Modular Buoyancy Body Clamping for Torsion-Free Floating Platforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating structures for supporting sensitive components like photovoltaic modules on water surfaces lack sufficient rigidity, load-bearing capacity, and are not cost-effective, with prior solutions failing to meet these requirements fully.
Innovation Solution
A buoyancy body in the form of a cylinder or regular prism with recesses and fixing elements that allow a truss-like base structure to be fixed in all six degrees of freedom, combined with diagonal connectors for increased stability and torsional stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If floating structures are assembled on land before transport, then assembly precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floating structure is divided into modular components: buoyancy bodies, truss-like base structures, and sensitive components. Each module can be independently manufactured and assembled on water, eliminating the need for complex land-based pre-assembly while maintaining precision through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces standardized connection elements and mounting structures as intermediaries between buoyancy bodies and sensitive components. These intermediaries simplify the assembly process by providing pre-defined connection points, allowing precise assembly on water without requiring complex land-based preparation.
2Strength
If floating structures are made more rigid to support sensitive components, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The structure uses separate truss-like base structures that provide rigidity and load-bearing capacity independently from the buoyancy bodies. This segmentation allows the rigid support function to be achieved without making the entire floating structure more complex, as only the base structures need to be rigid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining buoyancy bodies (for flotation) with truss-like base structures (for rigidity). This composite approach achieves high load-bearing capacity for sensitive components without requiring the buoyancy bodies themselves to be complex or overly rigid, maintaining simplicity where not needed.
3Ease of operation
If floating structures are designed for modular assembly on water, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The buoyancy bodies are designed with universal connection features (recesses and fixing elements) that work for all sensitive components and base structures. This universality enables simple modular assembly on water while maintaining precision through consistent, repeatable connection geometries that can be manufactured with standard tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection elements are designed to self-align and self-lock during assembly on water. The recesses in buoyancy bodies and corresponding fixing elements create automatic positioning mechanisms that ensure precise assembly without requiring complex alignment procedures or specialized equipment, making the process both easy and precise.
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
Provides reliable, torsion-free floating support for sensitive components while being cost-effective and modular, minimizing damage from deformations and allowing for adaptable, stable structures.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyancy body (1) for the floating support of a buoyant structure
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a buoyancy body (1) for supporting a floatable structure (50) in a floating manner, wherein the buoyancy body (1) is substantially designed in the shape of a cylinder or a regular prism and has a cover surface (4) substantially perpendicularly to an axis of symmetry (3) of the buoyancy body, said cover surface being equipped with depressions (21) in order to receive a node point (6) of a substantially flat framework-like base structure (2) in a form-fitting manner. Fixing elements (9) fix the base structure (2) in the direction of the axis of symmetry (3) so that the buoyancy body (1) can be secured in all 6 (six) degrees of freedom at a node point (6). By clamping an additional base structure (2) on the base surface of the buoyancy body (1) to the first base structure, a floatable module (60) can be produced which can be used as a basic component for flat and tower-type structures.