Inflatable Salvage Bag for Irregular-Hole Flow Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency salvaging equipment for marine vessels and storage tanks is cumbersome, heavy, requires significant force to handle, and often fails to completely seal irregularly shaped holes, leading to insufficient flow reduction.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable salvage bag system with a lightweight, portable design that includes an inner bag, reinforcing layer, and outer coating, equipped with a valve for inflation and deflation, and friction bands for secure fit, allowing easy deployment and effective sealing of holes using pressurized gas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wood- or polymer-based plugs are used to seal holes, then flow reduction is achieved, but the equipment becomes heavy and voluminous requiring a large set for different hole sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inflatable bag sealed with a collar that can be inflated with air or gas to expand and conform to irregularly shaped holes. This pneumatic expansion mechanism replaces heavy solid plugs with a lightweight inflatable structure that achieves the same sealing function with minimal weight and volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bag transitions from a compact deflated state to an expanded inflated state, changing its physical parameters (volume, shape, surface area) to adapt to different hole sizes and geometries. This parameter change allows a single device to replace multiple plugs of different dimensions.
2Reliability
If wood- or polymer-based plugs are hammered into holes, then sealing is achieved, but significant force is required especially for larger holes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using mechanical force to hammer plugs into holes, the invention uses pneumatic pressure to inflate the bag, causing it to expand and seal the hole. This replaces the need for significant insertion force with a simple inflation process that can be performed with minimal effort.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than forcing a rigid object into a hole against resistance, the invention inverts the approach by inserting a collapsible bag and then expanding it from within using inflation. This reverses the force application direction, eliminating the need to overcome insertion resistance.
3Reliability
If plugs are used to seal holes, then flow reduction is achieved, but the equipment is cumbersome to handle during emergency operations
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable bag system replaces cumbersome solid plugs with a lightweight, flexible, and easily maneuverable inflatable device. The bag can be quickly inserted and inflated, significantly improving handling ease during emergency operations while maintaining effective flow reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bag transitions from a static compact form to a dynamic expanded form, allowing it to adapt to different hole geometries. This dynamic capability enhances ease of operation as the same device can be quickly deployed for various hole sizes and shapes without requiring multiple specialized plugs.
4Reliability
If plugs are inserted into irregularly shaped holes, then partial sealing is achieved, but the plug may never be completely form-fitting resulting in insufficient flow reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable bag changes its physical parameters (shape, volume, surface contour) through inflation, allowing it to conform to irregularly shaped holes that rigid plugs cannot match. This parameter transformation enables complete form-fitting for any hole geometry, achieving superior sealing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bag is made of flexible material that can deform and adapt to irregular surfaces and geometries. This flexibility allows the bag to completely conform to the hole's shape, eliminating gaps and achieving form-fitting seals that rigid plugs cannot provide.
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 rapid, efficient sealing of holes with minimal force required, reducing fluid flow by up to 95%, improving handling and deployment speed compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
The inner bag is inflatable and is configured to conform to the perimeter of the hole when inflated. The valve is configured to allow the inner bag to be inflated or deflated
Implementation Method 2
The inner bag is inflatable and is configured to conform to the perimeter of the hole when inflated
Implementation Method 3
One or more friction bands are fixed onto the outer bag. The one or more friction bands are configured to enhance the friction between the inflatable salvage bag and a hole in which the inflatable salvage bag is inserted
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention concerns an inflatable salvage bag (1), for reducing fluid flow through a hole in the hull structure of a marine vessel or in a storage tank. The inflatable salvage bag (1) includes an inner bag (9), wherein the inner bag (9) is inflatable, a reinforcing bag (10), wherein the reinforcing bag (10) surrounds the inner bag (9) and is configured to be tear and puncture resistant and an outer bag (2), wherein the outer bag (2) surrounds the reinforcing bag (10). The inflatable salvage bag (1) further includes a valve (5), configured to connect the inner bag (9) with an external source of pressurized gas, in order to inflate the inflatable salvage bag (1).