Reverse Buckling Rupture Disc Knuckle for Low Head Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reverse buckling rupture discs face issues with fragmentation and high flow resistance after activation, leading to potential over-pressurization and equipment damage due to existing designs that fail to effectively catch and stabilize the buckling disc.
Innovation Solution
A knuckle design is integrated into the rupture disc assembly, featuring a crown with a specific radius, curved wings, and a draft angle, which helps the disc curl into the throughbore and reduces flow resistance by creating smooth geometry transitions, preventing fragmentation and minimizing head loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional rupture disc design is used without a knuckle support structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the rupture disc fragments upon activation causing harmful effects and equipment damage
Solution Approach 1:
A knuckle support structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the rupture disc and the outlet body. The knuckle includes a crown with a crown radius and curved wings that interact with the rupture disc during activation, catching and stabilizing it to prevent fragmentation while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The knuckle incorporates a crown with a crown radius and curved wings that guide the rupture disc through a controlled curvature path during activation. This spherical/curved geometry enables the disc to buckle and curl smoothly into the throughbore without sharp fragmentation, resolving the contradiction between reliability and structural complexity
2Reliability
If the knuckle protrudes significantly past the first plane to effectively catch the rupture disc, then the prevention of fragmentation is improved, but the flow resistance increases due to geometry disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The knuckle's crown and curved wings create smooth transitional surfaces that guide the rupture disc through a curved path into the throughbore. This curved geometry minimizes flow disruptions and head loss while maintaining effective stabilization, resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy loss
Solution Approach 2:
The crown radius and curved wing geometry are optimized to balance two competing requirements: protruding sufficiently to catch and stabilize the rupture disc effectively, while maintaining smooth flow paths to minimize head loss. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between stabilization effectiveness and flow resistance
3Reliability
If the crown radius is increased to improve the catching mechanism, then the prevention of fragmentation is improved, but the device dimensions and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The crown radius is optimized to the minimum effective size needed to catch and stabilize the rupture disc during activation. This parameter optimization ensures effective fragmentation prevention while minimizing the knuckle's volume and overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The knuckle is designed with segmented functional zones: a crown region for catching and stabilizing the rupture disc, and curved wings for guiding it into the throughbore. This segmentation allows each zone to be minimized in size while performing its specific function, resolving the contradiction between catching effectiveness and volume
Data Source
AI summary
A knuckle and support structure for a reverse buckling rupture disc is described.