Double-Pipe Gas Fuel Piping With Ducted Leak Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The risk of gas explosion and fire in marine vessels due to high-pressure gas fuel leakage from diesel engine pipes, combined with the difficulty in inspecting and maintaining double-pipe structures, which are prone to damage from vibration and aging, leading to unreliable inspection and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A gas piping system with a double-pipe structure for both supply and vent pipes, covered by first and second ducts that prevent gas leakage into the engine room, allowing for easy inspection and maintenance, and featuring rupture disks and exhaust fans to manage pressure and discharge leakage gas safely outside the engine room.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If gas piping systems are installed in ships, then gas supply function is provided, but corrosion of piping occurs due to condensation of water vapor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas supply functionVSAvoidcorrosion resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A water vapor separator is introduced as an intermediary component between the gas source and the gas piping system. This separator removes water vapor from the gas flow before it enters the piping, preventing condensation and subsequent corrosion in the piping system while maintaining the gas supply function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful water vapor component is extracted and removed from the gas stream using a water vapor separator. By taking out the water vapor before it enters the piping system, the source of condensation and corrosion is eliminated, protecting the piping from degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If water vapor separator is added to prevent corrosion, then corrosion resistance is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The water vapor separator uses a desiccant material that can be replaced when saturated. This disposable or replaceable component approach allows for simple, low-cost protection against corrosion without requiring complex maintenance systems. The separator unit itself is simple in design, and the desiccant can be easily replaced to restore functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical-chemical parameters of the gas by removing water vapor through adsorption on desiccant material. This parameter change (reducing moisture content) prevents condensation and corrosion while using a simple, passive mechanism that does not require complex active control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If desiccant is used in water vapor separator, then water vapor removal efficiency is improved, but clogging of gas piping occurs due to fine powder

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater vapor removal efficiencyVSAvoidfine powder clogging
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A filter membrane is used to physically separate and retain fine desiccant powder particles while allowing water vapor to pass through to the desiccant. This thin film barrier prevents powder clogging in the gas piping system while maintaining effective water vapor removal, solving both the efficiency and clogging problems simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The water vapor separator is divided into functional segments: a filtration layer (filter membrane) that captures fine powder and a desiccant layer that removes water vapor. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, preventing clogging while maintaining removal efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Ensures reliable prevention of gas leakage into the engine room, facilitates easy inspection and maintenance of pipes and monitoring systems, and quickly discharges leakage gas outside the engine room, enhancing safety and operational reliability over long vessel lifespans.

Implementation Method 1

a water vapor separator for separating water vapor from gas; a gas piping system comprising a water vapor separator

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 2

a filter membrane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP3502457B1Ship having a gas piping system installed therein
Publication Date: 2021.06.09 IMABARI SHIPBUILDING
  • EP3502457B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3502457B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3502457B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a gas fuel piping system in which even if pipes for supplying gas fuel and the like are damaged, leakage of the gas fuel, etc., into the engine room can be reliably prevented, and the pipes and the like can be easily and reliably inspected. The present invention provides a gas fuel piping system 10 for supplying gas fuel to a diesel engine 3 comprising a supply pipe 31 and a vent pipe 32, each of which has a double-pipe structure, the gas fuel piping system 10 comprising a supply pipeline 21 for sending the gas fuel to the diesel engine 3, a vent pipeline 22 for sending vent gas from the diesel engine 3, a first duct 26 covering the supply pipeline 21 in an engine room 2, and a second duct 27 covering the vent pipeline 22 in the engine room 2. A supply outer pipe 312 of the supply pipe 31, and a vent outer pipe 322 of the vent pipe 32 extend to the inside of the first duct 26 or the second duct 27, and the end of the supply outer pipe 312 is provided with a rupture disk 40 in the first duct 26 or the second duct 27.