Metal Powder Coating on Multi-Walled Pipe for Superconducting Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal-insulated multi-walled pipes for superconducting power transmission face challenges in preventing external heat intrusion due to radiation, particularly during welding and site repairs, as metal coatings require large-scale production lines and are prone to damage or loss of heat insulation properties.
Innovation Solution
A coating layer containing metal powder is applied to the surfaces of the pipes, reducing emissivity and enhancing thermal insulation without the need for superinsulation, allowing for easy production and site repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If superinsulation (multilayer insulation) is used to prevent heat intrusion due to radiation, then thermal insulation property is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to fire hazard during welding/cutting and increased decompression time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive and problematic superinsulation material with a simpler, more manageable metal coating that can be applied as a thin layer. This coating serves the same thermal radiation reflection function but without the fire hazard and decompression issues, effectively using a simpler substitute material to resolve the contradiction between insulation performance and manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from organic multilayer superinsulation to inorganic metal coating, fundamentally altering the material properties to eliminate fire resistance requirements and reduce decompression time while maintaining the thermal radiation barrier function
2Reliability
If metal coating is applied to prevent heat intrusion due to radiation, then thermal insulation property is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirement of large-scale production line
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a thin film metal coating on the pipe surface instead of requiring thick superinsulation layers or complex multi-layer structures. This thin coating approach maintains thermal insulation effectiveness while simplifying the overall device structure and eliminating the need for large-scale production facilities
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining the base pipe material with a thin metal coating layer, creating a functionally integrated solution that provides both structural integrity and thermal radiation protection without requiring separate complex insulation systems
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 metal powder coating effectively reduces external heat intrusion through radiation, improving thermal insulation properties while being simpler to produce and repair than conventional metal coatings, maintaining performance even at welds.
Implementation Method 1
a coating layer containing a metal powder is provided at a surface of at least one of the plurality of straight pipes... emissivity (radiation factor) can be reduced, and the thermal insulation property can be improved
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission that highly prevents intrusion of external heat due to radiation and has excellent thermal insulation property without using a superinsulation and can be produced easily. A thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission comprises: a superconducting cable; and a multi-walled pipe that houses the superconducting cable, wherein the multi-walled pipe is composed of a plurality of straight pipes, and at least one of the plurality of straight pipes has, at a surface thereof, a coating layer containing a metal powder.