Modular Secondary Containment Mat with Sandwiched Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current containment and matting systems for oil and gas drilling sites are time-consuming and costly to install, and prone to tears and punctures, which compromises their effectiveness in preventing environmental spills.
Innovation Solution
A modular secondary containment mat system with a top and bottom surface, featuring a 100 mil well pad liner between them, designed for rapid and cost-effective installation, with interconnected boards and a traction surface for enhanced stability and spill protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liner material is placed directly on the ground surface, then installation is simple and quick, but tears and punctures occur reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible liner material (thin film) that is sandwiched between two rigid board surfaces. This protects the liner from ground contact and damage while maintaining containment functionality. The liner extends beyond the board edges to ensure complete coverage and prevent spills from penetrating through gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining rigid boards (top and bottom surfaces) with a flexible liner material in between. This composite design provides both structural support from the boards and spill containment from the liner, resolving the contradiction between installation simplicity and containment reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional containment and matting systems are installed, then environmental protection is provided, but installation time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the containment function (liner) and the matting/support function (boards) into a single integrated modular unit. This eliminates the need for separate installation of liner and matting systems, reducing installation time and cost while maintaining environmental protection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment system is divided into modular mat units that can be independently manufactured, transported, and installed. Each mat is a self-contained module with boards and liner pre-assembled, allowing rapid deployment by simply placing and connecting modules together at the drill site.
Data Source
AI summary
Improved secondary containment mats and systems of secondary containment mats may include a top surface and a bottom surface, with a liner material placed between the top and bottom surfaces. Multiple mats may provide a modular structural mat system that may be installed at a drill site, with multiple mats placed adjacent to each other to provide containment of potential spills, a reliable working surface for drilling operations, and relatively fast and less expensive installation. The top surface may include a number of adjacent boards, and the bottom surface may include a number of boards at least some of which include gaps therebetween. The liner may be a 100 mil well pad liner, and may extend beyond the edges of the top and bottom surfaces. The top and bottom surfaces may be interconnected through any of a number of techniques, such as nails or bolts.