Flood Vent Panel with Pressure-Uncoupling Insulation Pieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional flood vents often fail to allow sufficient passage of flooding fluids while preventing animals and debris, leading to disrupted hydrostatic force equalization and potential clogging, especially when carrying debris or having small openings.
Innovation Solution
A flood vent panel comprising insulation pieces and a frame that uncouples when a predetermined pressure is applied, allowing fluid passage and reducing blockage, even when carrying debris or with closed openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional flood vents use screens or grilles to prevent animals and pests from entering, then pest prevention is improved, but the openings may clog with debris or be too small to allow sufficient fluid passage
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is divided into multiple insulation pieces that can independently uncouple from the panel frame. This segmentation allows the panel to maintain its pest-blocking function while enabling progressive opening mechanisms that can clear debris clogs and restore fluid flow efficiency when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation pieces are designed to dynamically change their state from coupled (blocking) to uncoupled (open) based on applied pressure. This dynamic behavior allows the panel to adapt to different conditions: maintaining pest prevention during normal conditions, and enabling sufficient fluid passage when flood pressure exceeds the predetermined threshold.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the panel blockage is increased to prevent debris passage, then debris prevention is improved, but hydrostatic force equalization is disrupted when debris carries sufficient pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is designed with predetermined pressure thresholds that trigger uncoupling of insulation pieces. This preliminary anti-action mechanism prepares the system to automatically respond when debris-carrying floodwater applies sufficient pressure, ensuring that hydrostatic force equalization is restored even after debris clogging occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel's blockage parameter is dynamically changed from a fixed blocked state to a variable state where insulation pieces can uncouple under predetermined pressure. This parameter change allows the panel to switch between debris prevention mode and hydrostatic equalization mode based on the applied pressure conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If openings in the panel are made smaller to prevent pests, then pest prevention is improved, but the openings may be too small to allow sufficient fluids to pass through
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation pieces are pre-positioned to provide pest blocking through small openings, but are designed to uncouple when predetermined pressure is applied. This preliminary action allows the system to maintain pest prevention during normal conditions while preparing to increase fluid volume passage when flood conditions exceed the threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel serves multiple functions: it acts as a pest barrier during normal conditions through its blocked state, and transitions to a high-capacity fluid passage structure when insulation pieces uncouple under flood pressure. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between small opening size for pest prevention and large opening size for sufficient fluid passage.
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 effective equalization of hydrostatic forces by allowing flooding fluids to pass through while preventing objects until sufficient pressure is applied, reducing clogging and ensuring efficient fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
One or more of the plurality of insulation pieces are configured to uncouple from the flood vent panel when at least a predetermined amount of pressure is applied to a portion of the flood vent panel by one or more of a fluid or an object carried by the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a flood vent panel includes a plurality of insulation pieces positioned together, and a panel frame surrounding the plurality of insulation pieces. The flood vent panel is configured to be coupled to a frame positionable into an opening in a structure, so as to at least partially block a fluid passageway through the opening in the structure. One or more of the plurality of insulation pieces are configured to uncouple from the flood vent panel when at least a predetermined amount of pressure is applied to a portion of the flood vent panel by one or more of a fluid or an object carried by the fluid, so as to reduce an amount of blockage of the fluid passageway provided by the flood vent panel.