Inflatable Flood Barrier Segmentation and Pneumatic Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flood barriers, such as sandbags and inflatable tubes, are labor-intensive, costly, and pose environmental hazards due to contamination and instability, with inflatable barriers being prone to rupture from internal pressures and debris.
Innovation Solution
A rapidly deployable, collapsible flood barrier system comprising elongated, inflatable crossbeams within water-impermeable cover tubes that can be easily assembled and disassembled, secured to the ground, and inflated to form a continuous containment system, using extruded PVC materials and RF welding for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sandbags are used to contain flooding rivers, then flood containment is achieved, but labor and logistic costs increase enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The flood barrier is divided into modular sections that can be independently handled and deployed. Each section is a self-contained unit with inflatable crossbeams housed in tubes, allowing for easier transport and assembly compared to traditional sandbags that require individual filling and stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses inflatable crossbeams filled with air to create the barrier structure. The inflation process transforms flat, collapsible tubes into rigid, flood-resistant barriers, eliminating the need for manual stacking and reducing deployment time significantly.
2Reliability
If burlap sandbags are deployed, then flood containment is provided, but they require extensive decontamination or special disposal arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier uses a flexible tubular structure made of durable material that can be easily cleaned and reused. The smooth, non-porous surface of the inflated tube resists contamination better than porous burlap, and the entire structure can be deflated and stored for future use without environmental harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable crossbeam system is designed to be recovered and reused multiple times. After flood events, the barrier can be deflated, collapsed, and stored for future deployment, eliminating the need for disposal of entire barrier structures and reducing environmental contamination risks.
3Ease of operation
If water inflatable cylindrical tubes are used, then deployment is simplified, but they suffer instability and require extensive decontamination
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is segmented into multiple inflatable crossbeams housed within separate tubes, allowing for distributed stability throughout the structure. This modular approach provides multiple support points that work together to maintain stability while simplifying deployment of individual sections.
4Productivity
If monolithic inflatable barriers are used, then deployment is rapid, but they are susceptible to catastrophic failure
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is divided into multiple independent inflatable crossbeams that can be inflated separately within individual tubes. This segmentation means that if one section is damaged, the others can continue to provide flood containment, eliminating catastrophic failure of the entire barrier system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular housing structure provides protective cushioning for the inflatable crossbeams before they are inflated. The tubes act as a protective shell that can absorb damage from debris and environmental factors, preventing direct damage to the inflatable elements and reducing the risk of catastrophic failure.
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 system provides a durable, efficient, and environmentally friendly flood defense that reduces deployment and removal costs, minimizes contamination risks, and withstands floodwater pressures and debris, while allowing for easy storage and reuse.
Implementation Method 1
One or more drain and/or fill holes are formed into the tube, to permit the air to be pumped into and drained from the tube interior to inflate and deflate the flood barrier
Implementation Method 2
The flood barrier is formed as a water impermeable cover, containing one or more removable inflatable tubes or crossbeams
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a rapidly deployable flood defense system and method that has at least one barrier cover, each comprising a plurality of laterally-extending crossbeam housing tubes stacked generally vertically and housing an inflatable crossbeam disposed within the tube, an end retaining tab at each end of the tube, and a plurality of rear support retaining tabs spaced along the lateral length of the crossbeam housing tube; and a front apron and a rear apron. The system also has a plurality of support tubes and a plurality of additional support tubes positioned along the lateral length of the crossbeam housing tube. Each support tube held in the generally vertical direction by a base post and each and additional support tube positioned along the lateral length of the crossbeam housing tube having an additional base post positioned rearwardly.