Capacitive Load Arrangement for Marine Anti-Fouling Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for powering anti-fouling light sources on marine structures exposed to seawater are expensive and unreliable, as they require complex wiring and connectors, which can lead to short circuits and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A load arrangement using a carrier medium with embedded loads and a transmitter arrangement that utilizes capacitive transfer of supply current through front and back electrodes, with transmitters distributed along the supply line to form short conductive paths, allowing for efficient and reliable power delivery to loads like UV light sources embedded in an optical medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex wiring and connectors are used to power anti-fouling light sources on marine structures, then the light sources can be powered, but the system becomes expensive and unreliable due to short circuits and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power transmission function from traditional wired connections and implements it through electromagnetic field coupling. The power source and loads are electrically coupled through the conductive liquid medium (seawater) without direct wire connections, eliminating complex wiring and connectors that cause corrosion and short circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive liquid medium (seawater) serves as an intermediary for power transmission. Instead of direct wire-to-load connections, the system uses the seawater as a conductive path, with electrodes coupling power from the source to the loads through the liquid medium, simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Power
If traditional wiring is used in seawater environment, then power can be delivered to loads, but the wiring is exposed to corrosion and short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wiring system with an electromagnetic field-based power transmission system. Power is delivered through electromagnetic coupling through the conductive liquid medium, eliminating the need for physical wires that are susceptible to corrosion and short circuits in the seawater environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive liquid medium acts as an intermediary that enables power transmission without direct electrical contact between power source and loads through traditional wiring. The electrodes interface with the liquid medium to establish electrical coupling, avoiding the need for corrosion-prone wire connections.
3Use of energy by moving object
If wires are embedded in carrier medium to power loads, then power transmission is achieved, but the system requires complex wiring infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive liquid medium serves multiple functions: it is both the operating environment for the marine structure and the power transmission medium. This eliminates the need for separate wiring infrastructure, as the seawater itself carries the electrical energy from the power source to the distributed loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the power transmission function with the existing conductive liquid medium environment. Instead of adding separate wiring infrastructure, the system combines power delivery with the natural conductive properties of the seawater, simplifying the overall system architecture.
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
This solution reduces current leakage, protects components from corrosion, and maintains effective power supply even with damaged surfaces, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of anti-fouling systems on marine structures.
Implementation Method 1
a back capacitor for capacitive transfer of the supply current between the second power node and one pole of the power source coupled to the marine structure
Data Source
AI summary
A load arrangement powers loads on a surface (30) of a marine structure exposed to a fouling liquid (10), and has a transmitter arrangement (110) and at least one carrier medium (100) having embedded loads (20). Front electrodes (130) are arranged to be coupled to the liquid, and back electrodes (120) have back electrically conductive layers embedded in the carrier medium to form, in combination with an opposite area of the marine 5 structure and a dielectric layer (4a), a back capacitor for capacitive transfer of the supply current between the second power node and one pole of the power source coupled to the marine structure. The transmitter arrangement has a supply line (111) and a multitude of transmitters (114) galvanically connected to the supply line. The multitude of transmitters is distributed along the supply line to be arranged near the multiple front electrodes to form 10 short conductive paths (113).