PENETROMETER FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF INTERTIDAL SURFACE SOILS
Patent Information
- Application Number
- ES2026030507U
- Authority / Receiving Office
- ES · ES
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-07
- Estimated Expiration
- 2036-03-10
Abstract
Description
PENETROMETER FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE SOILS INTERTIDAL Technical field The present invention relates to a new type of penetrometer, which is a lightweight device with a simplified structure compared to known penetrometer types, designed to characterize submerged or non-submerged intertidal surface soil sediments. The invention falls within the different types of devices, equipment, systems or methods intended to characterize soils by measuring compaction resistance to penetration. State of the art It is well known that compaction, porosity, and water content, among other variables, are of great interest in the study of soils and sediments. All of these are interrelated and are usually measured indirectly using penetrometers to assess the penetration resistance of soils and sediments. In this context, the term intertidal, in this technical field, refers to the semi-submerged zone extending from the surface water to the lower limit of the tides; and the infralittoral zone refers to the area of the seabed below the lower limit of the tides, or intertidal zone, up to the zone where algae disappear, or circalittoral zone—that is, a soil that remains submerged at all times. Various types of penetrometers are known for characterizing soils, generally used in terrestrial environments. Among the known penetrometers, VN penetrometers stand out, known in this sector as "vane testers". One of the particularities and advantages of the invention is that the penetrometer described herein can take measurements both in the intertidal zone, with results similar to those of VN penetrometers, and in the infralittoral zone; however, VN penetrometers are known to be unable to take measurements in the infralittoral zone. A type of mechanically operated dynamic penetrometer is also known, suitable for submerged soils, both intertidal and infralittoral. This penetrometer is based on the theoretical principles of dynamic conical penetrometers used on land, but structurally configured to direct the impact in a submerged environment, thus measuring penetration in the first few centimeters of submerged sediment. However, this penetrometer has the disadvantage of being a rigid device, which limits its storage and transport. Furthermore, it is heavy, requiring only a rope to secure it to the seabed, but this weight makes it difficult to carry when measurements must be taken while walking in the intertidal zone. The present invention, taking into account known solutions in the prior art and the problems indicated above, has the advantage of being a modular device, which allows the device to be disassembled and easily stored and transported, and allows the device to be easily assembled by any user at the place of use; and, in addition, it allows to lighten the weight of the entire device once assembled, which in turn allows for easier handling in the intertidal zone, facilitating movement on foot and allowing for an increased capacity to collect a greater number of samples. The applicant is unaware of any penetrometer that is similar or as effective as the one described and claimed below. Explanation of the invention The present invention consists of a penetrometer that is intended and designed to characterize intertidal surface soil sediments, whether submerged or not, including infralittoral soils. It is a lightweight device with a simplified structure compared to known penetrometer types. It allows the penetrometer to be submerged and stabilized from a vessel by a diver, or it can be operated manually. This is suitable for sediments accessible on foot in the intertidal zone or by a diver in the infralittoral zone, without requiring a vessel. The penetrometer has the advantage of being modular, easily assembled, and lighter than any other known penetrometer, allowing a user to move it manually and collect a greater number of samples. It should be noted that the operation of the penetrometer of the present invention is based on a conical-tipped rod that is driven into the soil or sediment, where the penetration results depend on three variables: diameter of the base of the conical tip; weight of the sliding rod; and height from which the sliding rod is released Looking at the structure of the penetrometer, it comprises: a support frame, which is shaped like a truncated pyramid with a base for the apparatus to rest on the ground arranged at the bottom of the frame and a support base arranged at the top of the frame; where both bases are joined by pillars; a guide support, which serves as a guide for a sliding bar, which is fixed above the base of the frame support; wherein this support comprises two vertical pillars joined by two parallel crossbars, where each crossbar has a central through opening, and where both openings are joined by a vertical conduit; wherein this support serves as a guide for a sliding bar; A sliding bar comprising a body and a conical tip at the lower end of the body, wherein the body is disposed in the vertical conduit of the support, wherein the body of the bar has a smaller diameter than the vertical conduit so that the bar has an axial movement guided by said conduit, wherein the bar comprises at least one ballast disposed below the guide support, wherein upper and lower guide and fixing clamps are disposed between the body and the guide support, wherein the body comprises an annular reference piece disposed at the top of the body and above the guide support; and wherein the conical tip penetrates the ground. The invention has the particularity that all these elements can in turn be modular, the penetrometer assembly being