Concrete Floatation Element Using Coated Foam Beads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solid lateral floats for vessels are complex and costly to manufacture, making them unsuitable for economic production, especially for smaller vessels like tenders, due to the use of expensive materials and molds.
Innovation Solution
A buoyancy block composed of expanded foam balls with closed cells coated in a flexible binding, allowing for a dense and lightweight structure with a flexible binding material like polyurethane, which can be manufactured using a simplified process without high-temperature molding, and can be shaped to fit various vessel designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional synthetic materials and multi-layer structures are used for solid lateral floats, then buoyancy performance is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of expanded foam balls (polystyrene or polyethylene) combined with a flexible binding agent (polyurethane or epoxy resin). This composite structure provides the necessary buoyancy while simplifying manufacturing compared to traditional multi-layer synthetic material constructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs porous expanded foam balls as the core buoyant element. These pre-expanded balls create a lightweight, high-buoyancy structure that reduces manufacturing complexity compared to solid synthetic materials, while maintaining reliable buoyancy performance through their closed-cell porous structure.
2Reliability
If traditional synthetic materials and expensive molds are used for solid lateral floats, then desired buoyancy is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using expanded foam balls with specific density ranges (polystyrene: 15-30 kg/m³, polyethylene: 20-40 kg/m³) and controlling the binding agent content (10-30% by weight). This allows achievement of desired buoyancy performance while using more economical materials and simpler manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive traditional synthetic materials with more economical expanded foam balls bound with flexible binding agents. This substitution reduces material costs while maintaining sufficient buoyancy performance for the application.
3Strength
If dense packing of expanded foam balls is achieved, then mechanical strength increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expanded foam balls are pre-expanded before being incorporated into the final product. This preliminary expansion creates the desired porous structure and mechanical properties, simplifying the final manufacturing process as the balls can be directly combined with the binding agent without requiring complex in-situ expansion equipment.
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
The solution provides a cost-effective and simplified method for producing buoyancy elements that are durable, lightweight, and easy to repair, suitable for a range of vessel sizes, while maintaining excellent buoyancy and mechanical strength.
Implementation Method 1
synthetic materials or most frequently of combinations of several synthetic materials at least some of which have a density less than that of water and procure the desired buoyancy
Implementation Method 2
expanded foam balls with closed cells coated in a flexible binding
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a flotation element for vessels, consisting of concrete comprising closed-cell expanded foam beads, such as polypropylene beads, which are coated with a flexible binder, such as polyurethane, whereby the unfilled inter-bead volumes do not exceed approximately 20% of the volume of the floatation element. Preferably, one such floatation element comprises a concrete core as indicated above, a polyurethane coating around the core and a bonding film, such as polyurethane, which is disposed between the core and the coating. The invention is suitable for the construction of vessel floats.