Flammable Substance Ventilation Purging Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing flammable substances in tank vehicles are costly and require maintenance, as they rely on sensors to monitor hazardous substance concentrations to prevent explosive atmospheres.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves ventilating the tank, calculating and maintaining a specific purging flow rate and time to dilute explosive vapors, and isolating the tank from the atmosphere to ensure safe operation without direct concentration measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are used to monitor hazardous substance concentrations, then safety is improved, but cost and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the measurement function from expensive concentration sensors and replaces it with a flow rate measurement approach. By measuring only the purging air flow rate and calculating explosive mixture flow rate from process parameters, the system eliminates the need for costly hazardous substance concentration sensors while maintaining safety monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces air flow rate measurement as an intermediary parameter to indirectly assess hazardous substance concentration. Instead of directly measuring explosive substance concentration, the system measures the flow rate of purging air and uses this intermediary data to calculate and monitor the concentration of explosive mixtures, thereby avoiding direct exposure to hazardous substances during measurement
2Measurement precision
If direct measurement of hazardous substance concentration is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical/optical sensor-based concentration measurement system with a flow rate measurement and calculation system. By using flow meters to measure purging air flow rate and applying mass balance calculations, the system achieves concentration determination without complex sensor hardware that directly interacts with hazardous substances
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a mathematical model that copies the relationship between purging air flow rate and explosive mixture concentration. Instead of directly measuring concentration, the system uses the established mass balance relationship to calculate concentration from the measured flow rate, effectively creating a virtual copy of the concentration data through calculation rather than direct sensing
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
This method effectively manages explosive mixtures by diluting vapors to non-hazardous concentrations, reducing costs and maintenance by eliminating the need for concentration sensors, ensuring safe tank operation and preventing explosive conditions.
Implementation Method 1
calculating an explosive mixture flow rate Q dan emitted in a liquid and/or solid phase by said flammable substances in contact with said volume to be ventilated Vv; actuating a pumping circuit for aspirating an intake flow rate Qp from said volume to be ventilated Vv; maintaining said intake flow rate Qp for a purging time tc
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for safely managing flammable substances contained in a transport vehicle (1), said vehicle (1) comprising at least one volume to be ventilated (Vv) susceptible of containing a mixture of explosive vapours or gases comprises the steps of: - putting the volume to be ventilated (Vv) into communication with the atmosphere; - calculating an explosive mixture flow rate (Qdan) emitted in a liquid and/or solid phase by the flammable substances in contact with the volume to be ventilated (Vv); - actuating a pumping circuit (20) for aspirating an intake flow rate (Qp) from the volume to be ventilated (Vv); - maintaining the intake flow rate (Qp) for a purging time (tc) depending on Vv, on a purging number higher than or equal to 10, on the intake flow rate (Qp) and on the explosive mixture flow rate (Qdan).