Glove Box Decontaminating Column Online Adsorbent Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glove box decontaminating column replacement methods are inefficient, costly, and disrupt the internal atmosphere, leading to low efficiency, high manufacturing costs, and high maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A decontaminating column with a tank for filling adsorption material, a discharging part, and an open-close unit connected to a gas replacement unit, allowing for on-line replacement of saturated adsorption material without disrupting the glove box atmosphere.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If regeneration methods are used to directly conduct regeneration and recovery for the purification materials, then the adsorption material can be reused, but it will spend a long time and occupy the normal operating time which influences scientific research and production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The decontaminating column is divided into an upper column and a lower column that can be independently operated. The open-close unit separates the discharge function from the main column body, allowing one column to be replaced while the other continues operating, thus avoiding complete system shutdown and maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The open-close unit acts as an intermediary mechanism between the decontaminating column and the external environment. It enables selective discharge of adsorption material without opening the entire glove box, serving as a mediator that maintains atmospheric isolation while allowing material replacement.
2Productivity
If two or more decontaminating columns are prepared to achieve one-use and one backup, then the work efficiency of replacing decontaminating column is improved, but the manufacturing cost of the glove box is higher because the decontaminating column is the core part with large share
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between the upper and lower decontaminating columns based on their operational status. One column operates while the other is being replaced or regenerated, creating a dynamic backup system that improves efficiency without requiring both columns to be fully operational simultaneously, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower decontaminating column is prepared in advance as a backup before the upper column needs replacement. The quick-discharge mechanism allows the pre-prepared lower column to be activated immediately when the upper column requires maintenance, ensuring continuous operation without delaying for replacement procedures.
3Ease of operation
If the manufacturers directly replace the whole decontaminating column, then the replacement process is simplified, but they will dismantle the glove box with a higher maintenance cost and it will influence the atmosphere purity in the glove box because atmosphere replacement is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge function is extracted from the main decontaminating column and implemented as a separate open-close unit. This allows the adsorption material to be discharged and replaced without dismantling the entire glove box or decontaminating column structure, maintaining atmospheric purity while enabling simple replacement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The open-close unit serves as an intermediary that connects the internal decontaminating column system with the external replacement mechanism. It enables material discharge and column replacement without breaking the atmospheric seal of the glove box, thus avoiding the need for atmosphere replacement and reducing maintenance costs.
4Reliability
If the adsorption material is not replaced timely after saturation, then the decontaminating column structure remains intact, but it will influence the purification performance of decontaminating column
Solution Approach 1:
The decontaminating column is designed with self-service capabilities through the open-close unit that enables automatic or semi-automatic discharge of saturated adsorption material. The system monitors its own performance and can initiate the replacement process without external intervention, maintaining purification performance while managing replacement complexity internally.
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
Enables efficient, cost-effective replacement of adsorption material, preventing oxygen leakage and maintaining the glove box atmosphere, thus addressing inefficiencies and high costs associated with existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
gas replacement of the material bottles is conducted through gas replacement unit and chamber, and the replaced gas shall be consistent with the gas atmosphere in the chamber
Implementation Method 2
a tank having an inner volume being used for filling the adsorption material
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention discloses a decontaminating column for on-line replacing adsorption material, and it includes: a tank having an inner tank being used for filling the adsorption material, and one end of the tank being set to be opened; at least one discharging part is being attached to the tank, and an open-close unit by which the adsorption material can be discharged and which is installed between the discharging part and the tank. There is a chamber in the discharging part, which is connected to a gas replacement unit. At the same time, this invention also discloses a glove box. Compared with the existing technology, this invention effectively solves the problems of low efficiency, high manufacturing cost and high maintenance cost generated by decontaminating column replacement mode in the existing technology; In addition, when the decontaminating column is used in the glove box, replacing the adsorption material can ensure that the water oxygen in the glove box is prevented from leaking out and/or the water oxygen outside of the glove box is prevented from penetrating into the box.