Emergency Drain Weir Trapezoidal Cross-Section Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency drains for roof areas face challenges in achieving high drainage capacity while minimizing noise intensity, particularly when pressure flow is initiated, due to the design of the weir which often leads to eddies and uncontrollable water overflow.
Innovation Solution
The weir is designed with a cross-section where the width at the bottom is significantly greater than at the highest point, guiding water smoothly into and out of the drainage opening, reducing eddy formation and noise by ensuring a gradual flow path with either continuous or stepped flanks, and optionally incorporating radial flow guide webs to prevent vortex formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the weir is designed with a thin wall and standard cross-section to simplify manufacturing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the noise intensity increases significantly due to eddy formation and uncontrollable water overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the weir by implementing a trapezoidal cross-section with a broader base. This parameter modification guides water flow more effectively, reducing eddy formation and noise generation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard formwork designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved flank surfaces in the weir design, replacing sharp angular transitions with smooth curved profiles. This curvature guides water flow more gently, reducing turbulence and eddy formation, thereby decreasing noise intensity while maintaining structural integrity.
2Loss of substance
If the weir is designed with a narrow cross-section to reduce material usage and cost, then the loss of substance is reduced, but the drainage capacity is limited due to increased flow velocity and turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the weir cross-sectional parameters by implementing a trapezoidal shape with a broader base. This configuration increases the effective flow area at the base where most water flows, enhancing drainage capacity while using moderate material quantities through efficient geometric distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses the material vs. capacity trade-off by transitioning from a vertical wall configuration to a trapezoidal configuration that utilizes the horizontal dimension more effectively. The broader base provides increased flow capacity without proportionally increasing material consumption, as the additional material is distributed over a larger area.
3Ease of manufacture
If the weir is designed with vertical flanks to simplify construction, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but eddies form and drainage performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces vertical flanks with curved or sloped flank surfaces that guide water flow smoothly. This curvature prevents flow separation and eddy formation, significantly improving drainage performance. The curved profiles can be constructed using standard formwork techniques, maintaining reasonable construction simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the flank angle parameter from 90 degrees (vertical) to a smaller angle creating a trapezoidal cross-section. This parameter change guides water flow more effectively along the weir surface, preventing eddy formation and improving drainage performance while remaining constructible with standard methods.
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 design enhances drainage performance and reduces noise by ensuring a controlled and efficient water flow, preventing eddies and minimizing the risk of uncontrollable overflow, thus improving the overall functionality of emergency drains.
Implementation Method 1
the water is guided on the side flowing into the weir and/or on the side flowing out
Implementation Method 2
a pressure flow is formed in the drain pipe because the drain pipe is filled by the draining water, possibly as a water-air mixture, and due to the in the drain pipe formed column causes a negative pressure in the area of the drainage opening, whereby the drainage of the water from the surface to be drained is accelerated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
An emergency drain for draining a water-retaining area (F) via a drain opening (6) connected to a drain pipe (4), with which water accumulated above a minimum water level (H) can be discharged, comprising a weir (7) for impounding the water up to the minimum water level (H) and a cover wall (8) arranged at a distance from the drain opening (6) to prevent air from being drawn into a vortex forming in the drain opening (6), wherein the weir (7) is arranged around the drain opening (6) and the cover wall (8) extends from the drain opening (6) to beyond the weir (7), is improved with regard to flow performance and noise by the fact that the weir (7) has a cross-section which, at the bottom of the weir (7) resting on the area (F) in the direction of flow (S), is provided with a significantly greater width than at the highest point of the weir (7) over which the water can flow.