Double-Walled Fluid Line Assembly for Sealing and Service Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing double-walled fluid transportation systems face challenges in achieving reliable sealing and easy assembly/disassembly, particularly for high-pressure hydrogen applications.

Innovation Solution

A fluid transport device with a double-walled design, featuring an inner line component and an outer line component that can adopt both mounted and demounted states, allowing for improved sealing with static seals and facilitated assembly/disassembly by sliding the outer line component relative to the inner line component.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the outer line component is fixed to enclose the inner line component, then sealing performance is improved, but access to connection areas is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidaccess to connection areas
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The outer line component is designed to be movable relative to the inner line component, transitioning between a mounted state (enclosing the connection areas) and a demounted state (providing access). This dynamic configuration allows the system to alternate between sealed operation and maintenance access, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sealing performance and enabling connection access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the outer line component is permanently attached, then sealing is maintained, but assembly and disassembly becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesealingVSAvoidassembly and disassembly
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The outer line component is designed with movable attachment characteristics, allowing it to be attached and detached from the inner line component. This enables the system to maintain sealing when attached while facilitating easy assembly and disassembly when needed for maintenance or replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the outer line component encloses the inner line component, then protection is improved, but installation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveprotectionVSAvoidinstallation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outer line component is designed to be movable relative to the inner line component, allowing it to be positioned in a demounted state during installation to simplify the installation process. After installation, it can be moved to the mounted state to provide protection, thus reducing installation complexity while maintaining protection benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4325107B1Fluid transport device and method for assembling and disassembling a fluid transport device
Publication Date: 2025.03.05 AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
  • EP4325107B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4325107B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4325107B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a fluid transport device (1), comprising a first line connector (10), a second line connector (20) and an inner line component (30) that fluidly connects the first line connector (10) to the second line connector (20) via respective first and second coupling ends (31, 32). In a mounted state (50), an outer line component (40) of the device (1) is attached to the first line connector (10) and to the second line connector (20), such that the outer line component (40) covers the first and second coupling ends (31, 32). In a demounted state (60), the outer line component (40) is detached from the first and second line connector (10, 20), wherein the outer line component (40) is movable relative to the inner line component (30) to uncover the first coupling end (31) or the second coupling end (32). The invention further relates to a method for assembling and disassembling a fluid transport device (1).