Flexible Fluid Storage Tank With Modular Interlocking Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid storage tanks require strong, monolithic construction due to weight and ground conditions, making them difficult to assemble quickly and efficiently, especially in field applications like gas and oil drilling, where a flexible and tool-light assembly is needed.
Innovation Solution
A flexible fluid storage tank design featuring interlocking and sealing mechanisms, including pin and hook arrangements, gaskets, O-rings, and silicon welds, allowing for rapid assembly and disassembly without the need for precise welding, with panels that can be easily added or removed to adjust capacity and shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If monolithic construction is used to ensure strength and stability, then structural strength is improved, but assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is divided into multiple modular panels (floor panels, wall panels, end panels) that can be independently manufactured and transported. These segments are then assembled together using interlocking mechanisms, allowing the tank to be built from simple components into a strong monolithic structure without requiring complex assembly procedures for each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functions are combined into the interlocking and sealing means mechanism. The same component structure provides both mechanical connection (interlocking) and fluid sealing (sealing means), eliminating the need for separate fastening and sealing systems that would increase assembly complexity.
2Strength
If welding is used to join tank components, then structural strength is improved, but assembly time and tool requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The welding process is replaced with a mechanical interlocking system consisting of pins, hooks, and interlocking surfaces. This mechanical connection system achieves joint strength comparable to welding while allowing for rapid assembly and disassembly without requiring welding equipment or precise weld quality control, significantly reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection method transitions from thermal joining (welding) to mechanical joining (interlocking). This parameter change in the joining mechanism allows for tool-light assembly while maintaining structural integrity, as the mechanical interlocks provide immediate load-bearing capacity without the need for thermal processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed dimension liners are used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability and ease of assembly decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single fixed-dimension liner, the tank employs modular panels with standardized interlocking interfaces. This segmentation allows the same panel designs to be configured in multiple arrangements to create different tank shapes and sizes, providing both manufacturing simplicity and configuration adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking and sealing means is designed as a universal connection system that works across all panel types (floor, wall, end panels). This universal mechanism allows the same basic panel design to be assembled into various tank configurations and capacities by simply changing the number and arrangement of panels, eliminating the need for precision-machined liners for each configuration.
4Reliability
If traditional welding techniques are used, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of operation and mobility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The tank structure transitions from a static welded construction to a dynamic modular assembly. The mechanical interlocking connections allow the tank to be quickly assembled, disassembled, and reconfigured without compromising structural integrity. This dynamic capability enables easy mobility and adaptability to different field locations while maintaining the same level of structural reliability as welded construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible fluid storage tank and method for assembling, with specific emphasis on a system that may be field assembled with little or no tools, while preserving the flexibility of being tailored in size, shape and configuration to the user's needs with minimal customization and disassembly capabilities.