Composite Pole Shield for Utility Infrastructure Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pole structures, such as highway luminaire supports and utility poles, face issues like insect damage, pest attacks, rotting from moisture, fire susceptibility, and structural support needs, which are costly and time-consuming to address, especially when damaged, leading to service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A pole shield made of composite material with a polyurethane resin composition and reinforcement, such as glass, forming a hollow structure that can be circumferentially installed around pole structures to provide protection and structural support, including fire resistance, and can be stacked for increased height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical treatments are applied to wooden pole structures to protect from insect damage, pest attacks and rotting, then protection against biological damage is improved, but fire susceptibility increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful chemical treatment layer from the pole structure, replacing it with a physical protective barrier (the shield) that does not require chemical impregnation. The shield provides protection without introducing petrochemicals that increase fire susceptibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield acts as an intermediary barrier between the pole structure and the external environment. It provides protection against biological damage through its physical structure and material composition (ceramic coating, fire-retardant materials) without requiring chemical treatments on the pole itself.
2Reliability
If chemical treatments are applied to wooden pole structures to protect from insect damage, pest attacks and rotting, then protection against biological damage is improved, but cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is segmented into a separate removable shield component rather than being integrated into the pole structure itself. This allows the shield to be manufactured independently, optimized for protection, and easily installed or replaced without treating the entire pole structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is designed as a replaceable protective element that can be manufactured more economically than treating entire pole structures. When damaged or worn, the shield can be replaced without replacing the entire pole, reducing long-term costs.
3Strength
If older pole structures are provided with extra structural support, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield provides structural reinforcement through a relatively thin-walled hollow structure that conforms to the pole surface. This adds strength and rigidity without the complexity of internal bracing or support structures that would protrude from the pole.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield utilizes composite materials (fiber-reinforced polymers, ceramic coatings) that provide high strength-to-weight ratios. This allows structural reinforcement without adding significant weight or complexity to the overall pole structure.
4Reliability
If electrical insulating material is provided at the ground exit point of steel poles, then electrical safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides biological protection, fire resistance, structural reinforcement, and electrical insulation. This eliminates the need for separate electrical insulating material at the ground exit point, as the same shield provides all protective functions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a pole shield for extending around a pole structure. The pole shield comprises a sheet of composite material forming a hollow structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end. The sheet of composite material comprises from about 0% to about 80% by weight of a reinforcement impregnated with about 20% to about 50% of a polyurethane resin composition comprising a combination of a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component. Two or more pole shields may be stacked one on top of the other to form a pole shield structure which extends the height of protection of the pole structure. The pole shield can be used for protecting a pole structure from damage, such as from fire, rain, wind, sand, ice, pests, moisture or electrical. The pole shield may also be used to provide structural support to a pole structure.