Autonomous Anchor Deployable Blades Freefall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional anchoring methods require external forces or consume excessive energy, and existing self-anchoring techniques offer limited strength, especially in muddy sea floors.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous anchor device with a streamlined body and deployable blades that freefall into sediment, utilizing potential and kinetic energy to drive itself into the seabed and deploy blades for enhanced anchoring strength without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional anchoring methods are used, then anchoring strength can be achieved, but external forces or excessive energy consumption is required
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device serves itself by converting its own gravitational potential energy during freefall into kinetic energy to drive it into the sea floor, eliminating the need for external setting forces or energy-consuming pumps/shakers
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor transitions from potential energy state (held in water column) to kinetic energy state (freefalling), then to mechanical work state (driving into sediment), utilizing phase transitions of energy to achieve self-anchoring
2Ease of operation
If self-anchoring methods are used, then external forces are eliminated, but anchoring strength is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is pre-positioned in the water column above the target seabed location, allowing it to fall through a sufficient water column height to generate adequate kinetic energy for strong penetration and anchoring upon impact
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds the vertical dimension by utilizing water column height to generate kinetic energy, transforming a two-dimensional seabed penetration problem into a three-dimensional energy conversion process that achieves stronger anchoring
3Strength
If autonomous embedment techniques with pumps or shakers are used, then anchoring strength is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical energy-consuming systems (pumps or shakers) with a simple gravitational freefall mechanism, substituting active mechanical embedding with passive gravitational penetration to achieve anchoring without inordinate energy consumption
4Strength
If traditional anchoring methods are used, then anchoring can be achieved, but additional components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchor body, blades, and deployment mechanism into a single integrated autonomous device, combining functions that would traditionally require separate components (anchor, setting line, pump, shaker) into one self-contained unit
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
Achieves up to 70% greater anchoring strength than traditional methods, functioning effectively in various aquatic environments with reduced power consumption and simplified deployment, while maintaining increased surface area and suction for improved stability.
Implementation Method 1
a streamlined body configured to freefall through a water column
Implementation Method 2
configured to freefall through a water column and to drive itself into sediment
Implementation Method 3
configured to freefall through a water column and to drive itself into sediment of an aquatic environment
Implementation Method 4
maintaining increased surface area and suction for improved stability
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous anchor device, involving a streamlined body configured to freefall through a water column and to drive itself into sediment of an aquatic environment and a plurality of blades operably coupled with the streamlined body and configured to deploy itself into the sediment as well as retract itself from the sediment.