Vacuum Suction Wand for Cryogenic Insulation Void Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for insulating process piping in cryogenic storage tanks are inefficient, resulting in significant waste and environmental impact due to the use of positive pressure to blow insulation materials into the voids.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum source is used to draw insulation materials into the thermal distance piece, employing a suction wand fabricated from PVC pipe with inner and outer cylinders and air vents, along with the use of low-density polyethylene sheeting to seal portions of the piping, allowing for efficient and waste-reduced insulation delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional positive pressure blowing method is used to fill insulation into the void, then the insulation can be delivered into the thermal distance piece, but significant material waste and environmental impact occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using negative pressure (vacuum) instead of positive pressure to move the insulation material. The vacuum source creates suction that draws the insulation into the thermal distance piece through the suction wand, eliminating the need for blowing and preventing material waste while maintaining efficient filling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using a vacuum source to create a pressure differential that moves the insulation material. The suction wand system utilizes air pressure differentials to transport insulation from the container into the void space, achieving waste-free delivery while maintaining high productivity
2Productivity
If conventional blowing method is used, then insulation delivery can be achieved, but the process takes several hours and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the pressure approach from positive to negative, the vacuum method creates more direct and efficient material movement into the void. The suction force continuously draws insulation through the wand, eliminating the intermittent nature of blowing methods and reducing total filling time from several hours to under one hour
3Loss of substance
If vacuum suction method is used to draw insulation into the TDP, then material waste is reduced and environmental impact is minimized, but a specialized suction wand apparatus is required
Solution Approach 1:
The suction wand employs a nested structure with an inner cylinder positioned within an outer cylinder. This nested design allows the wand to be fabricated from simple PVC pipe components while maintaining the functional complexity needed for effective vacuum suction and insulation delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The suction wand acts as an intermediary device that connects the vacuum source to the insulation material and TDP. By using a fabricated PVC wand with integrated components rather than complex commercial equipment, the patent achieves the desired function with reduced overall system complexity
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
This method significantly reduces waste and environmental impact by efficiently filling the insulation voids within cryogenic storage tanks, completing the filling process in less than an hour compared to conventional methods, which take several hours and result in more material loss.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum source is used to draw insulation materials into the thermal distance piece
Implementation Method 2
A vacuum is then drawn through the opening with the strainer, causing the material to be drawn by the vacuum through the suction wand and into the void
Data Source
AI summary
A process for insulating the void in a thermal distance piece in a low-temperature or cryogenic storage tank uses a vacuum source to draw insulation into the TDP. Two remotely spaced openings to the void are provided. A strainer is temporarily mounted in one of the openings. The other opening is connected to a suction wand. The wand has an inner cylinder that extends through an outer cylinder and projects outwardly from a proximal end of the outer cylinder. Distal air vents are provided on the inner cylinder, near a distal cap that connects distal ends of the cylinders. Proximal air vents are provided on a proximal cap that connects a portion of the inner cylinder to a proximal end of the outer cylinder. The distal end of the wand is inserted into a container of insulation.