Low-Profile Elevator Trench Drain Using Head-Pressure Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drainage systems for multi-story buildings with elevators struggle to handle large volumes of water from fire prevention systems without risking overflow into the elevator shaft, necessitating deep drains or inefficient water management.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile elevator trench drain with a multi-diameter drain passageway and hinged grating, designed to collect and route water efficiently to a drainage pipe, creating head pressure for high flow rates without deep installation depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a deep drain is used to accommodate high water volumes, then the drainage capacity is improved, but the installation depth and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drain passageway uses varying cross-sectional areas along its length, with a smaller cross-section at the outlet and a larger cross-section at the inlet. This parameter change creates head pressure that accelerates water flow, enabling high drainage capacity (up to 100 gallons per minute) within a shallow installation depth of approximately 6 inches.
2Length of stationary object
If a shallow drain profile is used to minimize space requirements, then the installation depth is reduced, but the drainage capacity may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The drain passageway incorporates a gradual reduction in cross-sectional area from inlet to outlet, creating a venturi effect that generates head pressure. This allows the shallow drain (6 inches deep) to achieve high flow rates of up to 100 gallons per minute by converting potential energy into kinetic energy through the varying geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing depth to accommodate high flow volumes, the design utilizes the horizontal dimension by creating a multi-diameter passageway that accelerates flow through geometric contraction. This dimensional approach allows high drainage capacity within a constrained vertical profile.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water is routed laterally into vertical pipes, then water entry into the elevator shaft is limited, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a trench collection area, a multi-diameter drain passageway, and an outlet connection to a drainage pipe. This segmentation allows water to be collected, accelerated, and routed in a controlled manner, preventing elevator shaft entry while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain passageway acts as an intermediary element between the lateral water collection point and the vertical drainage pipe. It mediates the flow transition, creating head pressure to ensure water is forced into the drainage pipe rather than spilling into the elevator shaft, thereby simplifying the overall system design.
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 elevator trench drain effectively manages high water flows up to 100 gallons per minute while maintaining a shallow profile, preventing water from entering the elevator shaft and minimizing space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The drain passageway has a first section proximate the base wall defining a first cross-sectional area and a second section distal the base wall defining a second cross-sectional area. The second cross-sectional area is less than the first cross-sectional area and this reduction from the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area creates a head pressure that increases the flow out of the lower drain passageway opening during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A trench drain includes a trench, a grating seat and a grating hingedly connected to the trench. The trench has a base wall with peripheral side walls extending upwardly therefrom and an outwardly-extending peripheral flange. The grating seat is configured to receive the grating. The peripheral side walls of the trench have a pair of opposing elongated slots formed therein and the grating has a pair of posts on opposing ends thereof. Each of the pair of posts on the grating are received in a respective one of the pair of opposing elongated slots of the trench to establish an axis of rotation.