Releasable Pressure Vessel Valve Assembly for Easier Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure vessel systems face challenges in terms of installation space efficiency, assembly ease, and maintenance, particularly with on-tank valves that are difficult to disassemble and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly for pressure vessels comprising a valve body and a connection component that can be fastened non-destructively, allowing the valve body to be easily removed and replaced, with a design that optimizes installation space and facilitates maintenance, including a flange connection and a pressure relief device for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the valve body is permanently fixed to the pressure vessel, then the assembly is structurally stable, but maintenance and replacement become difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is divided into separate components: a valve body and a connection component. The connection component remains permanently installed on the pressure vessel, while the valve body can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows easy maintenance of the valve body without affecting the structural stability of the pressure vessel connection.
2Ease of repair
If the on-tank valve is designed as a single integrated piece, then manufacturing is simpler, but maintenance requires complete disassembly and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into a valve body and a connection component with an adapter piece. The adapter piece serves as a permanent interface on the pressure vessel, while the valve body can be independently maintained or replaced, avoiding complete disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
An adapter piece acts as an intermediary component between the pressure vessel and the valve body. This adapter remains permanently installed on the pressure vessel and provides a standardized interface that simplifies valve body replacement while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If safety checks are performed only after complete assembly, then the assembly process is faster, but defect detection is less thorough
Solution Approach 1:
Safety checks are performed in preliminary stages during the assembly process rather than only after complete assembly. The valve assembly is designed to allow intermediate inspection points where critical components can be examined before final installation, ensuring defect detection without significantly delaying production.
4Ease of repair
If the valve assembly uses multiple separate components, then maintenance becomes easier, but assembly time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into modular components (valve body, connection component, adapter piece) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation enables easy maintenance while the modular design allows for standardized assembly procedures that reduce overall assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection component and adapter piece are designed as universal interfaces that can accommodate different valve body types. This multi-functionality allows the same connection component to work with various valve bodies, reducing the need for custom assembly procedures and minimizing assembly time.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly for installation on a pressure vessel has a valve body with a first fuel line and includes a connection component with a first portion and a second portion. The valve body is secured to the first portion in a non-destructively releasable manner, and the second portion is designed to protrude at least partly into the pressure vessel when the valve assembly is installed on the pressure vessel. A second fuel line formed in the connection component runs through the first and second portions and is designed to fluidically connect an inner region of the pressure vessel to the first fuel line when the valve assembly is installed on the pressure vessel. Also described is a pressure vessel system for a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle, and a method for producing the pressure vessel system.