Granule Filling Device with Triangular Support Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fragile granules face fragmentation issues when filling elongated vertical containers due to excessive drop height, and existing fall retarding devices are prone to angular deviation and tilting, leading to preferential passages and increased breakage risks.
Innovation Solution
A device with enhanced stability, featuring three non-coplanar parallel vertical supports and flexible intermediate supports, including spiral springs and radial elements, to maintain the orientation of fall retarding elements and distribute the impact of falling granules across multiple directions, preventing angular deviation and tilting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If fall retarding elements are installed inside the container to reduce drop height, then granule fragmentation is reduced, but the support elements are prone to angular deviation and tilting causing preferential passages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single vertical support to three non-coplanar vertical supports, adding spatial dimensions to the support structure. This triangular arrangement in three-dimensional space provides mutual bracing and prevents angular deviation of the support elements, thereby stabilizing the fall retarding elements' positions while maintaining their granule protection function
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are pre-fixed to multiple vertical supports at predetermined positions before the granule filling process begins. This preliminary fixation ensures that the fall retarding elements are already in their correct positions and orientations, preventing any angular deviation or tilting that could create preferential passages during the filling operation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If support elements are made flexible to absorb impact forces, then granule breakage is reduced, but positional stability and orientation control are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple independent vertical supports (three non-coplanar supports) rather than a single continuous flexible element. Each vertical support independently absorbs and distributes impact forces, providing both flexibility for shock absorption and rigid positional control to maintain orientation stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines rigid vertical supports with strategically positioned fall retarding elements to create a composite structure. The vertical supports provide rigid positional stability and orientation control, while the fall retarding elements (such as radial elements or spiral springs) provide the necessary flexibility and shock absorption to protect granules from breakage
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 device effectively reduces the risk of granule fragmentation by ensuring stable positioning of fall retarding elements, allowing for efficient filling of tubular reactors and other containers with minimal breakage, even under large inertial forces.
Implementation Method 1
flexible intermediate supports, including spiral springs and radial elements, to maintain the orientation of fall retarding elements and distribute the impact of falling granules
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for filling a vertical elongate container (2) with granules, the container comprising elements (10) for slowing the fall of the granules, which elements are intended to be distributed vertically inside the container by means of elements (6) that support these fall-slowing elements (10, 20, 30), these supporting elements (6) being fixed along a first support that extends vertically and that is called the first vertical support (4A), in which device (1) the supporting elements (6) are also fixed along a second support that extends vertically and that is called the second vertical support (4B). The invention may especially be used in chemistry to fill a tubular reactor with catalyst, especially for vapour reforming.