Flood Vent Shuttered Duct Automatic Pressure Relief
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flood vent technologies require skilled labor for manufacturing and assembly, are prone to improper adjustment leading to premature or failed operation, and lack automatic opening mechanisms to address pressure differentials caused by floodwaters, while also failing to provide adequate ventilation and minimizing moving parts.
Innovation Solution
A flood vent with a shuttered duct system featuring a pivotally fixed shutter that can swing 160° to 225°, a sloped sill to shed water, and a minimal number of parts, allowing unimpeded water flow and deterring animal use, constructed from materials like metal, plastic, or composites, with a buoyant shutter for automatic operation in response to floodwater pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a complex catching assembly with float or screw adjustment is used to automatically open the flood vent, then automatic operation is achieved, but manufacturing and assembly require skilled labor and improper adjustment can lead to premature or failed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex catching assembly (float mechanism or screw adjustment mechanism) entirely from the system. Instead, it uses a simple hinge-connected shutter that automatically opens in response to floodwater pressure differential, eliminating the need for skilled labor in manufacturing and assembly while maintaining automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter system is designed to automatically sense and respond to flood conditions through the pressure differential acting on the shutter itself, without requiring any separate sensing mechanism or adjustment mechanism. The system serves itself by using the floodwater pressure directly to open the shutter when needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a screened opening with louvered vents is used to address pressure differentials, then ventilation is provided, but the device is limited to addressing only over pressurization and requires human intervention to reset
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is designed to dynamically respond to both positive and negative pressure differentials by swinging in either direction. The hinge connection allows the shutter to automatically swing open outward for positive pressure (floodwater pushing) or inward for negative pressure (vacuum conditions), providing bidirectional adaptability without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The single shutter component performs multiple functions: it provides ventilation when closed, opens automatically for both positive and negative pressure differentials, and requires no human intervention to reset. This universal design replaces the need for separate mechanisms for different pressure conditions.
3Reliability
If a swinging door with catch assembly is used to permit tidal water flow, then automatic opening in response to floodwaters is achieved, but improper adjustment can range from premature door opening to failure of the door to open
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the catch assembly entirely, replacing it with a simple hinge-connected shutter that has no adjustment mechanisms. The shutter opens automatically when floodwater pressure differential acts upon it, removing the source of adjustment errors and premature opening issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter is designed as a simple, robust component with no precision adjustment mechanisms. While it may need replacement in extreme cases, its simplicity eliminates the need for precise manufacturing and adjustment, making it highly reliable and easy to manufacture.
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 solution reduces the need for skilled labor, minimizes part failure, and ensures automatic operation without human intervention, providing effective ventilation and floodwater management while deterring animal access, thus addressing the limitations of previous technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyant shutter for automatic operation in response to floodwater pressure
Implementation Method 2
automatic equalization of interior and exterior hydrostatic pressure caused by floodwaters
Implementation Method 3
A lower region of duct 15 is angled down between two degrees)(2°) and eight degrees (8°) from a horizontal plane to form a sill 28 that sheds water to an exterior of the structure
Data Source
AI summary
A flood vent is provided that allows the unimpeded flow of floodwater in a shuttered duct formed in a housing installed in a structure such as a building. A lower region of the duct is angled down between two and eight degrees from a horizontal plane to form a sill that sheds water to an exterior of the structure, and an upper region of the duct is pivotally fixed to a shutter positioned within the duct. The shutter is capable of swinging between a closed position and an open position in response to the presence of floodwater within at least a portion of the duct. Movement of the shutter to, from or through a closed position is hampered by a releasable coupling of the shutter to the sill by a fin.