Extruded Cylindrical Trailer Shell for Lightweight Waste Hauling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cylindrical cargo trailers are not economically viable for hauling solid waste due to their rigidity requirements, which increase weight and reduce efficiency, and they lack optimal aerodynamics and cargo handling capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The use of extruded panels with an inner and outer skin and bridging webs to form a cylindrical container that provides structural strength without additional reinforcing members, allowing for a smooth interior and exterior surface, which enhances aerodynamics and prevents cargo impediments, while also incorporating features like longitudinal or annular profiles for mounting to a chassis and channels for fluid circulation or insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional cylindrical trailers use rigid frame structures to withstand garbage compaction forces, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases and economic viability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin-walled cylindrical shell structure made of high-strength steel that replaces conventional rigid frame structures. The shell maintains structural integrity under compaction forces through its geometric form and material properties while being significantly lighter than traditional framed constructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by using high-strength steel with specific yield and tensile strength values, allowing the shell to withstand compaction forces without requiring heavy framing. The wall thickness and material composition are optimized to achieve the required strength-to-weight ratio.
2Strength
If structural frame members are disposed outside the sheet metal skin to provide strength, then structural support is improved, but aerodynamics deteriorate due to wind resistance at projecting portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural support function directly into the cylindrical shell itself, eliminating the need for separate external frame members. The shell serves both as the load-bearing structure and the aerodynamic surface, combining structural and aerodynamic requirements into a single integrated component.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin-walled shell provides structural support without requiring external framing, maintaining a smooth aerodynamic surface. The shell's geometry and material properties enable it to bear loads while presenting a streamlined exterior that minimizes wind resistance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the structural frame is completely enveloped by the sheet metal skin to improve aerodynamics, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but useful volume is reduced and obstructions impede cargo movement
Solution Approach 1:
The thin-walled shell provides the aerodynamic envelope without internal framing obstructions. The absence of internal frame members maximizes the useful cargo volume while maintaining smooth external surfaces for optimal aerodynamics. The shell thickness is minimized to preserve volume while providing sufficient structural strength.
4Reliability
If conventional cylindrical trailers are designed with heavy frame structures to withstand compaction forces, then reliability is improved, but fuel economy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using high-strength steel with optimized yield and tensile strength values, allowing the shell to withstand compaction forces without requiring heavy framing. The wall thickness and material composition are optimized to achieve the required strength-to-weight ratio, reducing overall vehicle weight and fuel consumption while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin-walled shell structure provides reliable performance under compaction forces while minimizing weight. The shell's geometric form and material properties enable it to withstand operational stresses, ensuring reliability without the fuel penalty associated with heavy conventional frame structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A cylindrical cargo container is formed of longitudinal, extruded arcuate panels joined pairwise at abutting edges to form a cylindrical tube. The container is mountable on a separate wheeled chassis to form a semi-trailer or railcar, or a chassis integral with a truck. The container may be substantially smooth on inner and outer surfaces, to provide optimal aerodynamics and freedom of motion of cargo within the container. The panels may have inner and outer skins bridged by multiple webs. Such structure may provide protection from punctures to the outer or inner skins. The container is useful to transport waste including municipal or industrial waste, and may be part of a tipper trailer. The container, trailer, truck, or railcar may be used with a compactor for compacting the waste within the container.