formed from the union of tubular pieces joined by connectors, which can be clamps, elbows or T-shaped connectors. The penetrometer is easy to use. An operator manually raises the rod, placing it in an elevated position. The penetrometer is designed so that the penetration depth can be measured from the distance between the lower edge of the annular reference piece and the end of the upper clamp of the sliding rod guide. To do this, it is established that when the conical tip of the sliding rod rests on a hard surface and the penetration is 0, the aforementioned distance must be equal to the measurement range, which is the distance between the lower limit of the rod's weights and the tip of the rod's cone. To calculate the penetration resistance (PR) in kPa, the following equation is applied: where M is the weight of the sliding bar including the ballast, g is the acceleration due to gravity; h is the height from which the sliding bar is dropped (distance between the tip of the cone and the sediment in the position prior to the release of the bar); A is the area of the base of the conical tip and x is the distance that the tip penetrates into the sediment, i.e., the penetration depth previously explained. In one possible embodiment of the invention, the tip of the rod is made of stainless steel, has a 30° angle, and a diameter of 20 mm at its base, while the body of the rod has a diameter of between 8 and 12 mm. The ballast is intended to weigh between 0.4 and 1.1 kg. The invention is designed so that the total weight of the penetrometer is less than 3.5 kg, and for this purpose, the tubular elements that form the support frame and the guide bracket are made of plastic material, for example, PVC. This penetrometer, unlike any other known penetrometer, facilitates penetration measurements in the intertidal environment from several perspectives. Direct handling of the device eliminates the need for the sliding rod retention system required by other penetrometers, and direct contact ensures its position on the seabed, meaning the device does not require weights to maintain the vertical position of the sliding rod. These two features result in a lighter penetrometer, making it easier to transport in the intertidal environment. This, in turn, allows for the more convenient collection of a greater number of samples. In this respect, the support frame and the guide rail for the sliding bar have three functions: ensuring that the sliding bar is always released onto the sediment from the same height, guaranteeing that the sliding bar penetrates perpendicularly to the sediment surface, and facilitating the measurement of the penetration depth of the conical tip. To ensure that the measurements are taken correctly, the operator of the penetrometer must place the base on the sediment without burying it, hold the sliding bar elevated so that the ballast system's fixing clamp makes contact with the lower end of the sliding bar guide, and finally release the sliding bar, letting it fall freely without any initial push.Once the rod is inserted into the sediment, the penetration depth is measured as the difference between the measuring range and the distance between the top of the slide rod guide and the bottom of the reference clamp. If the reference clamp makes contact with or is very close to the top of the slide rod guide, the rod is too heavy because the sediment being tested is not very compact. In loose sediments, the slide rod weight can be varied by removing one or both lead pieces. In these cases, the slide rod weight must be corrected in the formulation. As previously stated, the applicant is unaware of any penetrometer as effective as the one described above. Furthermore, it should be noted that throughout the description and claims, the term "comprises" and its variants are not intended to exclude other technical features or additional elements. Brief description of the figures In order to complete the description and to aid in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of figures and drawings is presented which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, represent the following: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of the penetrometer that is the subject of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support frame of the embodiment of the previous figure. Figure 3 is a front view of the guide support and sliding bar of the initial figure embodiment mode. Detailed explanation of a method of implementing the invention The following section briefly describes one embodiment of the penetrometer of the present invention. In this regard, as can be seen in the set of figures, the penetrometer comprises a support frame (1), which has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a base of the apparatus (4) for its support on the ground arranged at the bottom of the frame and a support base (5) arranged at the top of the frame; where both bases are joined by pillars (9); a guide support (2), which serves as a guide for a sliding bar, which is fixed above the base of the support (5) of the frame; wherein this support comprises two vertical pillars (6) joined by two parallel crossbars (7), wherein each crossbar has a central through opening, and wherein both openings are joined by a vertical duct (8); wherein this support serves as a guide for a sliding bar (3); a sliding bar (3) comprising a body (32) and a conical tip (31) at the lower end of the body, wherein this body (32) is disposed in the vertical conduit (8) of the support, wherein the body (32) of the bar has a smaller diameter than the vertical conduit (8) so that the bar has an axial movement guided by said conduit, wherein the bar comprises at least one ballast (33) disposed below the guide support (2), wherein guide clamps (34) are disposed between the body (32) and the guide support (2), wherein the body (32) comprises an annular reference piece (35) disposed on the upper part of the body and above the guide support (2); and wherein the conical tip penetrates the ground. As mentioned, the penetrometer is unique in that all its elements are modular, formed from the union of tubular pieces joined by connectors, which can be clamps, elbows, or T-shaped connectors. As can be seen in the set of figures, in one possible embodiment of the invention, the penetrometer is formed from: a support frame (1) comprising; a base of the apparatus (4) for its support on the ground arranged at the bottom of the frame, which is quadrangular in shape, with two facing sides formed by a single tube (41) and its two adjacent sides formed by the union of side tubes (42) and a central tube (43) which is joined to the side tubes by a T-shaped connector (44) arranged in an inclined manner and facing the base of the support (5), and where the ends of the four sides of the base are joined by elbows (45); a support base (5) arranged on the top of the frame, which is quadrangular in shape, with two facing sides formed by a single tube (51) and its two adjacent sides formed by the union of side tubes (52) and two central tubes (53), where the two central tubes are joined by a T-shaped connector (55) arranged vertically, where the side tubes (52) and the central tubes (53) are joined by a T-shaped connector (54) arranged in an inclined manner and oriented towards the base of section (4), the four sides of this base are joined by elbows (56); and where both bases (4, 5) are joined by pillars (9) which are tubular elements, where each pillar is joined between two T-shaped connectors (44, 54); a guide support (2), which serves as a guide for a sliding bar, which is fixed above the base of the frame support; wherein this support comprises two vertical pillars (6) formed by two vertical tubes (61) which are joined by a T-shaped connector (62), and wherein the vertical tubes (61) are fixed to the T-shaped connectors (55) of the support base (5); two parallel crossbars (7) formed by two horizontal tubes (71) joined together by a T-shaped connector (72) having a central through opening; vertical conduit (8) that is joined to the T-shaped connectors (72) of both crossbeams, generating a through-tube guide where the sliding bar (3) is housed; and where the upper ends of the vertical tubes (61) and the ends of the horizontal tubes (71) are fixed by elbows (63); and a sliding bar (3) with a conical tip (31) at its lower end, and wherein the body (32) of the bar is disposed in the vertical conduit (8) of the support, and wherein the bar comprises at least one ballast (33) disposed below the guide support (2), which allows the bar to make a guided downward movement and the conical tip (31) to penetrate the ground, and wherein guide clamps (34) are disposed between the body (32) and the guide support (2), and wherein the body comprises an annular reference piece (35) disposed on the upper part of the body and above the guide support (2).
Claims
1. Penetrometer for characterizing intertidal surface soils, characterized in that it comprises: a support frame (1) in the form of a truncated pyramid, comprising: a quadrangular apparatus base (4) for support on the ground arranged at the bottom of the frame; a quadrangular support base (5) arranged at the top of the frame; where both bases are joined by pillars (9); a guide support (2) fixed above the support base (5) of the frame; where this support comprises: two vertical pillars (6) joined by two parallel crossbars (7); where each crossbar has a central through-opening; and,where both openings are joined by a vertical conduit (8) housing the body of a sliding bar (3); and a sliding bar (3) comprising: a body (32) and a conical tip (31) at the lower end of the body penetrating the ground; where the bar comprises at least one ballast (33) disposed below the guide support (2); where upper and lower guide clamps (34) are disposed between the body (32) and the guide support (2); where the body (32) comprises an annular reference piece (35) disposed on the upper part of the body and above the guide support (2).
2. A penetrometer according to claim 1, wherein the base of the apparatus (4) comprises two facing sides formed by a single tube (41) and its two adjacent sides formed by the union of two lateral tubes (42) and a central tube (43) which is joined to the lateral tubes by a T-shaped connector (44) arranged in an inclined manner and facing the base of the support (5),and where the ends of the four sides of the base are joined by elbows (45).
3. A penetrometer, according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the support base (5) arranged on the top of the frame comprises two facing sides formed by a single tube (51) and its two adjacent sides are formed by the union of side tubes (52) and two central tubes (53), wherein the two central tubes are joined by a vertically arranged T-shaped connector (55); and wherein the side tubes (52) and the central tubes (53) are joined by an inclined T-shaped connector (54) oriented towards the base of section (4), the four sides of this base being joined by elbows (56).
4. A penetrometer, according to claims 1 to 3, wherein each pillar (9) is joined between a T-shaped connector (44) of the base of the apparatus and a T-shaped connector (54) of the base of the support.
5. A penetrometer, according to claims 1 to 4,where the two vertical pillars (6) are formed by two vertical tubes (61) joined by a T-shaped connector (62); two parallel crossbars (7) are formed by two horizontal tubes (71) joined together by a T-shaped connector (72) having a central through opening; where a vertical duct (8) is attached to the T-shaped connectors (72) of both crossbars; and where the upper ends of the vertical tubes (61) and the ends of the horizontal tubes (71) are secured by elbows (63); and where the vertical tubes (61) are secured to the T-shaped connectors (55).