Pallet Container Heat-Resistant Corner Foot Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Composite pallets with plastics-material corner feet used in UL-IBCs (Uniform Large Industrial Containers) face instability and risk of toppling during long-lasting fires due to heat-induced softening and burning of these feet, compromising the stability and safety of stacked containers.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a heat-resistant support element within the plastics-material corner feet, made from materials like steel-sheet strips, which are crimped and bent to form a hollow tubular structure, providing vertical compression support without external stress on the corner feet, thus maintaining stability even under thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastics-material corner feet are used in composite pallets, then ease of manufacture and cost are improved, but stability and fire resistance deteriorate during long-lasting fires due to heat-induced softening and burning
Solution Approach 1:
The corner foot is constructed as a composite structure combining plastics material (for ease of manufacture and cost-effectiveness) with a heat-resistant support element made of metal or heat-resistant material (for stability during fire). This composite design allows the plastics material to provide manufacturing advantages while the heat-resistant element maintains structural integrity under thermal stress, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and fire-resistant stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastics-material corner feet are used, then cost and manufacturing simplicity are improved, but flame resistance duration deteriorates to less than 25 minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The corner foot integrates plastics material with a heat-resistant support element to achieve both manufacturing simplicity and extended flame resistance duration of at least 25 minutes
Solution Approach 2:
The support element changes the thermal parameters of the corner foot by providing high heat resistance, allowing the overall structure to withstand fire conditions for at least 25 minutes while maintaining the manufacturing advantages of the plastics material component
3Reliability
If additional electrical discharge devices are installed, then electrical charge dissipation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-resistant support element serves multiple functions: it provides structural stability during fire, acts as a thermal barrier, and simultaneously functions as an electrical discharge device. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate electrical discharge components, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability for both fire resistance and electrical charge dissipation.
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 solution ensures that the pallet containers maintain load stability and prevent toppling during fires, extending the duration of flame resistance to at least 25 minutes, while also eliminating the need for additional electrical discharge devices.
Implementation Method 1
the plastics-material internal container within the tubular lattice frame is enclosed by a fire-protection insulation mat
Implementation Method 2
said support element transmits high compression forces in the vertical direction, even at a high thermal stress
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet container for storing and transporting in particular flammable or easily ignitable liquid filling materials has a composite base plate, a thin-walled rigid internal container made from a thermoplastic plastics material, a tubular lattice frame that as a supporting jacket tightly encloses the plastics-material internal container, and a base pallet on which the plastics-material container bears and to which the tubular lattice frame is fixedly connected. The plastics-material internal container is on all sides enclosed by a fire-protection insulation mat. The composite base pallet is equipped with a heat-resistant support element for maintaining the resistance thereof in the case of heat acting thereon over a comparatively long period at each plastics-material corner foot.