Floating Roof Seal Coupling Assembly for Vapor Barrier Fabric
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing floating roof seal systems for storage tanks face challenges such as increased installation time due to tight clearance and stress concentrations in the vapor barrier fabric caused by fasteners, leading to potential vapor leakage and premature fabric failure.
Innovation Solution
A floating roof seal system that uses a vapor barrier fabric secured without fasteners through a coupling assembly with resilient clips and brackets, allowing for easier installation and reduced stress on the fabric, while maintaining a fluid seal between the floating roof and the tank wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fasteners are installed directly through the vapor barrier fabric to secure it in place, then the vapor barrier fabric is effectively secured and sealed, but stress concentrations and holes are created in the fabric, increasing the likelihood of vapor leakage and premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
A foam board intermediary is introduced between the vapor barrier fabric and the fasteners. The foam board receives the fasteners and distributes the stress, preventing direct penetration of the fabric. This intermediary element allows the fasteners to secure the assembly while protecting the fabric from stress concentrations and hole creation, thereby maintaining both sealing effectiveness and fabric integrity
2Reliability
If thousands of fasteners are installed to secure the vapor barrier fabric in tight clearance areas, then effective sealing is achieved, but installation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fastening functions are merged into a single foam board component. Instead of installing thousands of individual fasteners through the fabric, the foam board is installed as one unit that provides comprehensive securing and sealing functionality across the entire vapor barrier assembly, dramatically reducing installation time while maintaining sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The foam board serves as an intermediary that consolidates multiple fastening points into a single installable component. This intermediary allows the vapor barrier fabric to be secured effectively without requiring numerous individual fastener installations, thereby reducing installation time while achieving the desired sealing
3Ease of operation
If fasteners are used to secure the vapor barrier fabric, then the fabric is held in place, but holes are created that weaken the fabric and increase vapor leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The foam board acts as an intermediary element that receives fasteners and transfers the securing force to the vapor barrier fabric without creating penetrating holes. This maintains the fabric's continuous barrier properties while still achieving effective securement, thereby preventing vapor leakage while maintaining ease of installation
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system for a petroleum product and related methods includes a floating roof seal having a vapor barrier and a coupling assembly. The coupling assembly includes a barrier securement and a shoe mount bracket for securing to a shoe plate. The barrier securement has a securement body and a resilient portion biased toward a clamp position and configured to selectively deflect relative to the securement body from the clamp position to an installation position. The barrier securement with the resilient portion in the installation position is configured to be received on the shoe mount bracket such that the barrier portion is positioned between the barrier securement and the shoe mount bracket. The barrier securement with the resilient portion in the clamp position is configured to compress the barrier portion against the shoe mount bracket thereby fluidly sealing the barrier portion between the shoe mount bracket and the barrier securement.