Flame Arrester With Removable Weather Hood
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional end-of-line (EOL) flame arresters face challenges with maintenance and inspection due to hidden flame arrester elements, susceptibility to blockages, and inefficient gas flow distribution, leading to potential catastrophic equipment damage and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A flame arrester design with a reversed principal flow axis and a housing that surrounds the conduit, allowing for improved flow distribution and visibility during maintenance, incorporating features like particulate traps, liquid drains, and cleaning nozzles to prevent blockages and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flame arrester element is protected by a weather hood, then the flame arrester element is shielded from atmospheric contaminants, but the flame arrester element becomes invisible and inaccessible for visual inspection and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The flame arrester is divided into separable components: a removable weather hood and a fixed flame arrester element. The weather hood can be detached to allow visual inspection and maintenance of the flame arrester element, while providing protection during normal operation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing the protective function and inspection function to be performed at different times through component separation.
2Reliability
If the flame arrester is installed vertically to prevent ingress of precipitation and airborne solids, then blockage is reduced, but the external face of the flame arrester element remains obscured from sight
Solution Approach 1:
The weather hood is designed as a removable segment that can be taken off to expose the flame arrester element for inspection. This allows the device to maintain vertical installation for blockage resistance while enabling visibility when needed through component removal.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the flame arrester element itself visible through transparent materials or other means, the solution inverts the approach by making the protective hood removable, thereby allowing inspection when required while maintaining protection during operation.
3Ease of operation
If a goose-neck connection is used to make the flame arrester visible and accessible, then inspection is improved, but gas flow distribution becomes poor and pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The removable weather hood provides inspection accessibility without requiring a goose-neck connection. By separating the protective function from the flow path geometry, the solution avoids the flow distribution problems and pressure drop associated with angled connections while still enabling maintenance access.
4Reliability
If the flame arrester element is hidden by a weather hood, then protection from atmospheric contaminants is provided, but maintenance and visual inspection become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The weather hood is designed as a removable component that can be easily detached to allow visual inspection and maintenance of the flame arrester element. This segmentation enables both protection during operation and easy access during maintenance, resolving the contradiction between protection and maintainability.
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 design enhances maintenance accessibility, reduces downtime, and improves flow distribution, ensuring effective flame arrestment while preventing blockages and contamination, thus protecting equipment from explosions and ensuring safer operation.
Implementation Method 1
A flame arrester comprises a flame arrester element which is constructed from a porous matrix... The flame arrester element is designed principally to prevent flame transmission in the event of an explosion
Implementation Method 2
The flame arrester element is designed principally to prevent flame transmission in the event of an explosion
Implementation Method 3
A flame arrester design with a reversed principal flow axis and a housing that surrounds the conduit, allowing for improved flow distribution
Implementation Method 4
incorporating features like particulate traps
Implementation Method 5
incorporating features like particulate traps
Implementation Method 6
incorporating features like liquid drains
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2~9
Figure 10~12
AI summary
A flame arrester (15; 16; 17; 18), the flame arrester (15; 16; 17; 18) comprises a housing (150; 160; 170; 180) in which is located a flame arrester element (153; 163; 173; 183), the housing (150; 160; 170; 180) having a first end wall (156; 166; 176; 186) and a second end wall, a flow volume (152c; 162c; 172c; 182c) being defined between the flame arrester element (153; 163; 173; 183) and the first end wall (156; 166; 176; 186), and a manifold (157; 167; 177; 187) being provided between and/or extending from the flame arrester element (153; 163; 173; 183) and/or to the second end wall, the manifold (157; 167; 177; 187) comprising a first passageway (158; 168; 178; 188) and a second passageway (159; 169; 179; 189), the first passageway (158; 168; 178; 188) being fluidly connected with the manifold (157; 167; 177; 187) and the second passageway (159; 169; 179; 189) being fluidly connected to the flow volume (152c; 162c; 172c; 182c) via a conduit (151; 161; 171; 181) and along at least a portion of the conduit (151; 161; 171; 181) the conduit (151; 161; 171; 181) is surrounded by the flame arrester element (153; 163; 173; 183).