Self-activating Flood Barrier with Low-friction Jamming Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-activating flood protection barriers lack a backup system to prevent jamming due to water pressure and can only be raised during floods, making maintenance difficult.
Innovation Solution
A self-activating flood barrier with a chamber, a dam member, and a low-friction device to prevent jamming, along with a secondary deployment mechanism using inflatable airbags that can be deployed independently of flood conditions, allowing the dam member to be raised at will for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-activating flood barrier uses only water pressure to raise the dam member, then the barrier can be activated automatically during floods, but the dam member may jam due to water pressure and cannot be lowered when needed for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier maintains self-activating capability through water pressure raising the dam member automatically during floods, while the added manual lowering mechanism allows the system to service itself by enabling maintenance operations without requiring flood conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The dam member serves multiple functions: it automatically raises during floods to prevent flooding, can be manually lowered for maintenance, and the system can operate in both automatic and manual modes to accommodate different operational requirements
2Extent of automation
If the dam member is designed to self-deploy using water pressure, then automatic flood protection is achieved, but no backup system exists to prevent jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for potential jamming by providing a manual lowering mechanism as a backup, and the low-friction device pre-prevents jamming by reducing friction between the dam member and chamber walls before jamming can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The manual lowering mechanism acts as an intermediary backup system that can intervene if the automatic water-pressure-based deployment system fails or jams, providing an alternative method to operate the dam member
3Adaptability or versatility
If the barrier can only be raised during floods, then automatic activation is maintained, but maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static automatic-only operation mode to a dynamic system that can adapt between automatic raising during floods and manual lowering for maintenance, providing operational flexibility based on needs
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
Prevents jamming and allows the barrier to be raised at any time, ensuring effective deployment during floods and facilitating maintenance, while also providing additional uses such as a security barrier and fire break.
Implementation Method 1
a low-friction device positioned between the dam member and at least one of the first and second side walls of the chamber when the dam member is deployed so as to prevent jamming between the dam member and the at least one side wall
Implementation Method 2
at least one side wall of the dam member is inclined such that the dam member is narrower in an upper region thereof compared with a lower region thereof and wherein a complementary inclined surface is provided on a support block positioned at an upper region of the corresponding side wall of the chamber so as to engage with the inclined side wall of the dam member when the dam member is deployed, wherein the support block includes a pivoting component pivotably mounted to the side wall of the chamber
Implementation Method 3
the support block includes a pivoting component pivotably mounted to the side wall of the chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A self-activating flood barrier includes a chamber (1) having first and second side walls (3, 5), a dam member (9) adapted to self-deploy in the event of a flood to inhibit the passage of water to a region to be protected, and a low-friction device (77, 79) positioned between the dam member and at least one of the first and second side walls of the chamber when the dam member is deployed. The low-friction device prevents jamming between the dam member and the at least one side wall.