Composite Fluid Retaining Barrier with Curved Conduit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water retaining barrier structures, such as lock gates and dams, are prone to corrosion and deterioration, leading to high maintenance costs and limited lifespan due to their heavy weight and susceptibility to rotting, especially in timber-based components.
Innovation Solution
The development of a composite liquid retaining barrier system comprising vertically stacked members with an outer shell and an inner core, featuring a curved conduit made of compression reinforcement material and filled with a core material, which provides enhanced resistance to corrosion and reduced self-weight, allowing for a modular and cost-effective design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional barrier structures use steel, concrete, or timber beams to provide strength and stiffness, then the barrier can resist hydrostatic pressures, but the structure becomes very heavy and susceptible to corrosion and deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a thin-walled outer shell made of corrosion-resistant material (such as fiber-reinforced polymer) with internal support elements. This composite structure provides the necessary strength and stiffness to resist hydrostatic pressure while significantly reducing the overall weight compared to conventional steel, concrete, or timber beam structures. The outer shell carries the primary load through its composite material properties, eliminating the need for heavy traditional structural members.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a thin-walled outer shell constructed from corrosion-resistant material that acts as the primary structural element. This thin film or shell structure, when made from appropriate composite materials, can withstand hydrostatic pressure while maintaining minimal weight. The shell's geometry and material properties are optimized to provide structural integrity without requiring thick walls or heavy reinforcement.
2Ease of manufacture
If timber barriers are used to construct the barrier, then the structure can be built with organic materials, but the water absorptive characteristics result in very limited life cycles due to rotting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces organic timber materials with inorganic composite materials, specifically fiber-reinforced polymer composites, that do not absorb water and are resistant to rotting. This substitution maintains the ease of manufacture through modular construction while dramatically extending the service life from limited cycles (timber) to potentially decades or centuries (corrosion-resistant composites). The composite material inherits the best properties of both organic and inorganic materials: manufacturability and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental material parameter from water-absorptive organic timber to water-resistant inorganic composite material. This parameter change in material composition fundamentally alters the durability characteristic, transforming the barrier from one with limited life cycle due to rotting to one with extended service life resistant to environmental degradation.
3Strength
If heavy barrier structures are used to ensure structural integrity, then the barrier can resist hydrostatic pressures, but transportation and construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing the barrier to maintain structural integrity for resisting hydrostatic pressure while significantly reducing weight. This weight reduction directly lowers transportation costs and makes construction more economical. The composite structure provides equivalent or superior structural performance to heavy traditional materials at a fraction of the weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the barrier into multiple modular segments or panels that can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site. This segmentation, combined with the use of lightweight composite materials, further reduces transportation costs by allowing efficient shipping of smaller components and simplifies construction through modular assembly, eliminating the need to transport and install single heavy monolithic structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid retaining barrier comprises a plurality of vertically stacked members, each member having first and second ends, a length between the first and second ends, first and second sides, and top and bottom faces. An outer shell extends around a perimeter formed by the first and second sides and first and second faces of the member, and defines an inner core space. A conduit comprising a compression reinforcement material is positioned in the inner core space and forms an approximately parabolic curve extending between the first and second ends. A side of the outer shell is tangent to the curve of the conduit at about the mid-point of the length of the member.