a support ring for accommodating a plate-like element in a vessel that includes a bracket disposed on a wall of the vessel and configured to support the plate-like element, the bracket having an upper supporting surface inclined downward relative to horizontal
Data Source
AI summary
A vessel for producing SO3 from SO2-containing gas includes a plate-like element and a bracket disposed on a wall of the vessel. The bracket is configured to support the plate-like element by a supporting surface. The supporting surface is an upper supporting surface curved downward away from the plate-like element in an unloaded state of the vessel or a lower supporting surface curved upward away from the plate-like element in the unloaded state of the vessel.