Modular Living Wall Panels with Plant-Based Acoustic Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urban environments suffer from excessive noise pollution, which disrupts sleep patterns and induces stress, and existing systems lack effective natural and sustainable means to mitigate noise levels.
Innovation Solution
A modular wall system comprising elongated wall panels, plant bedding material tiles, seed/plant cups, and acoustic boards, integrated with an irrigation system, allowing plants to grow and absorb sound, thereby reducing noise and pollutants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional noise barriers are used to reduce noise pollution, then noise levels are reduced, but the aesthetic value and environmental benefits are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the noise barrier from a static concrete structure to a dynamic living wall system where plants grow and change over time. The living plants provide variable aesthetic value and additional environmental benefits including air purification, temperature regulation, and biodiversity support, thereby resolving the contradiction between noise reduction effectiveness and aesthetic/environmental versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple materials and components including acoustic boards for noise absorption, plant bedding material tiles for vegetation support, irrigation pipes for water delivery, and modular wall panels for structural framework. This composite approach integrates noise reduction functionality with aesthetic and environmental benefits that neither component could achieve alone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If living plant material is integrated into the wall system to provide aesthetic and environmental benefits, then aesthetic value and air quality improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The living wall system is divided into modular components including standardized wall panels, plant bedding material tiles, and interchangeable plant modules. This segmentation allows for easy assembly, maintenance, and reconfiguration, reducing the operational complexity despite the enhanced functionality provided by living plants.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular wall panel design serves multiple functions: structural support, noise reduction through acoustic boards, plant support through integrated bedding material tiles, and irrigation through embedded pipes. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise be separate systems into a single integrated unit, managing overall system complexity while providing diverse benefits.
3Ease of operation
If modular design is used to enable easy adaptation and reconfiguration, then ease of operation and maintenance improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall system employs standardized modular panels with consistent connection mechanisms and interchangeable plant bedding material tiles. While each component requires precise manufacturing, the standardization across components allows for efficient production through repetition and economies of scale, offsetting the increased manufacturing complexity with operational flexibility and ease of assembly.
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 system effectively reduces ambient noise and pollutants while beautifying urban landscapes, offering adaptable and sustainable noise mitigation.
Implementation Method 1
a modular wall system that at least partly overcome the drawbacks and issues mentioned above... the present innovation expands on the art described in US Patent Application 16/805,093, articulating an acoustic solution to subdue noise
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A modular wall system is provided. The system comprises a plurality of elongated wall panels (9; 10) disposed on one another, a plant bedding material tile (22), a seed/plant cup (25), and an acoustic board (7). The elongated wall panels comprise a vertical wall (4), a top flange (2) and a bottom flange (3). The acoustic board comprises at least one opening (32) configured to receive a seed/plant cup (25). The acoustic board is configured to couple to at least one of the top flange and bottom flange of the elongated wall panel, thereby forming an elongated wall panel enclosure. The plant bedding material tile is configured to be coupled to an interior vertical wall portion of the elongated wall panel and/or to an interior wall portion of the acoustic board. The tile comprises at least one cup bedding material opening (27). The seed/plant cup is configured to be inserted from the outside through the at least one opening and to be partially disposed inside one of the at least one openings of the plant bedding material tile. A supply of plant irrigation fluid is configured to flow along the elongated wall panel inside the elongated wall panel enclosure. Exterior ambient sound, at least in part, is configured to be absorbed and attenuated by the acoustic board, the seed/plant cup, the tile, and a plant growing from the seed/plant cup.