Modular Variable Spring Hydraulic Loading Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support systems for large thermal loads in facilities like nuclear power plants and chemical plants face impracticality in loading and unloading heavy loads above 100,000 lb, as manual manipulation of parallel spring configurations becomes impossible due to high spring rates and coil numbers.
Innovation Solution
A modular parallel spring system with M×N springs, an auxiliary hydraulic mechanism for pre-loading each module to a fraction of the total load, and an integrated hydraulic jack system to transfer the load, allowing for efficient loading and unloading of heavy loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If manual manipulation of heavy duty load bearing nuts is used to load and unload parallel spring configurations, then the system can support loads up to approximately 100,000 lb, but above this load range the high spring rate and number of spring coils make it practically impossible to load and unload manually
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulic jacks activated by a single pump to replace manual manipulation for loading and unloading the parallel spring configuration. The hydraulic system provides mechanical advantage through fluid pressure, enabling the handling of loads exceeding 100,000 lb that would be impossible to manipulate manually. The hydraulic jacks are positioned to work in conjunction with the load bearing nuts, transferring force efficiently to compress or decompress the spring assembly.
2Force
If multiple parallel springs are configured to support large loads, then the load capacity increases beyond 100,000 lb, but the spring rate and number of spring coils make it practically impossible to load and unload manually
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic jack system serves as an intermediary mechanism between the operator and the complex parallel spring configuration. Rather than directly manipulating the multiple springs and load bearing nuts, the hydraulic system mediates the force application, simplifying the interaction with the complex spring assembly. The single pump controls multiple hydraulic jacks that simultaneously or sequentially adjust the spring configuration.
3Device complexity
If a single spring is used for variable spring support, then the system is simple, but as load requirements increase it becomes impractical to use a single spring to support large loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single spring system into multiple parallel spring segments to increase load capacity. Instead of relying on one spring to handle all loads, the system segments the support function across multiple springs working in parallel. This segmentation allows each spring to handle a portion of the total load, enabling the system to support loads that would exceed the capacity of a single spring while maintaining manageable individual spring rates.
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 the safe and efficient handling of large loads by distributing the load evenly through hydraulic jacks, reducing manual labor and preventing spring over-compression, while maintaining the Variability Factor below 0.25 and ensuring maximum deflection criteria are met.
Implementation Method 1
an auxiliary hydraulic mechanism which aids in the pre-loading of each module to its fraction (1/M) of the total load; (c) An integrated hydraulic jack system used to facilitate in transferring the total load from the LLVS to the supported load
Implementation Method 2
the deflection due to thermal loading of the system is accommodated by the compression/decompression of coil springs
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for supporting heavy load is developed which consists of parallel spring sets in a M×N matrix, where M is the number of Modules and N is the number of spring sets in each module. Each spring set may be comprised of a single coil or multiple coils in series. Each module is pre-compressed to the design installation load employing hydraulic jacks working in parallel by a single pump.