Flexible Bulk Container with Integrated Mixing Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bulk transport systems for dry materials are inefficient and hazardous, requiring multiple containers to be opened and emptied for hydration, leading to costly and time-consuming processes, and pose challenges in transportation and disposal due to the need for specialized equipment that is expensive and limited to road use.
Innovation Solution
A flexible bulk container system with a collapsible liner assembly and material delivery system that allows for the introduction of a second material to dissolve, reduce viscosity, or reduce density of the first material within the container, enabling efficient mixing and transportation using a container assembly that can be transported by various means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If dry materials are shipped in flexible bulk containers to end-users for hydration, then transportation flexibility is improved, but handling complexity and safety risks increase due to multiple containers needing to be opened and emptied
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the bulk container into an outer container and an inner flexible liner assembly that can be independently handled. The liner assembly with integrated mixing chamber allows the dry material to be contained and mixed separately from the outer container, simplifying the handling process at the destination while maintaining transportation flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the containment function and mixing function into a single integrated liner assembly. The inner liner serves both as the bulk material container during transport and as the mixing chamber at the destination, eliminating the need to empty materials into separate mixing vessels and reducing handling steps.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If specialized tanker trucks with mixing equipment are used to dissolve dry material, then dissolution capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mixing chamber function from the outer container and implements it within the flexible liner assembly itself. The liner includes integrated jets and a mixing chamber that can be positioned within the outer container, allowing dissolution to occur within the liner rather than requiring the entire container system to be complex and specialized.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a flexible liner assembly made of thin film material that can be collapsed when empty and easily replaced. This flexible shell approach replaces the need for rigid, specialized tanker trucks with complex mixing equipment, achieving dissolution capability through a simpler, more adaptable structure.
3Productivity
If tanker trucks are returned empty to the dispenser, then system reusability is improved, but transportation cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner assembly is designed to be dynamic - it can be collapsed into a compact form when empty and easily repositioned. This allows the liner to be folded back into the outer container or quickly replaced, enabling the outer container to be immediately reused for the next shipment without requiring the entire system to return empty to the dispenser.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the disposable/replaceable liner assembly from the reusable outer container. After the liner is emptied and cleaned, it can be discarded or easily replaced, while the outer container is recovered and reused for the next shipment, eliminating the need to return the entire system empty to the dispenser.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If hazardous dry materials are moved from container to vat, then dissolution is achieved, but safety risks and disposal costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The containment and mixing functions are merged into the liner assembly, allowing hazardous materials to remain contained within the liner throughout the entire process from transport to dissolution. This eliminates the need to transfer hazardous materials to external vats, reducing exposure risks to operators while maintaining dissolution efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner assembly serves as an intermediary between the outer container and the dissolution process. Hazardous materials are contained within the liner, which can be positioned within the outer container during transport and then used as the mixing chamber at the destination, eliminating direct handling of hazardous materials and reducing safety risks.
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 system reduces handling and transportation costs, enhances safety by minimizing hazardous material handling, and allows for the reuse of the liner assembly, facilitating the transportation of hazardous materials like sodium cyanide in a stable solid form that can be converted to a liquid at the destination.
Implementation Method 1
supplying the cavity with a second material through the material delivery system assembly; dissolving, reducing in density, or reducing the viscosity of the first material by contacting with the second material to form a resulting material
Implementation Method 2
venting air and gas through the vent of the flexible bulk container
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible bulk container capable of transporting a first material and introducing a second material for mixing therewithin is disclosed wherein 1) said container can comprise a component of a bulk transport system further comprising a container assembly, and 2) said container includes a body defining a cavity, at least one opening, at least one vent, and a material delivery system assembly wherein a) the body is flexible and capable of positioning within the container assembly, b) the opening provides communication with the cavity, and c) the material delivery system assembly comprises at least one manifold, a portion of which is positioned within the cavity of the flexible bulk container, and said manifold includes a shell, an interior region, an inlet accessible from outside of the cavity of the flexible bulk container and at least one passageway extending from the internal region, through the shell, to, in turn, place the interior of the manifold in communication with the cavity.