Lost Sand Collecting Apparatus for Coastal Erosion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coastal erosion prevention methods, such as wave breaking and artificial nourishment, are ineffective in preventing sand loss and often cause deformation of coastlines or require high maintenance costs, while underwater structures can hinder marine activities.
Innovation Solution
A lost sand collecting apparatus featuring a filling frame with overlapping plates and collecting units, such as blocking membranes or aquatic plant models, that protrude upward to resist nearshore currents and collect sand, reducing erosion without disrupting marine activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a submerged dike or offshore breakwater is installed to block waves, then coastal erosion is prevented to a certain degree, but the structure requires enough rigidity which means it must be formed as a concrete structure, doing a disservice to sailing of vessels and having an adverse effect on activation of marine sports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using flexible net-like structures instead of rigid concrete structures. The net structure allows water and marine life to pass through while still providing wave energy dissipation and sand trapping functions, thus preventing coastal erosion without hindering marine activities such as sailing and sports.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs porous net structures that allow water flow and marine organism passage while trapping sand particles. The porous nature of the net enables it to function as a wave breaker and sand collector simultaneously, addressing erosion prevention while maintaining marine activity accessibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a revetment is installed to prevent wave influence from reaching land, then the coast is protected, but sand loss cannot be prevented as the wave is pushed to the revetment and generates erosion of the entire surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sand collection function from the wave protection function by placing separate net structures downstream of the wave breaker. The wave breaker handles wave energy dissipation while the downstream nets specifically collect trapped sand, preventing sand loss without requiring the wave protection structure itself to retain sand.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary sediment trap system consisting of nets positioned in the recirculation zone downstream of the wave breaker. This intermediary structure captures sand particles that are trapped by the wave breaker's turbulence, preventing their downstream transport while allowing water flow to continue.
3Quantity of substance
If artificial nourishment is used to supply sands to a sandy beach, then the coastal sandy beach is maintained, but many costs are required for collecting and transporting sands and continuous supply is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by allowing the natural wave action and near-shore currents to trap and accumulate sand locally using the net structures. The system utilizes existing natural processes to collect and retain sand without requiring external sand sourcing, collection, or transportation operations, thereby eliminating continuous supply needs and reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of near-shore currents that transport sand away from the beach into a beneficial sand collection mechanism. By positioning nets in the recirculation zone created by wave breaking, the system traps sand that would otherwise be lost, transforming the sand-transporting current into a sand-delivery mechanism for the beach.
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
Effectively suppresses coastal erosion by collecting sand and mitigating beach loss, while being eco-friendly and non-intrusive to marine sports and vessel navigation.
Implementation Method 1
collecting sands to be swept away by a near shore current
Implementation Method 2
a phenomenon in which the supplied sands are accumulated on a coast
Data Source
AI summary
A lost sand collecting apparatus, according to the present invention, comprises: a filling frame which has a plurality of plates, extends in the lateral direction and forms a plurality of filling spaces; and a collecting means which is provided on the filling frame and is positioned so as to correspond to the filling spaces. The plurality of plates are overlapped so as to be parallel to each other and the plates adjacent with a fixed distance therebetween are partly connected to one another. The collecting means can be formed in a flat structure protruding upward from the filling frame and disposed on the back of the filling spaces with respect to the littoral current toward the sea, and comprises a barrier layer or a web layer. The barrier layer or the web layer is curved toward the littoral current toward the sea. According to the present invention, the collecting means enables inhibition of the flow of the littoral current toward the sea and collection of sand moving with the littoral current flowing from the shore to the sea, thereby regulating coastal erosion. Therefore, coastal beaches can be preserved.