Deep Drop Tank Trailer With Segmented Curved Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tank trailers for transporting liquids, such as petroleum, face challenges in manufacturing complexity and cost due to their design, which affects cargo capacity, discharge efficiency, stability, and maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
The design of tank trailers with tapering, 'deep drop' tanks featuring a unique shape with uniform cross-sectional radii of curvature allows for a high capacity, compact profile, improved stability, and ease of manufacturing, including a method of forming preforms and rolling them to create tank sections with specific curvatures for mounting on a chassis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If tank shapes are modified to increase cargo capacity and improve discharge rates, then cargo capacity and discharge efficiency are improved, but manufacturing difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is divided into multiple standard sections (typically three) that can be manufactured separately using conventional equipment and then assembled together. Each section has a uniform curvature radius that is easy to manufacture, while the combination of sections creates the desired deep-drop tapered shape for improved cargo capacity and discharge efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank design uses specific parameter ranges: a depth-to-length ratio between 0.4 and 0.6, and a curvature radius ratio (r/R) between 0.05 and 0.15. These parameter changes optimize cargo capacity and discharge rates while maintaining manufacturability through standardized production processes.
2Quantity of substance
If tank shapes are modified to increase cargo capacity, then cargo capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the tank into standard sections allows each section to be manufactured using conventional, cost-effective equipment rather than requiring expensive custom-forming equipment. The standardized sections can be produced in batches, reducing per-unit manufacturing costs while achieving high cargo capacity through the deep-drop configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing parameters such as the depth-to-length ratio (0.4-0.6) and curvature radius ratio (0.05-0.15), the design achieves maximum cargo capacity within standard manufacturing capabilities, avoiding the need for costly custom fabrication while still improving discharge efficiency and overall performance.
3Productivity
If deep drop tank shape is used, then cargo discharge rate is improved, but tank manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deep-drop tapered shape is achieved by assembling multiple standard sections, each with uniform curvature, rather than forming a single complex tapered shape. This segmentation allows conventional manufacturing equipment to produce each section independently, then join them to create the overall deep-drop configuration that improves cargo discharge rate through gravity-assisted flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A tank trailer for transporting cargo material includes a tank, and the tank includes a wall portion that defines a longitudinal axis of the tank and an internal chamber adapted to carry the cargo material. The wall portion includes a first sidewall, and the first sidewall includes a first cross-sectional radius of curvature that tapers proceeding in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. The wall portion further includes a second sidewall and a third wall. The third wall is coupled to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and the third wall includes a second cross-sectional radius of curvature that is substantially uniform proceeding in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.