Segmented Capping Board With Spanning Contact Bar

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing capping boards in hydrometallurgical electrolytic cells are cumbersome to maintain and replace due to their one-piece structure, leading to high manufacturing and transportation costs and waste when local damage occurs.

Innovation Solution

The capping board is segmented into multiple segments with a joint interface and a contact bar that spans across the segments, providing support and electrical contact, allowing for easier assembly and disassembly, and enabling the use of multiple contact bars for different configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a one-piece capping board structure is used, then structural integrity and electrical insulation are ensured, but maintenance and replacement become cumbersome and costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmaintenance difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The capping board is divided into multiple segments that can be independently removed and replaced. Each segment is connected through joint interfaces that maintain structural integrity while allowing individual access to specific sections for maintenance or replacement, resolving the contradiction between overall reliability and ease of repair.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a one-piece capping board structure is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but manufacturing and transportation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The capping board is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately using standard fabrication processes, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost. The segments are then assembled using joint interfaces that ensure structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between structural reliability and manufacturing ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple separately manufactured segments are combined through joint interfaces to form the complete capping board structure. This merging approach allows each segment to be produced efficiently independently while achieving the overall structural integrity required, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing cost and structural reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a one-piece capping board structure is used, then structural integrity is ensured, but waste increases when local damage occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmaterial waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The capping board is divided into multiple segments, allowing only the damaged segment to be removed and replaced while the remaining segments stay in service. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling localized replacement that maintains structural integrity through the joint interfaces while minimizing material waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

When local damage occurs, only the affected segment is discarded and replaced, while the undamaged segments are recovered and retained for continued use. This approach minimizes material waste while maintaining the structural integrity of the overall capping board through the joint connection system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Ease of repair

If segmented capping boards are used, then maintenance and replacement become easier, but assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance easeVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capping board is segmented into standardized modules with consistent joint interfaces. This segmentation enables easy maintenance and replacement of individual segments while the standardized interface design minimizes assembly complexity by providing repeatable connection procedures across all segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10000857B2Segmented capping board and contact bar assembly and methods in hydrometallurgical refining

Publication Date: 2018.06.19 PULTRUSION TECHN

AI summary

An assembly for use in refining metals includes two adjacent capping board segments defining a joint interface there-between, a contact bar that may be a contact bar segment and is sized and configured to lay on the two capping boards and to span across the joint interface, and two engagement mechanisms provided on respective sides of the joint interface, to hold the capping board segments together. Each engagement mechanism may include a projecting anchor element and a retaining cavity sized and configured to receive a corresponding projecting anchor element. The contact bar may include the projecting anchor elements and the capping board segments may include the retaining cavities. Methods and uses of such contact bars and capping board segments are also provided for hydrometallurgical refining operations.