Biomatter Floating Mats for Coastal Wave Energy Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coastal resilience solutions, such as heavy engineered barriers and floating greenery projects, are inefficient and environmentally detrimental in addressing wave energy and storm surge flux, while also failing to effectively manage tidal-borne sediment, and often require costly and carbon-intensive maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An interconnected network of living biomatter-heavy floating mats with a tension yoke interconnection subsystem and anchoring system, allowing for modular deployment and growth of semi-aquatic plants, which disrupt wave energy and capture sediment, providing a nature-based, low-cost, and low-carbon coastal flood protection solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy engineered barriers (seawalls, dolos, levees) are used to protect against storm surge and waves, then coastal flood protection is improved, but environmental harm increases and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful force of waves and storm surge into beneficial effects by using floating mats that move with the water rather than resist it directly. The mats are designed to be displaced by wave action, allowing the energy to be absorbed and dissipated naturally, while the mats themselves continue to provide protection through their floating configuration and ability to move with the water flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and behavior of the protective structure by using floating mats that can move freely on water surface rather than fixed barriers. The mats are designed with specific buoyancy characteristics and can be deployed at various distances from shore, allowing them to adapt to different wave conditions and provide protection through their dynamic response rather than static resistance.
2Reliability
If heavy engineered barriers are installed, then coastal flood protection is improved, but manufacturing cost and carbon footprint increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the coastal protection system into multiple modular floating mats that can be manufactured independently and deployed in arrays. Each mat is a separate unit that can be produced using standard manufacturing processes, allowing for easier and less costly production compared to monolithic barriers. The modular design also enables flexible deployment configurations adapted to specific local conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mats are designed as relatively simple, inexpensive structures that can be manufactured cost-effectively and deployed easily. While individual mats may have limited service life, their modular nature allows for replacement and reconfiguration, providing an economically viable long-term solution compared to expensive permanent barriers.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If floating greenery projects are used, then environmental benefit is improved, but effectiveness in dissipating storm surge decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple floating mats arranged in arrays or networks rather than single large structures. This segmentation allows the system to provide both environmental benefits through natural materials and effective storm surge dissipation through the collective action of multiple units working together to break up wave energy and reduce surge impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mats incorporate a combination of materials including floating foam or buoyant elements, natural or synthetic fibers, and plant materials. This composite construction provides both the necessary buoyancy and structural integrity for storm surge protection while maintaining environmental benefits through the use of natural materials and biodegradable components.
4Reliability
If blocking water flows is used to protect cities, then flood protection is improved, but water quality degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of water flow blocking into a beneficial process by allowing controlled water movement through and around the floating mats. The mats are designed to be permeable and movable, enabling water to pass through while the mats themselves provide protection through their floating configuration and ability to move with the water flow rather than creating restrictive barriers.
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 biomatter-heavy floating mats effectively disrupt wave energy and storm surge, capture and accumulate sediment, offering a resilient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective solution for coastal protection while promoting bioremediation and wildlife habitats.
Implementation Method 1
living biomatter-heavy floating mats
Implementation Method 2
capture and accumulate sediment
Data Source
AI summary
A coastal resilience system for disrupting wave energy and storm surge flux and allowing accumulation of tidal-borne sediment has an interconnected network of biomatter-heavy floating mats positioned in water near a shoreline, and an interconnection subsystem with connection lines flexibly connecting adjacent floatable mats. Lines may be connected, at a plurality of force transfer points or regions within or near the interior of the mat, to other interconnection components positioned within the mat. In some embodiments, mats have yoke sites spaced around their edges and a connection line extends in a straight line from a first yoke site, through the interior of a mat, and to a second yoke site. The connection lines may intersect at an intersection position in the interior of the floatable mat, multiple connection lines may extend across the interior of the mat, but not always through a center of the interior of the mat.