Vessel Screen Retainer With Rotating Wedges for Cryogenic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screen change systems in cryogenic processing vessels suffer from bolted connections that degrade under cryogenic agents, leading to tobacco leakage and increased downtime due to loose parts and improper alignment, necessitating improved sealing and minimization of machine downtime.
Innovation Solution
A screen assembly with a retainer and grate system using axially extending lugs and wedges, allowing for secure clamping and easy replacement of screens by rotating the retainer to engage lugs with wedges, ensuring proper sealing and alignment without loose parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bolted connections are used to clamp the screen, then the screen can be securely held, but the bolted connections degrade under cryogenic agents leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vulnerable bolted connection components (bolts, nuts, threads) from the system and replaces them with a deformation-free clamping mechanism using lugs that directly engage with the screen and vessel wall, eliminating the parts that degrade under cryogenic conditions
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using threaded fasteners that rely on friction and threading engagement, the invention uses a direct bearing contact system where lugs press against the screen and vessel wall, inverting the approach from threaded mechanical engagement to direct surface contact
2Strength
If multiple bolted connections are used to secure the screen, then the screen can be held firmly, but the multiplicity of parts increases device complexity and risk of loose parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate fastening functions into a single integrated lug structure that performs both positioning and clamping functions, reducing the number of discrete parts while maintaining secure screen attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The lugs serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support, enable screen positioning, create sealing contact, and facilitate screen removal, consolidating what would traditionally require multiple specialized components
3Reliability
If bolted connections are used for screen attachment, then the screen can be secured, but repeated loosening and tightening increases loss of time during screen changes
Solution Approach 1:
The lugs are pre-positioned and pre-aligned with keyholes in the screen, so that when the screen is installed, the lugs are already in the correct position to provide immediate clamping force without requiring sequential tightening operations
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the screen to be quickly clamped by simply engaging the lugs with the keyholes and applying force, skipping the time-consuming steps of threading, tightening, and verifying multiple bolt connections
4Strength
If bolted connections are used to clamp the screen, then the screen can be held in place, but the threaded fasteners become ineffective under cryogenic conditions increasing tobacco leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The lugs are designed as simple, robust components that can be easily replaced if needed, using straightforward geometric shapes without complex threading that would degrade, prioritizing functionality and replaceability over longevity of individual parts
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments include a screen assembly of a vessel, where the screen assembly includes a plurality of fixed elements and a retainer, and the retainer includes a ring, a plurality of wedges disposed about the ring, and a plurality of keyholes at spaced locations about the ring. Each keyhole includes a bore and a slot extending from the bore into an adjacent wedge of the plurality of wedges, the slots have a width less than the bores, and the retainer may receive the fixed elements through the bores and may be rotated in a relation with the plurality of fixed elements to bring the plurality of fixed elements into simultaneous engagement with the wedges.