Insulating Insert for Sealed Tank Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermally insulating tank designs face challenges in ensuring continuous insulation due to insulating seals that fail to optimally fill inter-panel spaces, leading to convection phenomena and compromised insulation characteristics, especially when the tank is cooled.
Innovation Solution
A thermally insulating tank wall design featuring an insulating insert with a layered glass wool core covered by a wrapper, where the glass wool's direction of layering is parallel to the width of the inter-panel space, allowing for easy compression and expansion to fill the space without generating voids, and a wrapper with a low coefficient of friction and thermal contraction matching the core, ensuring consistent insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flat insulating seal made of plastic film is used to fill the inter-panel space, then the inter-panel space can be filled during insertion, but thermal contraction of the plastic film at low temperatures creates voids that encourage convection phenomena
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic film to natural fiber insulation material (glass wool, rock wool, or cellulose). This material has a thermal contraction coefficient that matches the insulating panels, preventing void formation during thermal contraction and eliminating convection pathways while maintaining insulation continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite insulation material consisting of natural fibers (glass wool, rock wool, or cellulose) that combines the benefits of thermal insulation with matched thermal contraction properties. This composite material structure ensures both space filling and convection prevention without the drawbacks of plastic film.
2Device complexity
If traditional insulating seals are used, then the structure is simple, but they fail to optimally fill the inter-panel space and create spaces prone to convection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous natural fiber insulation material that can be compressed to fit into the inter-panel space and then expands to fill it completely. The porous structure allows for compression during insertion while maintaining insulation continuity and preventing convection when expanded in place.
3Ease of operation
If the insulating seal contracts more than the inter-panel space during cooling, then insertion is easy, but voids are created that deteriorate insulation characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal contraction parameter of the insulation material to match that of the insulating panels. This ensures that during cooling, the insulation material contracts at the same rate as the panels, preventing void formation and maintaining thermal insulation efficiency while still allowing for insertion.
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 provides continuous and effective thermal insulation by ensuring the insulating insert fills the inter-panel space reliably, preventing convection and maintaining insulation integrity across varying tank filling levels and temperature changes.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating insert (1) arranged in the inter-panel space (2) so as to fill said inter-panel space, said insulating insert comprising an insulating core (4) at least partially covered by a wrapper (5), at least a central portion of said insulating core comprising layered glass wool
Implementation Method 2
A suction system is used to create a vacuum pressure in said insulating insert so as to reduce the thickness of said insulating insert
Implementation Method 3
these flat insulating seals contract more than the inter-panel space in which they are housed and that this contraction results in a void separating the flat insulating seal from the faces of the panels
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a sealed and thermally insulating tank wall comprising a thermally insulating barrier defining a support surface for a sealing membrane, the thermally insulating barrier comprising two adjacent insulating panels jointly delimiting an inter-panel space, the tank wall further comprising an insulating insert arranged in the inter-panel space so as to fill the inter-panel space, the insulating insert comprising an insulating core at least partially covered by a wrapper, the insulating core comprising layered glass wool, the layered glass wool comprising laps of fibers superposed in a direction of layering, the insulating insert being arranged in the inter-panel space in such a way that the direction of layering of the layered glass wool is parallel to a widthwise direction of the inter-panel space.