Self-supporting Tanker Body with Composite Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-supporting tank vehicles face challenges in manufacturing due to the need for long, complex tank bodies made of steel or composite materials, which are heavy and lack thermal insulation, and modular designs are not effective in transmitting tensile forces.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting tank vehicle with a tank body composed of multiple sections of monolithic composite material, where tensile forces are transmitted via annular walls without a continuous frame, allowing for easier manufacture and assembly, and incorporating a sandwich structure with foam for thermal insulation and mechanical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel is used for the tank body, then mechanical resistance and food safety are improved, but weight increases and thermal insulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of a thermoplastic matrix reinforced with organic or inorganic fibers to create a tank body that achieves the mechanical resistance of steel while significantly reducing weight. The composite structure provides both strength and thermal insulation properties simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a sandwich structure with varying material composition and thickness across different regions of the tank body. This allows optimization of mechanical resistance in high-stress areas while maintaining thermal insulation and reducing weight in less critical areas.
2Strength
If steel is used for the tank body, then mechanical resistance is improved, but thermal insulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material system combines a thermoplastic matrix with fiber reinforcement to provide both mechanical strength and inherent thermal insulation properties, eliminating the need for additional insulation layers required with metal tanks.
Solution Approach 2:
The sandwich structure with variable thickness and material distribution optimizes thermal insulation performance across different zones of the tank body, providing enhanced insulation where temperature control is most critical.
3Strength
If the tank body is made in one piece, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tank body into multiple modular sections that can be manufactured separately using automated fiber winding processes, then joined together using thermoplastic welding. This segmentation enables standardized production while maintaining structural integrity through proven joining methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the thermoplastic properties of the matrix material to enable joining of sections through heating and welding, transforming the material state to achieve strong connections between segments while maintaining overall structural integrity.
4Ease of manufacture
If modular sections are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but tensile force transmission deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits the thermoplastic characteristics of the matrix material, heating it to a molten state at the joint interfaces to fuse sections together. This parameter change enables strong mechanical bonding that effectively transmits tensile forces across section boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material system with thermoplastic matrix and fiber reinforcement provides both manufacturability through modular assembly and sufficient tensile strength when sections are joined via thermoplastic welding, achieving both ease of manufacture and force transmission.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The vehicle has a tank body (1) supported by a set of wheels (6) and provided with annular sections such as intermediate junctions (7-19) and caissons (8-18). The sections are separated along planes perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (2). Tractive forces are transmitted from a traction fastener (3) of the tank body to the set of wheels via two of the sections. Each section has annular outer and inner walls between which a foam layer is intercalated, where the walls are made of monolithic composite material. The composite material comprises a tissue of fibers constituted of material chosen from a group comprising carbon, silicon carbide glass, aluminum, aramid fiber and vegetable fibers.