Floating Pool with Ballast-Adjusted Emergence for Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing submerged swimming pool designs face challenges in cleaning and maintenance due to their submerged nature, which leads to water quality issues and difficulties in assembly and transportation, especially in public settings where safety and accessibility are concerns.

Innovation Solution

A floating pool design with a supporting structure comprising modular floats and ballast elements that allows the pool to be partially or fully emerged from the water for cleaning and maintenance, incorporating water filtration systems and adjustable ballast for easy assembly and transportation, and featuring flexible or rigid panels with optional perforations for water management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pool is designed as a submerged structure with perforated walls for water renewal, then water quality is improved through systematic renewal, but particles in suspension deposit on walls promoting algae development and cleaning becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater qualityVSAvoidcleaning accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The pool structure incorporates adjustable ballast elements that enable dynamic transition between submerged and emerged states. This dynamic capability allows the pool to adapt its position according to operational needs - submerged for normal operation with water renewal, and emerged for cleaning and maintenance activities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical state parameter of the pool structure by modifying its buoyancy through ballast adjustment. By controlling the ballast elements, the pool can change its immersion depth and position, transitioning from a permanently submerged state to an emerged or partially emerged state for cleaning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If the pool is designed large in size to accommodate public use, then capacity is improved, but weight increases requiring exceptional transport and handling means

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepool capacityVSAvoidtransport and assembly
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The pool structure is divided into modular components including interchangeable panels that can be assembled in sections. This segmentation allows the large pool to be constructed from manageable modules that can be transported and assembled using conventional equipment rather than requiring exceptional transport means for the entire structure at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pool components are pre-assembled on land in a controlled environment before being transported to the water body. This preliminary assembly action allows for easier handling and transportation of pre-fabricated modules compared to assembling the entire structure in the water, and facilitates subsequent launching and deployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If the pool walls are made rigid to provide structural stability, then strength is improved, but the structure becomes heavier and requires more material meeting oxidation resistance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidpool structure weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The pool structure employs different material qualities in different locations - rigid panels provide structural stability where needed, while flexible panels are used in other areas. This local differentiation of material properties allows the structure to achieve necessary strength without uniformly increasing weight and material requirements throughout the entire pool.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite construction combining rigid and flexible panel materials with different properties. This composite approach allows the structure to achieve structural stability through rigid components while using lighter flexible materials in other areas, reducing overall weight and material requirements compared to a fully rigid construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Reliability

If the pool is kept submerged for safety and stability, then safety is improved, but cleaning and maintenance become impossible without removal from water

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidcleaning and maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pool incorporates dynamic ballast control that enables transition between submerged and emerged states. This dynamic capability allows the pool to maintain a submerged position for safety during operation, then emerge for cleaning and maintenance activities, and return to submerged position afterward - combining safety with maintenance accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Facilitates efficient cleaning, maintenance, and assembly of the pool while maintaining water quality, enhancing safety and accessibility by allowing filtered water filling and easy movement, and reducing the need for specialized lifting equipment.

Implementation Method 1

a floating part (9) comprising one or more floats (11)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Implementation Method 2

a normally submerged part (10) provided with elements (15) forming ballasts

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP1882796B1Swimming pool type tank, designed to be immerged in a stream or a reservoir and method for assembly and placing in water
Publication Date: 2016.05.18 WALTER SAS
  • EP1882796B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP1882796B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6
  • EP1882796B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

The basin (1) has flexible/rigid panels held and fixed on a self-supporting structure, and forming peripheral walls and bottom of the basin. The structure has a floating part including modular floats and an immersed part with ballast forming side rails (15) to emerge/float the basin on a water surface or stream (2). The immersed part has a vertical peripheral structure (14) surmounting a horizontal structure designed in the form of a raft. An independent claim is also included for a mounting method for watering a floating basin.