Tower Instrument Support With Multi-Axis Adjustment for LNG Loading Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support devices for measurement instruments on liquefied gas storage tank loading and offloading towers are complex due to varying dimensions and forms, complicating manufacturing and assembly, requiring careful selection for each installation.
Innovation Solution
A single support device with a distal portion allowing rotation about a strut axis, a proximal portion with independent rotation and translation freedom, and a fixing surface for secure attachment to the instrument, enabling adaptable positioning regardless of strut and plate geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support devices are customized for each specific tower configuration, then the guiding and support function is ensured, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single standardized support device that can be used across multiple tower configurations. The support device includes a positioning element that can engage with struts at different positions and orientations, and a fixing element that can attach to instruments with varying geometries. This universal design eliminates the need for custom support devices for each tower configuration while maintaining reliable guiding and support functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the support device adjustable and adaptable rather than fixed. The positioning element can be positioned at different locations along the support device structure, and the fixing element can be oriented at different angles. This dynamic adjustability allows the same support device to accommodate varying tower and instrument geometries without requiring multiple specialized designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple support device variants are produced, then the fit for different configurations is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for multiple support device variants by creating a universal design that incorporates adjustable positioning and fixing elements. This single standardized design can be manufactured with consistent precision requirements, avoiding the need to produce and manage multiple variants with different dimensional specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device is segmented into distinct functional elements: a positioning element for engaging with struts, a support structure, and a fixing element for attaching instruments. This segmentation allows each element to be independently designed and adjusted, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining adaptability to different configurations.
3Ease of manufacture
If standardized support devices are used, then the ease of manufacture and assembly is improved, but the adaptability to varying geometries may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized support device incorporates dynamic adjustability through movable positioning elements and rotatable fixing elements. These features allow the device to adapt to varying strut positions and instrument geometries while maintaining a single standardized design for manufacturing. The adjustability mechanisms enable the same standardized component to fit multiple configurations without compromising adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device utilizes multiple dimensions of adjustment: linear positioning along the support structure, angular orientation of the fixing element, and depth adjustment for instrument attachment. By incorporating adjustment capabilities across multiple dimensions, the standardized device can accommodate varying geometries in space without requiring multiple specialized designs.
Data Source
AI summary
A support device for an instrument on a loading/offloading tower of a tank of a ship is disclosed. The tower has multiple vertical masts linked to one another, pairwise, by struts extending on a strut axis, and a distal portion extending on a first axis, the distal portion being terminated by a first surface capable of forming a first surface contact with a strut extending on its strut axis substantially at right angles to the first axis. The installed first surface has a degree of freedom in rotation about the strut axis, a proximal portion extending on a second axis substantially at right angles to the first axis, linked to the distal portion. An installed fixing surface immobilized by fixing to the instrument has a degree of freedom in rotation about the second axis and a degree of freedom in translation on a third axis parallel to the second axis.