Equalization device in the form of a tank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compensating devices for volume fluctuations in liquid systems face challenges in maintaining a closed hydraulic operation, risking contamination and mechanical stress due to pressure fluctuations and flow forces.
Innovation Solution
A compensating device with an elastically resilient partition wall and a flexible storage bladder made of open-cell, porous foam material, housed in a protective enclosure, which allows for pressure compensation and minimizes contamination risks while reducing mechanical stress through strategic placement and air exchange mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tank is completely filled with fluid to maximize storage capacity, then the compensating function is lost, but operating in an open system risks contamination and environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing a compensating body (bladder with foam material) inside the tank housing. The bladder is nested within the fluid-filled tank, allowing the compensating function to coexist with full fluid capacity. The foam material inside the bladder provides volume compensation while the bladder itself is contained within the tank, preventing contamination risks associated with open systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible bladder made of elastomer material as the partition wall of the compensating body. This flexible shell can deform elastically under pressure loads, enabling volume compensation while maintaining a closed system. The bladder acts as a flexible barrier that allows pressure equalization without compromising system integrity or allowing contamination.
2Strength
If a rigid partition wall is used in the compensating body, then structural strength is improved, but the ability to compensate for volume fluctuations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid partition walls with a flexible bladder made of elastomer material. This flexible shell can deform elastically under pressure loads, enabling the compensating body to adapt its volume in response to pressure fluctuations in the hydraulic system, thereby maintaining both structural integrity and volume compensation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastic properties of the foam material and elastomer bladder to change the physical parameters (volume, shape) of the compensating body in response to pressure changes. The foam material's cellular structure allows it to compress and expand, while the elastomer bladder's elasticity enables it to deform reversibly, providing dynamic volume compensation.
3Productivity
If the compensating body is placed in high-flow areas to maximize compensation effectiveness, then volume fluctuation compensation is improved, but mechanical stress and foam formation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically positioning the compensating body in a corner area of the tank that is least affected by fluid flow. This location minimizes exposure to high-velocity flow forces and pressure pulsations, reducing mechanical stress on the bladder and foam material, while still allowing the compensating body to effectively respond to system-wide pressure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a protective housing as an intermediary between the compensating body and the hydraulic fluid. This protective enclosure shields the bladder and foam material from direct exposure to pressure pulsations and flow forces, reducing mechanical stress and foam formation while allowing the compensating body to maintain its volume compensation function.
4Adaptability or versatility
If open-cell foam material is used in the storage bladder, then elasticity and pressure equalization are improved, but susceptibility to pressure pulsations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the protective housing as an intermediary that filters and dampens pressure pulsations before they reach the foam material. The housing structure absorbs and smooths out rapid pressure variations, protecting the delicate open-cell foam structure from damage while allowing the foam to maintain its pressure equalization function through slower, more gradual pressure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective housing provides beforehand cushioning by shielding the foam material from extreme pressure conditions. The housing structure acts as a buffer that prevents direct transmission of severe pressure pulsations to the foam, protecting it from damage before the pressure effects can compromise the foam's integrity.
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 solution enables a closed hydraulic system operation with effective volume compensation, reducing contamination risks and mechanical stress, while maintaining operational efficiency and minimizing foam formation.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible storage bladder made of elastomer material as an elastically yielding partition, the interior of which is at least partially filled with foam material
Implementation Method 2
an elastically flexible partition wall encloses an interior space which is pressure-compensated towards the environment
Implementation Method 3
a flexible storage bladder made of open-cell, highly porous and elastically flexible foam material
Implementation Method 4
the interior space opening to the environment when one of the housing walls reaches through is at least partially in pressure-compensating connection
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to an equalization device, in particular in the form of a tank, the housing (2) of which has at least one inlet (8) and one outlet (10) for receiving and discharging fluid, respectively, at least in one of the housing walls (4) of said housing, which housing can be filled with the fluid, characterized in that at least one equalization body (14) is arranged within the housing (2), which equalization body is at least partly provided with an elastically compliant separating wall (20), the interior of the equalization body thus being delimited, and that the interior is at least partly in pressure-equalizing connection (32) with the surroundings at a passage (12, 32) through one of the housing walls (4).