Vacuum Grain Storage Hermetic Bag Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies are inadequate for the vacuum storage and transport of grain in industrial quantities, as existing solutions are either static, not designed for vacuum conditions, or suitable only for consumer-scale applications.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a flexible, hermetic thermoplastic bag with a non-return air valve and RFID tag, capable of creating anaerobic conditions for vacuum storage and transport, allowing for modular and international logistics-compatible transport of seeds while maintaining vacuum integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If grain is stored in ambient air in grain silos, then storage is simple and accessible, but degradation accelerates due to bacteria, oxidation, insects, and water absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vacuum storage by removing air from the storage environment to create a low-pressure inert atmosphere. The hermetic bag (10) is sealed and connected to a vacuum pump that removes air, maintaining pressure below atmospheric levels to prevent bacterial growth, oxidation, and insect proliferation while preserving grain quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible hermetic bag (10) made of thermoplastic material that can be sealed and deformed under vacuum conditions. This flexible enclosure maintains hermetic seal integrity while adapting to the vacuum environment, providing a simpler alternative to rigid silo systems with complex sealing mechanisms.
2Reliability
If grain is stored in vacuum using static silo installations, then degradation is slowed, but transport capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static vacuum storage system into a dynamic one by integrating a hermetic bag that can be sealed, evacuated, and then transported. The bag's flexible nature allows it to maintain vacuum integrity during movement, enabling both preservation and transport functions in a single adaptable system.
Solution Approach 2:
The hermetic bag system serves multiple functions: it provides hermetic sealing, maintains vacuum conditions for preservation, and enables transport through its flexible, movable design. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate storage and transport systems.
3Ease of operation
If big bags are used for grain transport, then logistics are simplified and standardized, but vacuum storage capability is lost due to non-closed interior environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible hermetic bag (10) made of thermoplastic material that can be sealed to create a closed environment. This flexible enclosure maintains vacuum integrity while allowing the bag to be handled and transported like standardized big bags, combining the advantages of both approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The hermetic bag is designed to maintain vacuum conditions during transport, creating an inert environment that prevents degradation. The bag's hermetic seal and vacuum compatibility enable preservation-quality transport without requiring rigid, complex structures.
4Reliability
If hermetic sealing is implemented for vacuum storage, then preservation quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible hermetic bag (10) made of thermoplastic material that provides inherent sealing capability through its material properties and design. The bag's continuity and flexibility allow for effective hermetic sealing without requiring complex mechanical sealing systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining preservation quality.
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 device effectively preserves seeds by preventing fermentation and insect proliferation, maintaining germination quality, and enabling efficient, scalable vacuum storage and transport without interrupting the vacuum chain, requiring minimal operational resources and equipment.
Implementation Method 1
storage in an environment where the pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure. Vacuum storage devices exist for certain consumer products.
Implementation Method 2
The device effectively preserves seeds by preventing fermentation and insect proliferation, maintaining germination quality
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention proposes a device for the vacuum storage and vacuum transport of dry or wet grain under anaerobic conditions, comprising: an enclosure (10) sealed to all types of gas having at least one filling element (11), the filling element, when in the open position, allowing the enclosure to be filled with grains and, when in the closed position, further allowing the enclosure to be tightly sealed, and at least one non-return air valve (12) allowing gaseous fluid transfer by the suction of air through the valve only from the inside of the enclosure to the outside of the enclosure. The device further comprises handling means (30, 40) associated with the enclosure and comprising a transport bag (40) suitable for receiving the sealed enclosure and having straps that form loops (41) that can be gripped directly by a user or by lifting equipment.