Hinged Oil Boom With Angle Delimiting Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil booms are insufficient in preventing oil spills during bad weather and high wave heights, as they lack stability and adaptability to varying conditions, leading to oil slipping over or under the booms.
Innovation Solution
An oil boom composed of hinged plates with an angle delimiting device that adjusts and locks the angle between adjacent plates, combined with lightweight materials and ballast, and an optional skirt for enhanced stability and leakage prevention, allowing the boom to adapt to different weather conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the angle between adjacent plates is made large (close to 180 degrees), then the oil boom covers the largest possible extension, but the oil boom becomes unstable and is pulled over by wind in strong winds
Solution Approach 1:
The oil boom employs an adjustable angle delimiting device that allows the angle between adjacent plates to be dynamically changed based on weather conditions. The device includes movable components that enable the angle to be adjusted from large (close to 180 degrees) in calm conditions to smaller angles (less than 90 degrees) in strong winds, providing dynamic adaptation to environmental changes rather than a fixed structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameter (angle between plates) of the oil boom structure in response to varying weather conditions. The angle delimiting device enables the angle to be modified from approximately 180 degrees in light breezes to less than 90 degrees in strong winds, directly altering the structural parameter to optimize both extension and stability under different conditions
2Stability of the object's composition
If the angle between adjacent plates is reduced to less than 90 degrees, then the oil boom is stabilized in strong winds, but the oil boom requires a higher number of sections to cover the same distance
Solution Approach 1:
The angle delimiting device with movable components allows the oil boom to dynamically adjust its configuration. In strong winds, the angle is reduced to less than 90 degrees to maximize stability, while in calm conditions the angle increases to close to 180 degrees to maximize extension, providing dynamic optimization rather than a compromise
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements variable angle parameters based on weather conditions. The angle between plates is changed from large values (close to 180 degrees) in light breezes to small values (less than 90 degrees) in strong winds, allowing the system to optimize its performance for the current environmental conditions rather than maintaining a fixed configuration
3Device complexity
If simple oil boom structures are used, then the device complexity is low, but the oil boom cannot adapt to different weather conditions and fails to prevent oil spills effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The angle delimiting device introduces dynamic adjustability to the oil boom structure, allowing it to adapt to varying weather conditions. The movable components enable the angle between plates to be changed from close to 180 degrees in calm conditions to less than 90 degrees in strong winds, significantly improving reliability while adding only moderate complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables the oil boom to change its geometric parameters (angle between plates) in response to weather conditions. The adjustable angle delimiting device allows the structure to optimize its performance for different environmental conditions, transforming a static structure into an adaptive system that maintains effectiveness across varying seas states
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 oil boom achieves improved stability and coverage in varying weather conditions, reducing the risk of oil leakage and requiring more booms in strong winds, while maintaining effectiveness in light breezes, and can be easily connected and stored.
Implementation Method 1
The plate elements are made of a lightweight material provided with ballast at their lower edge. The ballast, which is attached to the lower part of the plate elements, naturally contributes to the stability of the oil boom
Implementation Method 2
an oil boom, which is assembled from individual plates, hinged together in a per se known manner
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~5B
Figure 6A~6B
AI summary
Oil boom (1) for preventing dissemination of oil on an aqueous surface, comprising plate elements (2) which by means of hinges (3, 3', 3") at each side edge are arranged to be joined to a continuous wall. The hinges (3, 3', 3") are arranged to exert an angle-increasing between adjacent plate elements (2) while an adjustable angle delimiting device (4) is connected to every second hinge and is so arranged that the angle between the plate elements only can increase to a certain maximum angle. The plate elements (2) are typically made in a lightweight polymer material having ballast at their lower edge.