Modular Above-Ground Water Storage System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing below-ground temporary water storage facilities for industrial projects are expensive to create and maintain, prone to leakage, difficult to resize, and pose risks of contaminating groundwater due to their underground location.
Innovation Solution
An above-ground water storage device composed of modular walls that can be inclined and adjusted to form a continuous perimeter, with a liner to contain water, allowing for easy setup, resizing, and reduced risk of groundwater contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If below-ground water storage facilities are used, then water can be stored temporarily at the project site, but excavation costs are high and the facilities are expensive to create and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by placing the water storage facility above ground instead of below ground. The modular wall structure is assembled on the ground surface and then filled with water, eliminating the need for expensive excavation while providing the same temporary water storage function for industrial projects
Solution Approach 2:
The water storage facility is divided into modular wall sections that can be independently assembled and configured. This segmentation allows the structure to be built without excavation by simply assembling pre-fabricated modules on the ground surface, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining storage capacity
2Quantity of substance
If below-ground water storage facilities are used, then water can be stored temporarily, but leakage into surrounding terrain is difficult to detect and can contaminate groundwater sources
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the storage facility to above-ground position, the system eliminates the risk of contaminating groundwater sources. Any leakage from the liner becomes visible on the ground surface rather than hidden below ground, allowing for immediate detection and prevention of environmental contamination while maintaining water storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual indicators including colored dye in the water and reflective elements on the liner to make leakage immediately visible. This allows operators to detect any liner failures or leaks at the surface level, preventing contamination of groundwater sources while maintaining the water storage function
3Quantity of substance
If below-ground water storage facilities are used, then water can be stored temporarily, but resizing the facility requires additional excavation
Solution Approach 1:
The water storage facility uses modular wall sections that can be easily added or removed to resize the storage capacity. This segmentation allows the facility to be expanded or contracted by simply assembling or disassembling modular units without requiring excavation, providing flexible adaptation to changing water storage needs
Solution Approach 2:
The modular wall structure incorporates adjustable and movable components that allow the facility to be dynamically resized. Walls can be extended, contracted, or reconfigured by adding or removing modular sections, enabling the storage capacity to adapt to varying project requirements without excavation work
Data Source
AI summary
An above ground water storage device includes a plurality of modular walls coupled together in series to form a substantially continuous perimeter. Each of the plurality of modular walls includes a wall panel that is inclinable with respect to a horizontal orientation, and a support base that is coupled to a portion of the wall panel. A liner covers an internal side of the plurality of modular walls and an area encompassed by the continuous perimeter. At least one modular corner wall is positioned with the plurality of modular wall panels to form a corner in the substantially continuous perimeter. The at least one modular corner wall has an angled side with an angle corresponding to the inclined angle of an adjacent modular wall.