Unitary Pressure Sensing Device Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum actuated cylinders and subatmospheric pressure gas delivery systems face inconsistencies and failures due to poor manufacturing processes and varying tolerances among multiple components, leading to issues like gas spikes and pressure oscillations, making it difficult to identify specific failure causes.
Innovation Solution
A single unitary pressure sensing device (PSUD) is developed through additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for welded components and multiple assemblies, featuring a housing and pressure reducing mechanism as a single unitary body with a diaphragm, retracting springs, and a poppet valve, capable of regulating fluid pressure from a higher to a lower subatmospheric pressure without welds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are assembled and welded to form a pressure sensing assembly, then the device can be manufactured using conventional processes, but the manufacturing precision and performance consistency deteriorate due to varying tolerances and welding defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (housing, diaphragm, spring, stem, valve body, etc.) into a single integrated pressure sensing assembly that is additively manufactured as one piece. This eliminates the need for assembling and welding multiple components, thereby resolving the contradiction by maintaining ease of manufacture through additive manufacturing while dramatically improving manufacturing precision and performance consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from conventional subtractive manufacturing and assembly to additive manufacturing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables the creation of complex integrated geometries that would be difficult or impossible to achieve through traditional methods, thereby improving performance consistency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If various components are manufactured at different locations by different manufacturers, then production flexibility is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to inconsistent quality and performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple components into a single unitary structure manufactured by additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for multiple manufacturers and locations, thereby resolving the contradiction by maintaining production flexibility through the versatility of additive manufacturing while ensuring consistent quality and reliability across the entire assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are assembled together, then the device can be manufactured using conventional processes, but the device complexity increases making failure identification difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components into a single integrated pressure sensing assembly manufactured by additive manufacturing. This reduces the number of discrete parts and assembly steps while maintaining manufacturing feasibility, thereby resolving the contradiction by preserving ease of manufacture through additive processes while significantly reducing device complexity and facilitating easier failure identification.
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 PSUD provides consistent performance, reduces gas spikes and pressure oscillations, and eliminates manufacturing defects, ensuring reliable operation by simplifying the assembly process and eliminating the complexity of multiple components.
Implementation Method 1
the inlet flows a fluid at a first pressure which causes the diaphragm to flex
Implementation Method 2
causes the diaphragm to flex
Implementation Method 3
retracting springs
Data Source
AI summary
A high pressure fluid storage system with at least one pressure sensing unitary device (PSUD) which can perform the function of a pressure regulator device. The PSUD can be manufactured as a single unitary construction, wherein both the housing body and the internal pressure regulating mechanism are made from a single unit, material, or both. The PSUD does not have any welded components, is not assembled from a plurality of separate components, or both.