Pipe Buffer Structure for Low-Friction Support and Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor fabrication facilities, fluid-transporting pipes experience friction-induced wear and breakage due to sagging, leading to fluid leakage and potential safety hazards, as they rub against support plates with high friction coefficients.
Innovation Solution
A buffer system is employed to support and elevate fluid-transporting pipes using low-friction materials and rollers, reducing direct contact with support plates, and an acoustic sensor monitors roller wear to alert for timely replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pipes are supported directly on support plates, then structural support is provided, but friction-induced wear and breakage occur
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer made of low-friction material (such as PTFE) is introduced as an intermediary between the pipe and the support plate. This buffer reduces the coefficient of friction from typically high values (0.3-0.6 for metal-on-metal or metal-on-concrete contact) to below 0.1, thereby minimizing friction-induced wear on the pipe while still providing necessary structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The coefficient of friction parameter is changed by replacing direct contact (high friction) with buffer-mediated contact (low friction). The buffer material is specifically selected to have a coefficient of friction less than 0.1, fundamentally altering the tribological parameters of the pipe-support interface to eliminate wear.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pipes sag and rub against support plates, then support is maintained, but fluid leakage and safety hazards occur
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer acts as a protective intermediary that prevents direct contact between the pipe and support plate, eliminating the mechanism (friction and wear) that leads to pipe breakage and subsequent fluid leakage, thereby preventing safety hazards.
3Force
If high-friction support plates are used, then structural support is provided, but pipe wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer serves as a mediator that transmits the support force from the support plate to the pipe while simultaneously reducing the friction force. The low-friction material allows the buffer to slide easily on the support plate, minimizing the friction component while maintaining vertical support.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction parameter is changed by introducing the buffer material with coefficient of friction less than 0.1, decoupling the support force function from the friction force. The buffer enables force transmission with minimal frictional resistance.
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 buffer system prolongs the lifespan of pipes and cables by minimizing friction-induced wear, reducing downtime and safety risks, and preventing fluid leaks.
Implementation Method 1
A buffer system is employed to support and elevate fluid-transporting pipes using low-friction materials and rollers, reducing direct contact with support plates
Implementation Method 2
an acoustic sensor monitors roller wear to alert for timely replacement
Data Source
AI summary
A buffer includes a base. The buffer further includes a plurality of fingers extending outwardly from the base. The plurality of fingers includes a first finger, wherein the first finger comprises a first protrusion extending from an end of the first finger distal from the base, and a second finger, wherein the second finger comprises a second protrusion extending from a top surface, and the first finger and the second finger define a first cavity for receiving a pipe.