Rotatable Bent Pipe Distributor for Gentle Seafood Flow Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water and seafood flow distribution systems face challenges in avoiding sharp bends and obstacles that can damage fish, and they often have limited flexibility in selecting inlets and outlets, requiring multiple valves in series for more complex configurations.
Innovation Solution
A water and seafood flow distributor that uses a coil pump and rotatable bent pipes with integral bends to connect to multiple inlets and outlets, allowing for a wide range of flow routes without sharp bends, thereby preventing damage to fish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional pipes are laid from source to destination, then the flow path is simple and direct, but the system lacks flexibility when source or destination changes and requires new pipes to be installed
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs rotatable bent pipes that can dynamically change their orientation and connection points. The bent pipes can rotate to align with different inlet and outlet pipes, enabling the system to adapt to various flow route configurations without physical reinstallation of pipes.
Solution Approach 2:
Each bent pipe is designed to connect to multiple inlet and outlet pipes through rotation, making a single bent pipe component serve multiple connection functions. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve various flow routes using the same physical infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple valves are arranged in series to achieve more inlets and outlets, then the selection capability increases, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functions of multiple valves into a single integrated structure by using rotatable bent pipes that can connect to multiple inlets and outlets. Instead of having separate valves for each connection, one bent pipe can serve multiple connection functions through rotation, reducing the total number of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The bent pipe is designed as a universal connector that can interface with multiple inlet and outlet pipes. This single component performs the function of what would traditionally require multiple valves, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining or enhancing routing capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If sharp bends and features are included in pipe design, then the pipe structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but fish can be caught or damaged by these features
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses bent pipes with smooth, curved transitions instead of sharp bends. The bent pipes incorporate gradual angular changes that eliminate abrupt edges and corners, providing a smooth flow path that prevents fish from being caught or damaged while maintaining structural integrity and manufacturability.
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 solution enables efficient and flexible distribution of water and seafood by allowing 144 different flow routes (288 when bidirectional), minimizing the risk of fish damage and accommodating various configuration needs without the need for multiple valves.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (11) of the coil pump type
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A water and seafood flow distributor (1) for routing flowable mass from a first location to a selected one of a second plurality of locations. The distributor (1) has a first pipe (5) and a second bent pipe (51), which are in communication with one another at a first end (8, 8') via a mass mover. The second bent pipe (5') is rotatable about the first end (81) to displace a second end (91) along a circle (121). A first conduit (10) is in communication with the first location, and a plurality of second conduits (10') are in communication with a respective one of the second plurality of locations, and the ends of the conduits are arranged along a circle (12 ') described by the second end (91) of the second bent pipe (51). The first and second conduits can be fluidly connected through the first and second pipes.