Wedge-Shaped Projection in Cast Storage Containers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing storage containers for contaminated substances, particularly those made through casting processes, often suffer from throttling errors such as dross formation, which reduces their fatigue strength and shielding effectiveness, leading to rejection and increased production costs.

Innovation Solution

A storage container design featuring a wedge-shaped projection on the inside of the container body, thickened by a bevel extending at an angle of ≥ 10° to ≤ 35°, which improves the flow behavior of liquid metal during casting, minimizing throttling errors and enhancing the container's long-term stability and shielding capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a casting process is used to manufacture storage containers, then production efficiency is improved, but throttling errors such as dross formation occur which reduce fatigue strength and shielding effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidcasting quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by designing a wedge-shaped projection at the corner of the mold cavity before casting. This projection creates a dedicated dross trap area that prevents dross formation in critical regions during the casting process, thereby maintaining high casting quality while preserving production efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of dross formation into a beneficial feature by deliberately creating a wedge-shaped projection that acts as a dross trap. The projection captures dross in its wedge shape, preventing it from entering critical areas of the container, thus transforming the casting defect into a quality-enhancing feature

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Loss of substance

If dross formation occurs during casting, then production costs increase due to rejects, but eliminating dross requires more complex manufacturing processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction wasteVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by introducing a wedge-shaped projection only at specific corner locations of the mold cavity where dross tends to accumulate. This localized feature addresses the dross problem at critical areas without requiring complex modifications to the entire manufacturing process, thereby reducing production waste while maintaining process simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local 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 design significantly reduces or prevents throttling errors, improves the stacking and shielding effectiveness of the containers, and reduces production rejects, resulting in cost savings and enhanced safety for transporting and storing contaminated substances.

Implementation Method 1

the wedge-shaped projection is thickened by a bevel which extends at an angle in a range of ≥ 10° to ≤ 35° with respect to the orientation of the container side wall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Data Source

PatentEP2675733B1Final disposal container and method for the production thereof
Publication Date: 2015.05.06 SIEMPELKAMP NUKLEARTECHN
  • EP2675733B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2675733B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2675733B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a storage container (10), in particular a final disposal container for contaminated materials. In order to make it possible to produce the storage container especially advantageously and substantially without the occurrence of dross, the storage container (10) comprises a container body (12) that has a container bottom (26) and at least one container side wall (28, 30, 32, 34), wherein the container body (12) has a filling opening (16) that can be closed by a container cover (14), wherein the container body (12), at the end of at least one container side wall (28, 30, 32, 34) opposite the container bottom (26), has a projection (36) that has a wedge-shaped cross-section and is formed on the inside of the container, and wherein the wedge-shaped projection (36) thickens due to a slanted portion (38) that extends at an angle in a range of ≥ 10° to ≤ 35° relative to the orientation of the container side wall (28, 30, 32, 34). The invention further relates to a method for producing a storage container (10), in particular a final disposal container for contaminated materials.