Vented Liquid Sample Station With Removable Receptacle
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Sampling hazardous fluids from hot or pressurized vessels poses safety hazards due to splash-back, overfilling, and the inability to visually inspect the fluid before sampling, especially in manufacturing facilities.
Innovation Solution
A sampling apparatus with a direct piping system to a vented, enclosed receptacle that allows for safe collection and visual inspection, featuring a removable sample receptacle with a drain line for spill prevention and easy rinsing, and a design that accommodates fluids that separate or are not ready for immediate sampling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional sampling methods are used with open containers, then operators can easily collect samples, but safety hazards increase due to splash-back and overfilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary sampling system that includes a sampling line connecting the process vessel to a sampling container, and a sampling container holder with overflow guidance. This intermediary structure mediates between the hazardous process fluid and the operator, channeling potential splash-back and overflow away from the operator while maintaining easy sample collection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sampling function from the main process vessel by providing a separate sampling container and sampling line. This separation allows the sampling operation to be performed independently from the main vessel, reducing the direct exposure of operators to hazardous fluids while maintaining sampling capability
2Object-affected harmful factors
If operators wear safety equipment to collect samples, then safety risks are reduced, but the complexity and inconvenience of the sampling process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling container holder acts as an intermediary structure that provides built-in safety features including overflow guidance and containment. This eliminates the need for operators to rely solely on personal protective equipment, as the system itself provides passive safety mechanisms that reduce both risk and operational complexity
3Ease of manufacture
If sample containers are not transparent, then they are easier to manufacture and less expensive, but visual inspection capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of optical properties by specifying that the sampling container be made of transparent or translucent material. This allows visual inspection of the sample fluid for characteristics such as color, clarity, and presence of particulates, while the container design maintains manufacturing feasibility through standard material selections
4Device complexity
If the sampling receptacle is fixed and cannot be removed, then the structure is simpler, but ease of transporting samples to lab decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sampling system into a fixed sampling station structure and a removable sampling container. The sampling container can be detached from the holder for transport to the laboratory, while the holder and station provide the fixed structural support. This segmentation provides both structural simplicity and transport flexibility
5Productivity
If excess liquid spills onto the surrounding area, then the sampling process continues, but slip hazards and environmental risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling container holder serves as an intermediary structure that provides overflow guidance and containment features. When overfilling occurs, the holder directs excess liquid into designated drainage pathways rather than allowing it to spill onto the surrounding area, maintaining sampling continuity while eliminating slip and environmental hazards
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of overfilling and spillage into a beneficial drainage function. By providing guided overflow pathways and connection to drainage systems, the system uses the excess liquid flow to activate controlled drainage rather than uncontrolled spilling, turning a hazard into a managed discharge mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A sample station and method of using the station, which contains a removable receptacle for collecting fluid samples from tanks, pipelines or other receptacles. The removable receptacle has a valve at the bottom for easy emptying and cleaning. The sample station is vented so the sample receptacle can not be pressurized, and is meant to be piped to the container which holds the fluid to be sampled, so the sample can be collected without risk of splashing, and without risk of spilling.