Engine Containment Blanket for Debris Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing operations face significant safety risks due to high-pressure pump systems experiencing major component failures, leading to ejection of debris and flammable fluids, which can result in equipment damage, fires, and injuries, with existing designs being costly and difficult to inspect effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of containment blankets with sheet members and fastening systems that laterally shroud the engine housing to contain debris and fluids projected during engine failures, directing them downward to prevent damage to adjacent equipment and personnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-pressure pump systems are positioned closely together to maximize operational efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the risk of debris and flammable fluid ejection affecting adjacent equipment and personnel increases
Solution Approach 1:
A containment blanket is introduced as an intermediary protective barrier between the engine and the external environment. The blanket is attached to the engine housing and extends laterally to contain debris and flammable fluids, preventing them from reaching adjacent equipment and personnel while allowing the engine to operate in close proximity to other units.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment blanket captures the harmful ejection of debris and flammable fluids and redirects it downward in a controlled manner. By containing and directing the harmful ejection path, the blanket converts the uncontrolled harmful effect into a controlled downward trajectory that away from adjacent equipment and personnel.
2Reliability
If containment blankets are added to engine systems to improve safety, then protection against debris and fluid ejection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The containment blanket is constructed as a flexible shell or thin film structure that can be easily attached to the engine housing. This flexible design provides effective containment of debris and fluids without requiring complex rigid structures, thereby improving safety while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment blanket is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently attached to the engine housing. This segmentation allows the blanket to be installed and removed without affecting the core engine system, simplifying maintenance and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety improvements.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If containment blankets with extended sheet members are used to direct debris downward, then protection of adjacent equipment is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet member is constructed as a flexible thin film that can be formed into the required extended shape to direct debris downward. This flexible construction allows for easier manufacturing compared to rigid extended structures, as the thin film can be bent and shaped more simply while maintaining its debris-directing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet member extends in a lateral dimension beyond the engine housing to create a shrouding effect. By adding this lateral extension, the blanket effectively directs debris downward in three-dimensional space without requiring complex multi-component structures, achieving improved containment with relatively simple manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine system includes an engine having a housing and moving parts for converting energy into mechanical motion; and a first containment blanket having a sheet member and a fastening system. The sheet member extends below a bottom of the engine housing. The fastening system holds the sheet member to the engine such that the first containment blanket laterally shrouds the engine housing to contain debris projected from the engine housing.