Bottom-Mounted Pump for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Pipe
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ocean energy conversion systems face challenges in installing and repairing pumps at great depths due to negative pressure issues and difficulty in extending electrical cables, and they require reinforced pipes that are costly and prone to damage from wave action.
Innovation Solution
A system with a pump located at the bottom of a long, possibly fabric, cold water pipe that creates positive pressure, featuring a bottom structure with a horizontal installation slot for easy pump module removal and replacement, and a movable pipe connector with a U-shaped seal for installation and a lower pipe section with a smaller diameter for easy replacement of the top section in case of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pump is mounted at the top of the pipe to pump water up, then the pump can be easily installed and maintained, but it creates negative pressure in the pipe which requires costly pipe reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is inverted from the conventional top-mounted position to a bottom-mounted position. This inversion allows the pump to create positive pressure that pushes water up the pipe, eliminating the need for negative pressure and costly pipe reinforcement, while still maintaining ease of installation and maintenance through the horizontal slot access mechanism
2Strength
If a pump is mounted at the bottom of the pipe to avoid negative pressure, then pipe reinforcement is reduced, but installation and repair of the pump becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is segmented from the pipe structure and positioned in a separate bottom structure with a horizontal installation slot. This allows the pump to be independently installed, removed, and repaired through the slot without affecting the pipe integrity, solving both the pipe strength requirement and the ease of repair contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
A bottom structure with a horizontal installation slot acts as an intermediary between the pump and the deep-sea environment. This intermediary mechanism allows easy pump access and replacement through the slot while the ballast system mediates the weight management, enabling pump maintenance without difficult deep-sea operations
3Reliability
If the entire pipe is replaced when the top section is damaged, then the system reliability is maintained, but the cost and time for replacement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is segmented into a top section and a bottom section with different diameters. The bottom section with smaller diameter can be pulled up through the damaged top section to replace only the damaged portion, maintaining system reliability while significantly reducing replacement time and cost compared to replacing the entire pipe
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom pipe section is designed with a smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the top pipe section, allowing it to be nested within and pulled through the top section. This nesting configuration enables selective replacement of the damaged top section without replacing the entire pipe system
4Adaptability or versatility
If a movable pipe connector is used to align with the pipe top, then installation flexibility is improved, but a water-tight seal becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe connector is designed as a movable component that can dynamically adjust its position and orientation to align with the pipe top. This dynamic capability provides installation flexibility while the U-shaped seal maintains water-tight connection during operation, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and seal reliability
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
Facilitates easier installation and repair of the pump, reduces the need for costly pipe reinforcement, and allows for partial pipe replacement without installing a new entire pipe, enhancing the system's durability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A pump at the bottom of a long possibly fabric pipe pumps up water and thereby creates a positive pressure in the pipe
Implementation Method 2
The movable pipe connector is sealed to the movable pipe connector by a seal of U-shaped cross section
Implementation Method 3
The bottom structure includes a ballast sleeve that contains ballast
Implementation Method 4
The difference in temperatures between the cold water and warmer water at the sea surface can be used to obtain energy
Data Source
AI summary
A system wherein cold water from near the sea floor is pumped through a primarily vertical pipe (12) to a body (14) floating at the sea surface so energy can be obtained from water temperature differences. A pump (50) located at the bottom of the pipe, is part of a pump module (46) that can be inserted and removed horizontally through a slot (44) in a bottom structure (22) lying at the bottom of the pipe. The top of the pipe is sealed to a movable pipe connector, by a U-shaped elastomeric seal (110). The pipe can include a short top pipe section (126) and a long bottom pipe section (127) of smaller diameter (D), whose upper portion can be pulled up through the top pipe section when the top pipe section is damaged.