FRP Insulated Container Design for Long-Term Liquid Helium Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated containers for storing liquid helium used in magnetoencephalography devices suffer from insufficient thermal insulation, leading to increased evaporation and frequent replenishment needs, disrupting continuous device operation.
Innovation Solution
An insulated container design featuring inner and outer containers made of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) with spiral-wound fibers forming angles of 50 to 89 degrees, along with a vacuum-sealed cavity, to minimize heat conduction and retain refrigerants like liquid helium for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a support cylindrical body is used to support the inner container, then structural support is provided, but heat conduction from outside to inner container increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the solid support cylindrical body with thin film support members that extend from the outer container to support the inner container. These thin films provide necessary structural support while minimizing heat conduction pathways, effectively resolving the contradiction between structural strength and thermal insulation.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fiber reinforced plastics are used for the inner container, then manufacturing is simplified, but thermal insulation is insufficient leading to refrigerant evaporation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fiber reinforced plastic composite materials for both the inner and outer containers. This composite structure maintains ease of manufacture while significantly improving thermal insulation performance, preventing refrigerant evaporation and ensuring reliable long-term operation.
3Loss of energy
If the cavity between inner and outer containers is vacuum sealed, then thermal insulation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin film support members that create and maintain the vacuum sealed cavity between inner and outer containers. This approach achieves effective thermal insulation through vacuum sealing while keeping the structure relatively simple through the use of flexible thin films rather than complex rigid support structures.
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 effectively reduces heat conduction, allowing for prolonged storage of refrigerants and uninterrupted operation of magnetoencephalography and magnetospinography devices.
Implementation Method 1
a cavity between the inner container and the outer container is kept in a vacuum state
Implementation Method 2
fibers constituting the refrigerant injection pipe are wound in a spiral manner in an axial direction of the refrigerant injection pipe
Implementation Method 3
The measurement device measures weak magnetic fields (one billionth of the earth magnetic field) generated in the brain, using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that makes use of Josephson effect
Implementation Method 4
Since the SQUID uses the superconductivity principle, the SQUID is required to be dipped in a refrigerant, such as liquid helium at -269°C (4.2 K)
Data Source
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AI summary
An insulated container 10 includes an inner container 11 and an outer container 14 surrounding the inner container 11 with a cavity 15 interposed therebetween. The inner container 11 and the outer container 14 are formed of fiber reinforced plastics in which fibers are impregnated with resin. The inner container 11 includes a bottomed cylindrical container 13 to store a refrigerant 16 and a refrigerant injection pipe 12 attached to the cylindrical container 13. Fibers constituting the refrigerant injection pipe 12 are wound in a spiral manner in the axial direction of the refrigerant injection pipe 12. The insulated container 10 as described above can store a refrigerant for a long time and can be used as an insulated container of a magnetoencephalograph.