Continuous Ballast Ring for Safer Floating Digester Covers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional floating covers for sludge digesters face issues with separate concrete ballast blocks posing safety risks during installation and requiring time-consuming on-site form construction, which can lead to inaccuracies and waste.

Innovation Solution

A continuous ballast ring made from concrete, integrated with a steel form that is designed to attach to the digester cover's skirt member, providing rigidity and allowing for precise construction and safer installation by eliminating the need for temporary forms and reducing the risk of blocks falling into the digester.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If separate concrete ballast blocks are used, then the cover can be constructed with conventional materials, but safety risks increase during installation and time-consuming on-site form construction is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconventional material availabilityVSAvoidinstallation safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate concrete ballast blocks into a single continuous ballast ring structure. This integration eliminates the safety hazards associated with handling and installing multiple separate blocks, while maintaining the ballasting function. The continuous ring is constructed as one unified structure, preventing blocks from falling into the digester and reducing installation risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The ballast ring is constructed using segmented steel forms that are assembled in sections around the digester cover. These forms are then filled with concrete and cured in place. This segmentation approach allows for manageable construction sections while creating a continuous final structure, combining the benefits of both segmented construction and continuous performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If separate concrete ballast blocks are used, then construction can proceed with conventional methods, but installation time increases due to form construction requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconventional construction methodsVSAvoidon-site form construction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The steel forms for the ballast ring are designed and prepared in advance as reusable components. The forms are assembled around the cover and then filled with concrete that is pumped into position. This preliminary preparation of forms and the use of pumpable concrete significantly reduces on-site construction time compared to traditional block-by-block installation methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate concrete ballast blocks are used, then construction flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing precision decreases leading to inaccuracies and waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconstruction flexibilityVSAvoiddimensional accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the mechanical system of manually positioning and assembling separate concrete blocks with a pumped concrete delivery system. Concrete is pumped through hoses into the steel forms, allowing for precise placement and elimination of gaps or misalignments that occur with manual block assembly. This substitution of delivery method significantly improves dimensional accuracy and reduces material waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 continuous ballast ring enhances safety and efficiency during installation, reduces waste, and provides consistent performance by allowing the ballast material to be cured within the digester, minimizing the risk of concrete deterioration and improving operational stability.

Implementation Method 1

a cover configured to extend over the interior volume of the vessel and seal the interior volume from the atmosphere and trap a gas generated by sludge contained in the vessel... allow vertical displacement of the cover with change in volume of at least one of the gas and the sludge contained in the vessel beneath the cover

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS11498752B2Digester cover left-in-place ballast ring

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 EVOQUA WATER TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A sludge digester including a vessel and floating cover. The vessel includes a sidewall and an interior volume configured to receive and contain sludge. According to one embodiment, the cover comprises a frame structure that is constructed and arranged to form a skirt member formed at a periphery of the cover and extending downwardly into the vessel, and a continuous ballast ring attached to a lower portion of the skirt member and configured to form a trough member with an interior surface of the skirt member. The sludge digester may also include a guide system coupled to the sidewall and the skirt member and configured to allow vertical displacement of the cover with change in volume of at least one of a gas and a sludge contained in the vessel beneath the cover.