Method and equipment for providing a snow storage with heat insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for insulating snow storage require significant manual labor and transportation costs due to the need for individual placement and removal of heat-insulating materials like sawdust, clothes, and insulation boards.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using accordion-like insulation board mats made from polyurethane or polystyrene boards that can be easily pulled over and stored next to the snow pile, reducing the need for manual placement and transportation of individual boards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual insulation boards are used for covering the snow pile, then heat insulation effectiveness is maintained, but manual labor and transportation expenses increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat insulation effectivenessVSAvoidmanual labor and transportation expenses

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple individual insulation boards are merged into a single mat structure. The mat comprises several insulation boards connected together, allowing them to be handled as one unit rather than individually. This merging reduces the number of handling operations and transportation trips required while maintaining the cumulative insulation effectiveness of all boards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mat is designed as a segmented structure where multiple insulation boards are connected but can still be flexibly arranged. The segmentation allows the mat to adapt to different snow pile shapes and sizes while being transported and installed as a single unit, combining the benefits of modular insulation boards with the efficiency of unified handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If insulation boards are transported from storage site to snow storage and back, then heat insulation is provided, but transportation costs and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat insulation provisionVSAvoidtransportation time and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple insulation boards are combined into one mat structure, reducing the number of separate transportation trips needed. Instead of transporting individual boards from storage to the snow storage site and back, the entire mat can be transported in fewer trips and quickly deployed, significantly reducing transportation time and associated costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If individual insulation boards are installed on snow pile, then adequate heat insulation is achieved, but installation speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat insulation adequacyVSAvoidinstallation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple insulation boards are merged into a single mat that can be installed as one unit. This eliminates the time-consuming process of individually placing and securing separate boards, while the mat's internal structure ensures that all boards work together to provide adequate heat insulation for the snow storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This approach simplifies the installation and removal of heat insulation, significantly reducing labor and transportation expenses while maintaining effective heat insulation for snow storage.

Implementation Method 1

heat-insulating materials since even The Nordic countries may experience outdoor temperatures up to +30° C. during the summer months

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS12251620B2Method and equipment for providing a snow storage with heat insulation

Publication Date: 2025.03.18 SNOW SECURE OY

AI summary

A method of providing a snow storage with heat-insulation, the method including covering a snow pile made at a snow storage site with heat-insulating materials of which at least some are insulation boards. In the method, the insulation of the snow pile is carried out by using insulation board mats which include several insulation boards, or insulation board groups consisting of several insulation boards attached against each other, side by side and/or one after another, and which are pivotably joined together, alternately at the upper corners and the lower corners of their opposite transversal end edges, the resulting continuous insulation board mat composed of several insulation boards one after another being foldable into an accordion-like insulation board bundle and re-openable into a continuous insulation board mat. The invention also relates to equipment for providing a snow storage with heat-insulation.