Elevated Modular Fuel Tanks with Shock-Absorbing Resin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel storage and distribution stations face environmental and safety concerns due to underground tank leakage, high construction and maintenance costs, and inflexibility in accommodating changing fuel demands and types.
Innovation Solution
A modular, elevated fuel storage system with double- or triple-walled fuel tanks and support structures that provide fire and ballistic resistance, allowing for easy reconfiguration and minimal environmental impact, using shock-absorbing and insulating materials to manage structural stresses and prevent fuel contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fuel tanks are installed underground, then fuel storage is achieved, but leakage and seepage into surrounding soil occur causing environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional underground fuel storage approach by installing fuel tanks above ground. This reversal eliminates the seepage and corrosion problems associated with underground tanks while maintaining fuel storage functionality. The above-ground modular tanks are supported on columns or structures, completely avoiding contact with soil that could cause contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel storage system is divided into multiple modular tank units that can be independently installed and configured. Each tank is a separate module that can be easily replaced or maintained without affecting other tanks. This segmentation also allows for flexible arrangement above ground, optimizing space utilization while maintaining safety and accessibility.
2Strength
If fuel tanks are buried underground with concrete disposal block, then structural support is provided, but maintenance work becomes extremely difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of burying tanks underground with concrete blocks for support, the patent positions tanks above ground and uses the tanks themselves as structural support members. This inversion makes maintenance trivial as tanks are easily accessible from all sides, eliminating the need for expensive excavation and concrete block removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel tanks serve dual functions: storing fuel and providing structural support for the station structure. By making the tanks themselves load-bearing, the design eliminates separate support structures that would complicate maintenance. The tanks support roof structures and other station elements while remaining easily accessible for maintenance operations.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional fuel storage system is constructed, then fuel storage capacity is achieved, but the system cannot be reconfigured to meet changing fuel demands
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel storage system consists of multiple independent modular tank units that can be individually added, removed, or reconfigured. Each module is a self-contained unit with standardized connections, allowing the overall storage capacity and configuration to be easily adjusted to match changing fuel demands without reconstructing the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables the fuel storage system to dynamically adapt to changing requirements. Tanks can be quickly installed or removed based on current fuel type demands, and the system can be reconfigured to store different fuel types (gasoline, diesel, alternative fuels) by simply changing which modular tanks are in service, providing operational flexibility.
4Quantity of substance
If extensive excavation and coverage are performed for underground tank installation, then fuel storage infrastructure is established, but resource consumption and construction time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates extensive excavation by installing tanks above ground. This inversion transforms a complex underground construction process requiring digging, backfilling, and concrete work into a simple modular installation process where pre-fabricated tank units are positioned on prepared foundations or support structures, dramatically reducing construction time and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular fuel tanks are pre-fabricated off-site with all necessary components (tank body, dispensers, piping connections) already installed and tested. This preliminary preparation allows for rapid on-site assembly without requiring extensive construction activities, reducing both construction time and resource consumption while ensuring quality control.
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
The system ensures safe, flexible, and environmentally friendly fuel storage and distribution, reducing maintenance costs and environmental risks while accommodating various fuel types and demands, with enhanced structural integrity and resistance to impacts and fires.
Implementation Method 1
The first annular space is filled with a shock-absorbing resin for absorbing structural stresses
Implementation Method 2
The second annular space is filled with an insulating material providing for fire and ballistic resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A system for storing fuel includes a support structure supporting at least one fuel tank a predetermined distance above ground. The fuel tank includes an inner tank configured to contain a gaseous fuel, an intermediate tank encompassing the inner tank and defining a first annular space therebetween, and an outer tank encompassing the intermediate tank an defining a second annular space therebetween. The first annular space is filled with a shock-absorbing resin for absorbing structural stresses, while the second annular space is filled with an insulating material providing for fire and ballistic resistance. The intermediate tank is connected to the support structure and to at least one adjacent fuel tank, and prevents the transfer of load to the inner tank.