Sliding Manway Gate Assembly for Liquid-Tight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing below liquid manways impede the flow rate of products emptying from tanks, are labor-intensive and costly to operate, and fail to provide a reliable liquid-tight seal under pressure.
Innovation Solution
A manway gate assembly that slides between open, closed, and intermediate positions, using locking members to create a liquid-tight seal without abrading the seal surface, allowing for controlled flow rate management and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hinged door with swing bolts is used to provide a liquid-tight seal, then the seal reliability is improved, but the flow rate management capability deteriorates and the operation becomes more labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The gate is designed to slide horizontally along guide rails rather than hinge open, allowing dynamic positioning at multiple locations along the manifold. This sliding mechanism enables flexible flow rate management by positioning the gate at different locations, while the seal remains reliable when the gate is in the closed position against the seal surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into a gate, guide rails, and a seal surface as separate components. The gate slides along the guide rails and seals against the seal surface, allowing independent optimization of each component's function while maintaining overall system reliability and operational flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If a sliding gate that slides along seals is used to improve flow rate management, then the ease of operation is improved, but the seal durability deteriorates due to aggressive abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
A seal surface is introduced as an intermediary between the sliding gate and the tank wall. The gate slides along the guide rails and seals against this dedicated seal surface, which is designed to minimize abrasion. This intermediary protects the main seal from aggressive wear while maintaining the sliding gate's operational advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal surface is designed as a replaceable component that can be easily replaced when worn. By making the seal surface a disposable or easily replaceable component rather than a permanent fixture, the system maintains operational ease while managing seal durability through periodic replacement rather than continuous wear resistance.
3Reliability
If a hinged door BLM is used to provide liquid-tight seal, then the seal reliability is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to impeded flow and labor-intensive operation
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding gate can be dynamically positioned at multiple locations along the manifold by sliding horizontally, allowing optimization of flow rate during different operational phases. When fully open, the gate provides unimpeded flow for high productivity during emptying operations, while when closed, it maintains reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate is preliminarily positioned in the fully open position before emptying operations begin, ensuring maximum flow rate and productivity from the start. The gate can then be slid to intermediate positions during operation to manage flow rate as needed, without requiring labor-intensive manual handling.
4Productivity
If a sliding gate BLM is used to improve flow rate management, then the productivity is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to product leakage under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated seal surface acts as an intermediary between the gate and the tank structure, providing a specialized sealing interface designed to maintain liquid-tight seals under pressure. The gate seals against this surface when in the closed position, ensuring reliability during pressurized operations while allowing flexible flow management when open.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal surface is designed with specific local properties optimized for sealing under pressure, distinct from the guide rails that guide the gate motion. This local quality differentiation ensures that the sealing area provides reliable pressure containment while the guiding areas provide smooth operation.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A manway gate assembly couples to a tank and provides a liquid tight seal. The manway gate assembly includes a gate selectively slideable in a first linear direction between an open position, a closed position, and/or an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position. The manway gate assembly includes one or more locking members arranged adjacent to the gate and moveable between a locked position and an un-locked position. When in the locked position, the one or more locking members apply a biasing force to the gate in a second linear direction perpendicular to the first linear direction to seal the gate to the tank and provide a liquid tight seal.