Flexible Fabric Containment with Liquid-Impervious Coating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing containment systems for hazardous materials often fail to prevent leaks and spills, leading to contamination and regulatory issues, as they require metallic supports for stability, making them cumbersome for transport and deployment.

Innovation Solution

A portable containment system formed by depositing liquid-impervious material onto fabric and shape memory materials, creating flexible walls and floors that are seamless and supported by additional fabric layers, eliminating the need for metallic supports and allowing for easy transport and deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If metallic supports are used to provide stability for containment systems, then structural stability is improved, but portability and ease of transport deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidportability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The containment system uses flexible fabric walls and floors coated with liquid-impervious material to create a stable containment structure without rigid metallic supports. The flexible fabric structure can be easily folded and transported, yet maintains structural integrity when deployed through the coating and geometric configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The system combines fabric material with liquid-impervious coating to create a composite structure that provides both flexibility for portability and structural stability for containment. The composite material achieves both portability and stability simultaneously rather than requiring separate metallic support components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If seams and joints are present in containment structures, then ease of construction is improved, but reliability of containment deteriorates due to potential leak paths

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of constructionVSAvoidcontainment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric pieces are overlapped and coated together to form continuous seamless surfaces. The liquid-impervious coating bridges the gaps between fabric pieces, merging them into a continuous containment barrier that eliminates seam-related leak paths while maintaining ease of construction from multiple fabric pieces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible fabric structure with liquid-impervious coating allows for continuous surfaces to be formed without rigid seams. The coating creates a monolithic barrier that maintains containment reliability while allowing the structure to be constructed from multiple flexible fabric components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Strength

If rigid structures are used for containment systems, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to different terrains and portability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidadaptability to terrain

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The containment system uses flexible fabric walls that can dynamically adapt their shape and configuration to different terrains and deployment conditions. The structure transitions from a folded portable state to an expanded operational state, providing both portability and structural strength through its dynamic flexibility rather than rigid fixed form.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible fabric structure with liquid-impervious coating provides structural strength sufficient for containment while maintaining the ability to adapt to various terrains and deployment scenarios. The flexibility allows the structure to conform to ground contours and be easily transported, unlike rigid structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 system effectively contains hazardous materials, preventing leakage and absorption into the ground, while simplifying transport and use by eliminating the need for metallic supports, thus reducing the risk of contamination and regulatory fines.

Implementation Method 1

forming free-standing flexible walls and a floor of a containment structure by depositing liquid-impervious material onto the at least one mold and the one or more first pieces of fabric

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDeposition: Deposition (physical)

Implementation Method 2

placing at least one piece of shape memory material along outer edges of one or more pieces of fabric

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShape memory: Shape Memory Polymer

Data Source

PatentUS8998013B2Portable containment systems for hazardous or other materials

Publication Date: 2015.04.07 TITANLINER

AI summary

A method includes placing at least one mold along outer edges of one or more first pieces of fabric. The method also includes forming free-standing flexible walls and a floor of a containment structure by depositing liquid-impervious material onto the at least one mold and the one or more first pieces of fabric. The floor is formed seamlessly with the walls. The method further includes forming flexible supports by depositing liquid-impervious material onto multiple second pieces of fabric connecting the floor and the flexible walls.