UHPC Vacuum Tube Crack Repair Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hyper-speed transportation systems, such as the Hyperloop, face challenges in maintaining airtightness due to through-wall cracks in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) vacuum tube segments, which can lead to increased workload on vacuum pumps and reduced service life, as general concrete lacks sufficient airtightness and self-compacting properties for circular shapes.
Innovation Solution
A crack repair material comprising a crack growth prevention material, such as carbon fiber textiles, and a patch repair material with a 3D coil textile reinforcement, latex adhesive, and capsule-type crack healing material, which includes microcapsules with methacrylate core and poly(urea-formaldehyde) capsule film-forming material, is applied to prevent crack growth and self-heal cracks under vacuum pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If general concrete is used for vacuum tube segments, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but airtightness is insufficient leading to increased vacuum pump workload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using UHPC instead of general concrete, achieving compressive strength of 150-200 MPa and water permeability of 10^-12 cm/s or less, which provides sufficient airtightness for vacuum tube segments and reduces vacuum pump workload
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials including UHPC with embedded steel fibers, crack repair materials with resin and adhesive components, and reinforcement structures that combine different materials to achieve both structural integrity and airtightness requirements
2Reliability
If UHPC is used for vacuum tube segments, then airtightness is improved, but cracks may form requiring complex repair solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary protective actions by pre-installing carbon fiber reinforcement sheets and crack repair materials on UHPC segments before they are installed in the vacuum tube structure, preventing crack formation and simplifying future maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service repair mechanisms through resin-based crack repair materials that can be injected into cracks to automatically seal them, and self-compacting UHPC that automatically fills voids without vibration, reducing the need for complex manual repair operations
3Shape
If circular vacuum tube segments are manufactured, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but self-compacting concrete lacks sufficient flowability for circular shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the rheological parameters of concrete by using UHPC with specific water-to-binder ratios and superplasticizer additives, achieving sufficient flowability to fill circular forms while maintaining high strength and self-compacting properties without vibration
4Reliability
If crack repair materials are applied to UHPC segments, then airtightness is maintained, but service life is reduced without proper crack prevention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary protective measures by pre-installing carbon fiber reinforcement sheets and crack repair materials on UHPC segments before installation, preventing crack formation and extending service life while maintaining airtightness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials including UHPC with steel fibers, carbon fiber reinforcement sheets, and resin-based crack repair materials to create a multi-layer protective system that prevents crack propagation and extends the service life of vacuum tube segments
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 effectively prevents crack growth and self-heals cracks in UHPC vacuum tube segments, ensuring airtightness and reducing the workload on vacuum pumps, thereby extending the service life of equipment and maintaining the partial-vacuum state required for hyper-speed transportation.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure is generated inside the UHPC vacuum tube segment, and the adhesive and the capsule-type crack healing material fill the crack according to vacuum pressure to repair the crack
Implementation Method 2
a patch repair material that includes a textile reinforcement material, an adhesive, and a capsule-type crack healing material and is attached to the crack part of the UHPC vacuum tube segment
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a crack repair material of a concrete vacuum tube segment using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for a hyper-speed transportation system and a crack repairing method for the same capable of, in a case in which a vacuum tube segment of a hyper-speed transportation system, such as the Hyperloop, is manufactured using UHPC, repairing cracks formed in the UHPC vacuum tube segment easily and conveniently using a crack growth prevention material and a patch repair material and capable of immediately repairing cracks formed in the UHPC vacuum tube segment to secure airtightness so that operation of a vacuum pump is minimized and overload of the vacuum pump is prevented.