Protected Sensor Tube Structure With Slit Spacer Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal tubes, particularly stainless steel, face challenges with pipe bursts due to stresses, leading to increased costs and difficulties in protecting attached sensors from environmental influences.
Innovation Solution
A tube structure comprising an inner and outer metal tube with a spacer tube having a longitudinal slit, allowing a signal line to be protected within the slit, which provides a stable force-fitted connection between the tubes, accommodating the signal line and sensor, and maintaining structural integrity under varying conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are attached to metal tubes to detect damage, then monitoring capability is improved, but sensor protection against environmental influences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The signal line is nested within the spacer tube structure, specifically routed through the slit in the spacer tube and protected by the concentric arrangement of inner tube, spacer tube, and outer tube. This nesting provides mechanical protection and environmental isolation for the signal line while maintaining its functional integrity for damage detection.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a spacer tube is introduced to maintain spacing between inner and outer tubes, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer tube serves multiple functions simultaneously: it maintains the defined minimum spacing between inner and outer tubes, provides a protective pathway for the signal line through its slit, and contributes to the force-fitted mechanical connection of the concentric tube structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer tube is segmented by introducing a slit that extends along its longitudinal direction, creating a discontinuous structure in the circumferential direction. This segmentation allows the spacer tube to accommodate the signal line while maintaining its spacing function, and enables the force-fitting mechanism to work effectively.
3Strength
If tubes are force-fitted to ensure strong connection, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The force-fitting process utilizes controlled plastic deformation by reducing the outer tube diameter through drawing, creating a permanent shape change that generates interference fit pressure. This parameter change in the tube dimensions enables strong mechanical connection while accommodating normal manufacturing tolerances.
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 solution effectively protects signal lines and sensors within the tube structure, ensuring a strong mechanical connection that withstands operational differences such as temperature and pressure variations, while reducing the risk of pipe bursts and sensor damage.
Implementation Method 1
the inner tube, the spacer tube and the outer tube are mechanically force-fitted over a part of the longitudinal extension of the spacer tube
Data Source
AI summary
A tube structure (1) comprising an inner tube (3) of metal and an outer tube (2) of metal, wherein the inner tube (3) extends in the outer tube (2), wherein a spacer tube (4) is located between the inner tube (3) and the outer tube (2), wherein the spacer tube (4) comprises at least one slit (5), wherein the at least one slit (5) extends in a longitudinal direction of the spacer tube (4) and over an entire longitudinal extension of the spacer tube (4), and wherein the at least one slit (5) forms a space in a radial direction of the tube structure (1) extending from an outer surface (7) of the inner tube (3) to an inner surface (8) of the outer tube (2), wherein the tube structure (1) further comprises at least one signal line (9) located in the at least one slit (5) of the spacer tube (4), wherein the at least one signal line (9) extends in the longitudinal direction of the spacer tube (4).