Gritting Device Tank Bag Partition and Ventilation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spreaders for winter service vehicles lack the ability to efficiently vary the ratio of solid and liquid materials, leading to suboptimal anti-icing performance and increased material usage, with existing solutions failing to provide adequate mechanical reliability and flexibility in handling liquid surges during vehicle operations.
Innovation Solution
The spreader features a shape and volume-changeable tank bag system with an intrinsically rigid, laterally position-adjustable partition wall and ventilation nozzles connected via a line, allowing active adjustment of the tank bag geometry and ventilation system to compensate for liquid surges, and includes flexible traction means for stabilization and compact adjustment drives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If passive partitions are used that follow the filling level of tank bags, then the structure is simpler, but the geometry of the tank bag cannot be actively specified and the tank bag cannot maintain proper shape when partially filled
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall is made dynamically adjustable through a pivoting mechanism that allows active positioning. The partition can rotate between different angular positions to actively specify the geometry of the partial space accommodating the tank bag, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual or passive mechanical adjustment is replaced by an automated adjustment drive mechanism. The drive unit can actively position the partition wall without manual intervention, substituting complex mechanical linkages with a more streamlined actuation system that provides precise control over partition position.
2Reliability
If ventilation nozzles are not connected, then the structure is simpler, but liquid surges during braking cannot be compensated and the tank bag cannot be mechanically relieved
Solution Approach 1:
A connecting line is introduced as an intermediary element between the two ventilation nozzles. This connecting line allows liquid to flow between the nozzles and provides a pathway for pressure equalization, mediating the interaction between the liquid in the tank bag and the ventilation system to compensate for surge effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation system with connecting line is designed to compensate for liquid surges before they cause damage. By providing a pre-established pressure equalization pathway, the system cushions against the harmful effects of sudden liquid movement during braking or acceleration, preventing mechanical failure.
3Productivity
If the ratio of solid and liquid materials cannot be varied, then the system is simpler, but anti-icing performance is suboptimal and material usage is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic adjustment of the material ratio between solid and liquid materials. By actively controlling the positioning of partition walls and the filling levels of tank bags, the system can adapt the proportion of different materials based on road conditions, transforming a fixed-ratio system into a dynamic one.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the material distribution are made changeable. The system can vary the volume ratios of solid and liquid materials by adjusting partition positions and tank bag filling levels, allowing optimization of anti-icing performance for different operational conditions through parameter modification.
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
This configuration enhances the service life and reliability of the spreader by actively managing the tank bag geometry and liquid flow, reducing deformation and improving operational efficiency and safety by allowing precise control over material distribution and minimizing unproductive empty runs.
Implementation Method 1
The connection of two ventilation nozzles arranged at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the spreader by means of a connecting line enables the liquid contained in the tank bag to flow back through said connecting line in such a way that surges occurring in specific driving situations (in particular when the vehicle brakes sharply) compensated to a certain extent
Data Source
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AI summary
A gritting device, in particular for winter maintenance vehicles, comprises a gritting material container (2) which is delimited by rigid walls and which includes a bottom gritting material delivery unit extending in the longitudinal direction of the gritting device; the gritting device further comprises a gritting material dispensing mechanism that is fed by the gritting material delivery unit, and a liquid system. The liquid system comprises at least one tank bag (11) that has a variable shape and volume and is placed in the interior of the gritting material container. The at least one tank bag (11) is accommodated in a compartment of the gritting material container (2); said compartment has a variable shape and volume and is delimited, inter alia, by an inherently rigid partition which is mounted such that the position thereof can be modified sideways and the position of which can be actively adjusted by an adjusting drive at least in order to reduce the volume of the compartment. The tank bag (11) has two ventilation nozzles (40) which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the gritting device and which communicate with each other via a connecting pipe (41).