Flexible Bag Filling Device for Offshore Scour Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for filling and deploying flexible bags with material for scour protection around offshore structures are tedious and time-consuming, and existing fall pipe systems are inadequate for handling large rocks, necessitating a more efficient solution for filling and placing these bags on the seabed.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a stiff receptacle with a tensioning and release mechanism for filling flexible bags with material, which includes a tensioning member for retaining the bag open during filling and releasing it under gravity, and a system for conveying material to the receptacle, allowing for continuous filling and precise deployment of filled bags using a fall pipe or conveyor system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If flexible bags filled with material are used instead of large rocks, then the complexity of handling and production is reduced, but the filling and transporting process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the filling process into discrete steps: the bag is positioned in the receptacle, the retaining means holds the bag open, material is conveyed through the entrance, and finally the retaining means releases the bag. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag is prepared and positioned in the receptacle before filling begins. The retaining means is pre-configured to automatically hold the bag open during filling and then release it when full, eliminating the need for manual intervention during the critical filling operation.
2Productivity
If a stiff receptacle with retaining means is used to fill bags, then filling efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining means automatically performs the function of holding the bag open during filling and releasing it when full, without requiring external control or manual operation. The system serves itself by using the weight of the material and the mechanical design of the retaining means to trigger the release mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiff receptacle serves multiple functions: it provides structural support during filling, positions the bag correctly, contains the material during the filling process, and facilitates the release of the filled bag. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
3Device complexity
If bags are filled and transported manually, then equipment requirements are minimized, but the process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying means continuously transports material to the bag throughout the filling process, eliminating interruptions and idle time. The device maintains a steady flow of material into the bag, ensuring that the filling operation proceeds without delays and maximizing productivity.
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
Enables efficient onsite filling and rapid deployment of flexible bags with material, achieving high production rates and effective scour protection for offshore structures, with the ability to produce up to 600 filled bags per hour, and allows for accurate placement to prevent damage to structures.
Implementation Method 1
the retaining means comprises a tensioning mechanism adapted to tighten an upper rim of the bag around a rim of the receptacle entrance
Implementation Method 2
an exit through which a bag provided with the material can be released from the receptacle under the action of gravity forces
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for filling a flexible bag (5) with material (50). The device comprises a stiff receptacle (3) with an entrance (31) through which a bag can be temporarily received in the receptacle (3), and an exit (32) through which a bag provided with the material can be released from the receptacle (3) under the action of gravity forces; retaining means (34) adapted to hold the bag during filling thereof with the material, to keep the bag open to receive the material through the entrance (31), and to release the bag once filled; and conveying means (4, 40) for conveying the material to the entrance (31). The invention also relates to a method for filling a flexible bag with material, and to a device and method for depositing bags filled with material on the bottom of a water mass.