Cabled Flexible Wall Dam Dry-Side Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible wall dams are limited to low heights due to impracticality and high costs associated with heavily stressed cables and complex joints, which are submerged in water, requiring frequent maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves relocating heavily stressed cables and complicated joints to the dry side of the dam, using a reinforcement layer and cables on the downstream side to enhance strength and facilitate maintenance, allowing for the construction of higher and larger dams without extending or retracting the top cable, and applying these methods to both collapsible and non-collapsible dams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If heavily stressed cables and complex joints are placed on the upstream side (in water) to reinforce the dam, then the dam strength is improved, but maintenance complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the heavily stressed cables and complex joints on the downstream side (dry side) instead of the upstream side (wet side). This allows the reinforcement elements to be positioned where they can still effectively strengthen the dam while being accessible for maintenance and protected from water submersion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex and heavily stressed cable-joint assemblies from the water environment and relocates them to the dry downstream side. This separation removes the maintenance burden from the water environment while preserving the structural reinforcement function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the top cable is made extendable to allow opening and closing of the dam, then the operational flexibility is improved, but the cost and complexity of the extending mechanism increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the top cable itself extendable (which would require complex mechanisms along the entire cable length), the patent inverts the approach by using a simplified anchoring system on the downstream side that allows the dam to be raised and lowered without extending the top cable structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate anchoring points and cable arrangements on the downstream side that act as mediators to enable the opening and closing operation. These intermediaries provide the necessary mechanical advantage and control points without requiring the top cable to be extendable.
3Length of stationary object
If the dam height is increased beyond 5 meters, then the water control capability is improved, but the practicality and economy deteriorate due to cable stress and construction complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the complex cable-joint assemblies from a two-dimensional planar arrangement on the upstream side to a three-dimensional configuration on the downstream side, utilizing the space behind the dam. This dimensional change allows for better cable routing, reduced stress concentrations, and easier assembly and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
By inverting the placement of reinforcement elements to the downstream side, the patent enables taller dam construction to be more practical and economical. The dry-side positioning reduces the complexity of working at heights in water and simplifies the overall construction process.
Data Source
AI summary
A cabled, non-inflatable type flexible wall dam for restraining or controlling the flow of water is disclosed. The cables and flexible wall of present invention are arranged in a manner that enables present flexible wall dams to open (lower) and close (raise) for controlling the flow of water. Present invention includes a reinforcement method that has a net like reinforcement layer and reinforcement cables, and therefore the dams of present invention can be built to be stronger, larger, and higher than the most commonly used inflatable flexible wall dams.