Skid-Mounted Erosion Control Device with Auger Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing erosion control methods, such as silt fences, are labor-intensive, inefficient, and unable to withstand high water levels, often becoming non-functional due to wind or water flow, necessitating a more effective and easily installable barrier solution.
Innovation Solution
A portable erosion control device that includes a material hopper and auger assembly for compacting filler materials into barrier bags, which can be deployed directly or transported, using a skid steer, front-end loader, or tractor, allowing for rapid creation and placement of continuous barriers capable of withstanding high water levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silt fences are used for erosion control, then a barrier can be created to prevent soil loss, but the installation becomes labor-intensive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a skid steer vehicle equipped with a custom attachment that automatically fills barrier bags with erosion control material and deploys them along the ground. The vehicle performs multiple functions (positioning, filling, deploying) simultaneously, eliminating the need for manual labor-intensive installation while maintaining effective erosion control barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical installation processes with an automated mechanical system. The skid steer vehicle with its specialized attachment uses mechanical means to fill and deploy barrier bags, substituting human labor with machine operation to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness.
2Reliability
If silt fences are installed to prevent erosion, then soil loss can be reduced, but the stakes and bottom sheet require anchoring which creates erosion problems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the anchoring requirement from the erosion control system. Instead of driving stakes into the ground and burying sheet bottoms, the barrier bags are simply placed on the ground surface and filled in place, removing the source of anchoring-induced erosion completely.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a rigid anchored structure that risks causing erosion, the system uses flexible barrier bags that conform to the ground surface. The bags are filled with erosion control material and placed directly where needed, inverting the traditional approach from rigid anchored barriers to flexible ground-adhering barriers.
3Reliability
If silt fences are used as erosion barriers, then they can block water flow, but they are knocked over by wind or water and become non-functional
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier bags are filled with a composite material mixture including erosion control fabric, geotextile, and erosion control material (such as coir or other natural fibers). This composite structure provides both flexibility to withstand wind and water pressure and sufficient strength to maintain barrier functionality under various environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the barrier from rigid and brittle (traditional silt fences) to flexible and resilient (filled barrier bags). The bags can deform and conform to ground conditions while maintaining their barrier function, allowing them to withstand wind and water pressure without breaking or collapsing.
4Reliability
If traditional erosion barriers are deployed, then protection can be provided against water flow, but they cannot withstand significant water levels
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier bags are constructed from flexible materials that can expand and deform under water pressure. The geotextile and erosion control fabric layers provide a flexible barrier that can withstand significant water levels by conforming to the ground and distributing pressure, rather than rigid structures that would crack or collapse.
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 device enables efficient and cost-effective deployment of compacted filler materials into barrier bags, providing effective erosion control across large areas and adaptable for various environmental conditions, including oil spill containment.
Implementation Method 1
The auger assembly transports and compacts the filler material within a filling chute
Implementation Method 2
a beater bar assembly for agitating the filler material within the material hopper so as to continually feed an auger assembly within the loading box
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus related to an erosion control device for constructing a barrier bag for use in areas where erosion is likely to occur. The erosion control device can include an attachment member allowing the erosion control device to be operably mounted to a skid steer, front-end loader, tractor or similar vehicle for transportation and power. The erosion control device can include a loading box defining a material hopper for holding a filler material. The loading box can further comprise a beater bar assembly for agitating the filler material within the material hopper so as to continually feed an auger assembly within the loading box. The auger assembly transports and compacts the filler material within a filling chute. The compacted filler material exits the filling chute and enters into a barrier bag that is continually deployed from the filling chute.