Polymeric Rupture Disk with Weakened Region for Low Burst Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rupture disks face challenges in achieving lower threshold rupture pressures, especially as their size decreases, and they must be durable to maintain pressure integrity over time, particularly in environments with cyclic pressure differentials, while also being cost-effective to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A rupture disk system with a polymeric layer having a weakened region of reduced thickness, coupled to a housing with a support layer and adhesive, where the polymeric layer can be breathable or non-breathable PTFE, and the disk is designed with specific thickness and adhesive configurations to achieve a low threshold rupture pressure and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the size of the rupture disk is decreased, then the device becomes more compact and suitable for small enclosures, but achieving lower threshold rupture pressure becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rupture disk incorporates a weakened region with reduced thickness (second thickness less than first thickness) in specific areas, creating localized zones of lower strength. This allows the disk to rupture at lower pressures in the weakened region while maintaining adequate thickness in other areas, enabling small size while achieving low threshold rupture pressure through non-uniform thickness distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The rupture disk is divided into distinct regions: an unweakened region with greater thickness for structural integrity and a weakened region with reduced thickness for controlled rupture. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to serve different functions - the unweakened region maintains disk integrity before rupture while the weakened region enables low-pressure failure, resolving the contradiction between small size and low rupture pressure.
2Stress or pressure
If the polymeric layer is made thinner to achieve lower rupture pressure, then the threshold rupture pressure decreases, but the durability and resistance to pressure cycling deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric layer employs non-uniform thickness with a weakened region (second thickness) that is thinner than the unweakened region (first thickness). The weakened region is specifically designed to fail at the threshold rupture pressure, while the thicker unweakened region provides structural support and durability during pressure cycling. This local quality variation allows the thin weakened region to enable low rupture pressure while the thick unweakened region maintains reliability under repeated pressure cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymeric layer is segmented into functional zones: a weakened region that serves as the failure point for pressure relief and an unweakened region that provides mechanical strength and durability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different thicknesses to different functional requirements - the weakened region enables low threshold rupture pressure while the unweakened region ensures durability during pressure cycling before failure occurs.
3Manufacturing precision
If precision manufacturing operations like etching or lasing are used to create lines of weakness, then the rupture pressure can be precisely controlled, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls rupture pressure by varying the thickness parameter of the polymeric layer rather than relying on precision etching or lasing operations. The weakened region is created with reduced thickness (second thickness less than first thickness), and this thickness parameter can be controlled during molding or forming processes. This parameter-based approach achieves precise rupture pressure control through material selection and forming process control, avoiding the need for expensive precision manufacturing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive precision manufacturing operations (etching, lasing) with more economical methods of creating the weakened region. The thickness variation can be achieved through cost-effective molding, forming, or material deposition techniques during the primary manufacturing process. This substitution of manufacturing methods reduces production costs while maintaining the ability to control rupture pressure through thickness parameter control, making the solution economically viable for various applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A rupture disk system has a housing defining a central axis, a first axial end defining an axial opening and a second axial end. An airflow pathway extends from the first axial end facing towards the second axial end. A sealing surface is defined about the airflow pathway towards the first axial end. A shield extends across the airflow pathway on the second axial end. Radial openings are defined around the central axis, where the radial openings are positioned between the first and the second axial ends, such that the airflow pathway extends from the axial opening to the radial openings. A rupture disk is coupled to the housing across the airflow pathway. The rupture disk has a polymeric layer. The rupture disk has an unweakened region having a first thickness and a weakened region having a second thickness. A threshold rupture pressure is defined by the weakened region.