Pressure Vessel Interior Cladding With Preformed Lining Fusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for cladding the interiors of pressure vessels are time-consuming, often taking over 1000 hours due to the slow deposition rate of the cladding material during the welding process, which limits the efficiency of the cladding process.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the use of a lining that conforms to the interior geometry of the pressure vessel component, pressed past its yield strength using a pressing device, and then fused to the component using techniques such as laser welding, arc welding, or electron beam welding, to accelerate the cladding process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the cladding material is deposited during the welding process, then the cladding layer is fused to the parent material, but the deposition rate is slow which limits the cladding speed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecladding fusion qualityVSAvoidcladding speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding process is divided into two independent stages: first, the lining is formed separately (by extrusion, rolling, or drawing) to achieve high production speed; second, the pre-formed lining is fused to the pressure vessel component using welding or thermal spraying. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, resolving the contradiction between fusion quality and cladding speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lining is prepared in advance as a pre-formed component with the required geometry and material properties before being installed and fused to the pressure vessel. This preliminary formation allows the lining to be manufactured under optimized conditions separate from the fusion process, enabling faster overall production while maintaining fusion quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the lining is pressed into the component past the yield strength of the lining, then the lining conforms to the interior geometry, but the pressing process requires significant force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelining conformity to geometryVSAvoidpressing force
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The lining material's mechanical properties are modified through controlled plastic deformation during the pressing process. By applying force that exceeds the yield strength temporarily, the material undergoes permanent deformation to conform to the complex interior geometry, then stabilizes in the new shape. This parameter change allows precise geometric conformity without requiring continuously high forcing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the cladding process takes over 1000 hours, then the welding process can be completed thoroughly, but the production time is excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding completion qualityVSAvoidcladding time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The traditional slow mechanical welding deposition process is replaced with a combination of pre-formed lining installation and faster fusion methods such as thermal spraying or rapid welding techniques. This substitution maintains the thoroughness of the fusion bond while dramatically reducing the overall process time from over 1000 hours to a much shorter duration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This method significantly reduces the time required for cladding the interior of pressure vessels by allowing for faster and more efficient fusion of the lining to the component, potentially reducing the cladding time from thousands of hours to a more manageable duration.

Implementation Method 1

The lining is pressed into the component past the yield strength of the lining

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

The lining is then fused to the component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP3665413B1A method of cladding the interior of a component part of a pressure vessel and device for fusing a lining to it.
Publication Date: 2021.10.06 ROLLS ROYCE POWER ENG PLC
  • EP3665413B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3665413B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3665413B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Cladding of the interior of a component part of a pressure vessel is shown. A lining which conforms to at least a portion of the interior geometry of the component is positioned (303) in the interior of the component. The lining is then pressed (304) into the component past its yield strength. The lining is then fused (305) to the component.