Fire Resistant Textile Sleeve with Silicone Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile sleeves fail to meet the fire resistance requirements of Aerospace Standard AS 1055 Class A at zero flow rate and Class B at 1gpm flow rate, necessitating multiple sleeve overlays, which are bulky and costly.
Innovation Solution
A single wall textile sleeve constructed with basalt, silica, or ceramic yarn, coated with a silicone rubber composition containing a 2:3 ratio of zinc borate to magnesium hydroxide, providing fire protection by forming an insulating char layer and absorbing heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple textile sleeves are overlaid to meet fire resistance requirements, then fire protection performance is improved, but device complexity and bulkiness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fire protection functions into a single textile sleeve by integrating a fire-resistant base layer with a specialized fire-retardant coating layer. This merging of functions allows the single sleeve to achieve the fire protection performance that previously required multiple overlaid sleeves, thereby reducing device complexity and bulkiness while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining a fiberglass or basalt fiber base fabric with a silicone rubber coating containing fire-retardant additives. This composite structure integrates the heat resistance of the base fabric with the fire-retardant properties of the coating, enabling a single sleeve to meet stringent fire protection standards without requiring multiple layers
2Reliability
If multiple textile sleeves are overlaid to meet fire resistance requirements, then fire protection performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple protective functions into a single integrated sleeve structure, eliminating the need to manufacture and assemble multiple separate sleeves. This consolidation reduces manufacturing steps, material handling, and assembly costs while achieving the required fire protection performance through the combined base fabric and coating system
Solution Approach 2:
The composite construction allows for cost-effective manufacturing by using a relatively inexpensive base fabric that provides structural integrity and heat resistance, combined with a functional coating layer that delivers fire-retardant properties. This division of functions between base and coating materials optimizes material costs while meeting performance requirements
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 meets AS 1055 Class A protection at zero flow rate and Class B protection at 1gpm flow rate, offering a low-profile, cost-effective alternative to multiple sleeve overlays.
Implementation Method 1
a flame retardant additive is mixed with the silicone rubber to form a coating composition. The flame retardant additive consists of zinc borate and magnesium hydroxide
Implementation Method 2
providing fire protection by forming an insulating char layer and absorbing heat
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
AI summary
A textile sleeve (10) constructed in accordance with one aspect of the invention provides fire protection to an oil or fuel fluid conveying conduit and meets the AS 1055 Class A protection requirements at a zero flow rate and the AS 1055 Class B protection requirements at a zero flow rate. The textile sleeve includes a single tubular textile wall (14) formed from at least one of the group consisting of basalt, silica, ceramic and fiberglass yarn. The wall has an outer surface (18) and an inner surface (20) bounding a cavity (22) sized for receipt of the fluid conveying conduit (12). A coating of silicone rubber is adhered to the outer surface of the wall, and a flame retardant additive is mixed with the silicone rubber to form a coating composition. The flame retardant additive is selected from the group consisting of at least one of zinc borate, magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide.