Marine Platform Suspension Attenuating Pitch and Roll
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed watercraft passengers experience extreme acceleration and deceleration forces when navigating through waves, leading to discomfort and potential injury due to the lack of effective shock absorption systems in conventional seating arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A suspension system for a marine platform on high-speed water vessels, featuring a shock-absorbing assembly with spars and a roll-attenuation assembly, including torsion bars and adjustable components, to maintain the platform in an upper at-rest position and absorb vertical forces, thereby reducing the impact of pitching and rolling motions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional seating arrangements are used in high-speed watercraft, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but passengers experience extreme acceleration and deceleration forces leading to discomfort and potential injury
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system divides the passenger support function into multiple independent components: shock absorbing assembly with spars, roll-attenuation assembly with torsion bars, and seating assembly. Each component handles specific forces (vertical shock, rotational roll, passenger support) separately, allowing the system to attenuate extreme acceleration forces while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension system introduces intermediary components between the vessel hull and the passenger seating. The shock absorbing assembly and roll-attenuation assembly act as mediators that isolate passengers from the harmful vertical and rotational forces generated by wave impact, thereby improving passenger comfort without requiring fundamental changes to the vessel structure
2Object-affected harmful factors
If shock absorbing systems are added to high-speed boats, then passenger comfort improves, but the device complexity and structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system employs dynamic components that adapt to varying sea conditions and forces. The spars pivot on axes to allow controlled movement, the torsion bars provide progressive resistance to roll forces, and the shock absorbing struts compress under vertical load. These dynamic elements attenuate shock and g-forces effectively while maintaining system simplicity through natural mechanical responses rather than complex active control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters of the suspension components based on operating conditions. The shock absorbing struts change their effective stiffness through compression, the torsion bars change their rotational resistance based on roll angle, and the spar geometry changes the direction of forces transmitted to passengers. These parameter changes enable effective shock attenuation while avoiding the need for complex adjustable mechanisms
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 suspension system effectively attenuates vertical and rotational forces, enhancing passenger comfort by minimizing the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration, thereby reducing the risk of injury and improving overall ride quality.
Implementation Method 1
a shock absorbing assembly suitable for resiliently suspending a marine platform relative to a vessel
Implementation Method 2
a roll-attenuation assembly interconnected between the marine platform and the vessel
Data Source
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AI summary
A suspension system for passenger modules used with high-speed boats, the suspension system including a shock absorbing assembly, for supporting the passenger module relative to the vessel. The passenger module is attached to the vessel via an assembly of pivoting spars in which the vessel attachment locations are spaced athwart a greater distance than the passenger module attachment locations. The suspension system may include means for resisting relative lateral movement (e.g. a panhard rod or a Watt's linkage) and for attenuating motion associated with pitch and roll.