Submarine Closure Body with Oriented Fiber Composites
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure bodies for watercraft, particularly those used in military applications, face challenges in balancing high pressure resistance with low mass, as traditional steel plates are heavy and complex to move, while lightweight composite materials lack sufficient compressive strength for high-pressure or shock loads.
Innovation Solution
A closure body made from fiber composite materials with unidirectionally aligned fibers at the outer edge and potentially transverse or angled fibers in the inner area, featuring a convex curvature to absorb compressive forces and distribute tensile stresses effectively, reducing weight and complexity while maintaining strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional steel plates are used for closure bodies, then high pressure resistance is achieved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials consisting of a plastic matrix and embedded fiber reinforcement elements (such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid fiber) to create a closure body that combines the high strength-to-weight ratio of fibers with the formability and damping properties of plastics. This composite structure achieves pressure resistance comparable to steel while significantly reducing the weight of the closure body.
2Weight of moving object
If lightweight composite materials are used for closure bodies, then weight is reduced, but compressive strength becomes insufficient for high pressure or shock loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by orienting fibers in specific directions within different regions of the closure body. Fibers are arranged to run substantially parallel to the outer circumference in edge regions to handle compressive loads, while other regions may have different fiber orientations optimized for their specific stress patterns. This localized fiber orientation ensures that compressive strength is enhanced precisely where needed during water ingress events.
3Strength
If solid steel plates are used for closure bodies, then high strength is achieved, but the movement mechanism becomes complex due to large mass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials to create a closure body that maintains high strength while reducing mass significantly compared to solid steel plates. This weight reduction allows for simpler movement mechanisms with fewer components and lower actuation forces, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving the necessary strength for withstanding pressure and shock loads.
4Strength
If fibers are aligned unidirectionally in the outer edge region, then pressure resistance is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the closure body into distinct regions with different fiber orientations: an outer edge region with unidirectional fibers parallel to the circumference for compressive load resistance, and an inner region with differently oriented fibers for handling other stress patterns. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function while being manufacturable through controlled fiber placement techniques during composite fabrication.
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 provides a closure body with pressure resistance comparable to solid steel plates but with significantly lower weight, simplifying the movement mechanism and reducing stress on articulating components, while also enhancing security against fiber breaks and improving sealing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an inner region of the closure body enclosed by the outer edge region is preferably convexly curved in the direction of a compressive load expected to act on the closure body. The curvature of the inner region of the closure body can, for example, correspond to the curvature of the dished or basket-arched ends used in pressure tank construction. Such curved components have the property, also known as membrane stress, of absorbing only tensile or compressive forces when loaded, but not bending moments that are transmitted to the outer edges of these components.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The closure body (12) is formed by a fiber composite material, where the fibers (18) are aligned unidirectionally in the direction of the outer periphery in an outer edge area (14) of the closure body. Other fibers (26,28,30) are crosswise aligned in the inner area (16). An independent claim is also included for a submarine with an inner space.