Torpedo Pressure Accumulator Closure Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pressure accumulators in torpedoes experience pressure losses over time, leading to insufficient pressure for actuating pneumatic devices after long storage periods, necessitating a solution to maintain working pressure for immediate readiness.
Innovation Solution
A closure device with a hermetically sealed closure membrane and a movably arranged opening mandrel, actuated by a spindle drive, ensures a pressure-resistant and permanent closure of the pressure accumulator, preventing pressure loss and allowing for reliable actuation of pneumatic devices even after extended storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a conventional closure device is used for the pressure accumulator, then the device can be stored for long periods, but pressure losses occur and the working pressure is not maintained after storage
Solution Approach 1:
The closure membrane is pre-installed in the closure device to create a hermetic seal before storage begins. This preliminary sealing action prevents pressure losses during the entire storage period, ensuring that when the torpedo is activated after long storage, the working pressure is already maintained and ready for immediate use.
Solution Approach 2:
A closure membrane (dichtmembran) is used instead of rigid sealing mechanisms. The flexible membrane provides reliable hermetic sealing that maintains pressure over long storage periods while allowing for reliable piercing during activation. The membrane's flexibility ensures complete sealing without gaps, preventing pressure losses during storage.
2Reliability
If the closure device is designed for permanent sealing, then pressure is maintained during storage, but the accumulator cannot be refilled for reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The closure membrane is designed to be dynamically changeable - intact during storage to maintain pressure, and piercable during activation to allow refilling. The opening mandrel with piercing element transforms the sealing state from hermetic to open, enabling the accumulator to be refilled with electrolyte and reused after activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device is segmented into a reusable housing and a consumable closure membrane. The membrane can be pierced and replaced, while the housing and actuating mechanism remain intact for repeated use. This segmentation allows the system to maintain pressure during storage while enabling refilling after activation.
3Reliability
If a hermetic seal is used to prevent pressure loss, then pressure is maintained during storage, but the closure mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The closure membrane provides hermetic sealing in a simple, thin-film structure that is easier to implement than complex rigid sealing mechanisms. The membrane's flexibility allows it to conform to the closure device geometry, creating a reliable pressure-resistant seal without requiring complex machining or assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is extracted as a separate closure membrane component rather than being integrated into the main housing structure. This separation simplifies the overall design - the membrane can be independently manufactured and installed, providing hermetic sealing without complicating the main closure device architecture.
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 closure device maintains the working pressure in the pressure accumulator, ensuring the pneumatic systems remain operational independent of storage time, with the ability to reopen and refill the accumulator for reuse.
Implementation Method 1
The closure membrane lies in the working path of the opening mandrel, so that the opening mandrel is pushed through the closure membrane when it is actuated, thus creating a fluidic connection between the inlet side and the outlet side of the closure device
Implementation Method 2
The closure membrane is hermetically sealed, possibly via additional sealing means, in the connection between the inlet side and the outlet side of the closure device, so that a pressure-resistant and permanent closure of the pressure accumulator is provided
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a closing device for a pressure accumulator. The invention also relates to a torpedo comprising a pressure accumulator with such a closing device and the use of such a closing device for the pressure accumulator of a torpedo. The closing device (1) has an inlet side (3) and an outlet side (4) and a closing element which fluidically controls a connection between the inlet side (3) and the outlet side (4). The closing device (1) further comprises an actuation element (11) that acts upon the closing element. In order to guarantee the predetermined working pressure in the pressure accumulator even after a storage period of several years, the closing element is a closing membrane (5) and the actuation element (11) is a movably mounted pin (12) in the trajectory of which the closing membrane (5) lies.