Gutter for an evaporative panel of a cooling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional evaporative cooling systems for livestock and greenhouse facilities face challenges in the manual, time-consuming, and resource-intensive process of assembling and sealing large evaporative panels, particularly the collection gutters, which requires skilled labor and results in inconsistent sealing.
Innovation Solution
A gutter system for evaporative panels featuring a joint with an outer and inner part, flanges, gaskets, and clamping means that facilitates easy assembly and sealing, reducing the expertise required and assembly time, ensuring a secure and efficient connection between channel elements and end caps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual fixing and sealing operations are used to assemble gutter elements, then the gutter can be assembled on site, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires skilled labor with inconsistent results
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is divided into distinct components: an outer part with external flanges, an inner part with internal flanges, and a gasket. This segmentation allows for pre-assembly and standardization, reducing on-site assembly time and skill requirements while maintaining seal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint components are designed to be pre-assembled or pre-positioned with alignment features (flanges) that guide the connection process. The gasket is pre-placed in the groove, and the clamping means are pre-configured, eliminating the need for complex on-site sealing operations and reducing assembly time.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual fixing and sealing operations are used to assemble gutter elements, then the gutter can be assembled on site, but the process requires skilled labor and becomes resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is divided into distinct components: an outer part with external flanges, an inner part with internal flanges, and a gasket. This segmentation allows for pre-assembly and standardization, reducing on-site assembly time and skill requirements while maintaining seal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint design incorporates self-aligning flanges and a gasket that automatically positions itself in the groove when components are assembled. The clamping means apply uniform pressure to secure the connection without requiring skilled operators, making the assembly process self-explanatory and reducing the need for expert intervention.
3Reliability
If manual sealing operations are used, then the gutter elements can be fixed together, but the sealing quality depends on operator skill and becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is pre-placed in the groove of the joint before assembly, acting as a cushioning element that ensures consistent sealing. This preliminary positioning of the sealing element eliminates variability in seal quality that would otherwise depend on operator skill during the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint design incorporates self-aligning flanges and a gasket that automatically positions itself in the groove when components are assembled. The clamping means apply uniform pressure to secure the connection without requiring skilled operators, making the assembly process self-explanatory and reducing the need for expert intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A gutter for an evaporative panel of a cooling system having at least one channel with a bottom wall, a pair of opposing side walls ending at the top edges of the channel, at least one joint connecting one end of the channel to another component of the evaporative panel, the joint comprising, an outer part for coupling to an outer surface of the channel and having a pair of flanges to be arranged at the respective top edges of the channel, an inner part for coupling to an inner surface of the channel and having a pair of flanges to be arranged at the respective top edges of the channel, at least one gasket to be interposed between the inner part of the joint and the inner surface of the channel, and clamping to clamp the end of the channel between the inside and outside parts of the joint.