Propellant Test Confinement Chamber with Controlled Gas Leak Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing propellant powders face challenges in containing and treating combustion gases efficiently, particularly due to high flow rates and limited confinement volumes, which hinder the use of modern depollution processes and pose safety risks during large-scale tests.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sealed confinement chamber connected to a gas processing unit via controllable gas supply means, allowing for calibrated gas extraction and dilution with atmospheric air, enabling deferred treatment of pollutants and optimized gas treatment unit sizing, with features like a concrete enclosure, explosion vents, and controlled pressure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tests are carried out in the open air, then the test setup is simple, but the combustion gases pollute the environment and cannot be recovered or treated
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the test enclosure from the treatment facility, allowing the combustion test to occur in a contained space while the gas treatment operates as a distinct, optimized process. This segmentation enables both containment of pollutants and simplified operational procedures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tests are carried out in a confined environment, then the combustion gases can be recovered and treated, but the confinement volume is limited to a few cubic meters
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the gas treatment process from the confinement space by using a controlled leak system. The combustion gases are generated in a large enclosure, then selectively extracted through controlled leakage to a separate treatment facility. This allows the confinement volume to be large while the treatment unit remains optimized for smaller, manageable flow rates.
3Productivity
If continuous treatment methods are used for high flow rates of combustion gases, then the pollutants can be treated continuously, but the gas treatment unit must be oversized making modern catalytic processes difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic extraction of combustion gases through a controlled leak system rather than continuous high-volume treatment. The enclosure allows temporary accumulation of gases at controlled pressure, then releases them in manageable quantities to the treatment unit. This periodic action enables the use of compact, cost-effective catalytic treatment processes while still achieving continuous overall treatment capability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a large confinement volume is used for large-scale tests, then tests on functional assemblies of large size can be performed, but the pressure control and gas extraction become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The controlled leak system acts as an intermediary between the large confinement enclosure and the treatment facility. It provides automated pressure control by allowing gases to escape at a regulated rate, maintaining safe pressure levels within the enclosure while enabling extraction of combustion products. This intermediary mechanism simplifies operation of large-scale test facilities.
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 system effectively contains combustion releases, ensures safety during tests, and enables efficient operation of modern depollution processes, overcoming flow rate constraints and allowing for large-scale testing of propellant devices while minimizing environmental pollution.
Implementation Method 1
the confinement enclosure is placed under overpressure during test
Implementation Method 2
mixing said gases with an air flow at atmospheric pressure performing a dilution of said gases
Implementation Method 3
the enclosure and the gas processing unit being connected by controllable gas supply means in the form of a controlled leak so as to extract a calibrated flow of gas from the tests from the enclosure
Implementation Method 4
these supply means comprising a motorized and remote-controlled opening mechanism adapted to compensate for the pressure of the enclosure during the extraction of gas produced by the gas treatment unit
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a system and to a method for testing devices using powders such as propellants. The system is suitable for performing tests on functional subunits and includes a confining chamber (1) provided with a means for sealing said chamber and a gas-treatment unit (6), the chamber and the gas-treatment unit being connected by a controllable gas-conveying means (5, 7, 8) in the form of a controlled leak so as to extract a gauged flow of gas from the tests of the chamber (1) to the treatment unit (6).