Inflatable Boom Airflow Amplifier Single-Point Inflation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment and recovery of inflatable booms in marine spill response operations are inefficient and pose safety risks due to the need for coordinated efforts between multiple vessels and operators, especially in challenging weather conditions, and the complexity of inflating and deflating multiple separate air chambers.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable boom system with a power line extending along the boom to an airflow amplifier that draws in atmospheric air and exhausts it into an air duct to inflate chambers, allowing for single-point inflation and easier deflation, reducing the need for multiple vessels and operators, and simplifying the deployment and recovery process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate air chambers are used in the boom, then the resilience and integrity of the boom is improved, but the complexity of inflating and deflating the boom increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual chamber inflation valves into a single common inflation valve that supplies air to all chambers simultaneously. This merging of the inflation system reduces operational complexity while maintaining the integrity benefits of multiple chambers, as one valve controls all chambers rather than requiring separate valves for each.
Solution Approach 2:
The common inflation valve serves multiple functions by simultaneously inflating all air chambers through a single access point. This universal valve design eliminates the need for multiple specialized valves, reducing the number of components and simplifying the operational procedure while still providing redundant chamber inflation.
2Productivity
If multiple operators are used to inflate and deploy the boom, then the deployment speed is improved, but the coordination complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual inflation operations into a single unified inflation action. By providing one common inflation valve that supplies all chambers, the system allows one operator to perform the inflation function that previously required multiple operators, thereby reducing coordination complexity while maintaining deployment efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a secondary towing vessel is used to deploy the boom, then the deployment capability is improved, but the operational cost and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The boom system is designed to be self-deploying from a single vessel without requiring a secondary towing vessel. The simplified inflation system with a common valve allows the boom to be inflated and deployed more efficiently, eliminating the need for additional vessel resources and reducing the complexity of multi-vessel coordination while maintaining full deployment capability.
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
This solution enables faster, safer, and more efficient deployment and recovery of inflatable booms, as a single operator can control the inflation and deflation process, reducing the risk of accidents and improving operational efficiency by eliminating the need for a secondary towing vessel and minimizing the complexity of coordinating multiple vessel movements.
Implementation Method 1
an air blower having an airflow intake for drawing in atmospheric air when power is provided to the air blower along the power line in use; and an airflow outlet communicating with the air duct to exhaust the drawn-in air into the air duct to inflate the chambers
Implementation Method 2
The panels also define one or more internal chambers of the buoyancy tube that are filled with air at elevated pressure when the boom is inflated for use. The pressurised air in the chambers provides buoyancy and maintains the inflated shape of the boom.
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
An inflatable boom comprises a series of chambers and an air duct extending along the boom to communicate with the chambers. A high-pressure air line extends along the boom to an airflow amplifier that draws in atmospheric air and exhausts that air into the air duct to inflate the chambers. The chambers are inflated by supplying high-pressure air along the boom in one direction to drive the airflow amplifier, which exhausts air to flow in the opposite direction along the boom to inflate the chambers. A method of deflating the boom comprises applying an airflow intake of an airflow amplifier to a deflation valve and, by virtue of suction, opening the valve and drawing air from the boom through the opened valve and the airflow amplifier. The deflation valve has an element that is movable by engagement of the airflow intake to open the valve.