Corrugated Bellows for Piling Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Piling operations generate significant noise emissions, and existing solutions, such as encasing driven piles with bellows, only provide limited noise reduction.

Innovation Solution

Designing a corrugated bellows with a wavy cross-section and inward curvature to enhance sound absorption, which is connected by sewing or gluing, and integrating reinforcement coated with elastomer for increased stability and ease of manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If standard bellows are used to encase the driven pile, then noise emissions are reduced to some extent, but the noise reduction effect is limited and not significant enough

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise emissionsVSAvoidsound absorption capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by designing the bellows with a corrugated cross-section featuring inwardly curved wave-shaped elements. This curvature modification transforms the standard bellows structure into a corrugated bellows that achieves significantly higher sound absorption (around 4 dB improvement), directly resolving the contradiction between limited noise reduction and enhanced sound absorption capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of manufacture

If corrugated elements are connected by sewing and/or gluing, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but structural stability and resistance to buckling may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidbellows stability against buckling
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible reinforcement elements coated with elastomer that are integrated into the corrugated bellows structure. These flexible reinforcements maintain the bellows' ability to deform during piling operations while providing enhanced structural stability and resistance to buckling, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite construction by combining reinforcement materials coated with elastomer with the corrugated bellows structure. This composite approach creates a unified structure that is both easy to manufacture through sewing and/or gluing connections and sufficiently stable to resist buckling under operational loads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the wave-shaped elements are curved towards the inside of the bellows, then sound absorption is significantly enhanced (around 4 dB improvement), but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound absorption differenceVSAvoidbellows structural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements inwardly curved corrugations in the bellows cross-section, which creates the superior sound absorption performance (around 4 dB improvement). The curvature is integrated into the manufacturing process through predefined semi-circular tracks, balancing the enhanced acoustic performance with manageable manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the annular element with wavy cross-section into at least two ring segments that are connected together. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing of complex curved shapes by allowing each segment to be formed separately using semi-circular tracks, then assembled through sewing and/or gluing, thus reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining the sound absorption benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 corrugated bellows achieves a significant sound absorption difference of around 4 dB compared to standard bellows, effectively reducing noise emissions during piling operations while maintaining structural stability.

Implementation Method 1

the bellows is designed as a corrugated bellows... ensure significantly higher sound absorption... achieves a sound absorption difference of around 4 dB between a bellows and a corrugated bellows

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSound absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Implementation Method 2

the corrugated element has at least one reinforcement coated with an elastomer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3173532B1Bellows for reducing the noise emissions of a noise emitting device and noise emitting device comprising a ramming device and ramming member
Publication Date: 2021.08.25 HUBNER GMBH
  • EP3173532B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3173532B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3173532B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a bellows for reducing the sound emission of a sound-emitting device, comprising a tool and a workpiece, wherein the workpiece is machined by the tool, wherein the bellows can be arranged on the tool and/or the workpiece, wherein the bellows at least substantially surrounds the sound-emitting area of ​​the tool and workpiece, wherein the bellows is designed as a corrugated bellows (20).