Nestable Water Tank Segmentation and Nesting Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation and installation of large water tanks are cumbersome and costly due to their size, requiring stacking, which increases the footprint and logistical challenges, especially when multiple tanks are involved.
Innovation Solution
The development of nestable water tanks that can be nested together instead of stacked, allowing for more efficient storage and transportation by reducing the space required, achieved through molding a hollow cylindrical body and cutting it along a horizontal plane to form a tank body and lid, which can be easily assembled and disassembled using various fastening methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If water tanks are manufactured as single piece units, then structural integrity is maintained, but storage and transportation space efficiency deteriorates due to required stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The water tank is divided into multiple separable components (tank body, lid, base) that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the components to be nested within one another for compact storage and transportation, while maintaining structural integrity when assembled. The detachable connections enable both space efficiency during transport and structural completeness during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank components are designed to nest within each other, with smaller components fitting inside larger ones. The lid can be inserted into the tank body, and the base can be nested within the assembled tank structure. This nesting arrangement dramatically reduces the volume required for storage and transportation while preserving the complete tank structure when deployed.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple water tanks are stacked for storage and transportation, then all tanks can be moved together, but the footprint and logistical costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple tank components are nested within each other to form a compact configuration. When multiple complete tanks are needed, their components can be nested together in a space-efficient arrangement, reducing the footprint from vertical stacking to a more compact nested configuration that minimizes ground area occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting tanks into separable components, multiple tanks can be disassembled and nested together in an organized manner. This segmentation enables efficient space utilization during storage and transportation, allowing multiple units to occupy minimal footprint while maintaining the capability to reassemble complete tanks at the destination.
3Ease of manufacture
If water tanks are designed as single piece units, then manufacturing is simpler, but assembly and disassembly for nesting becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is segmented into multiple components connected by detachable mechanisms. This segmentation enables the tank to be disassembled for nesting while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized connection interfaces. The detachable connections are designed to be easy to assemble and disassemble, providing versatility for nesting operations without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank design transitions from a static single-piece structure to a dynamic multi-component system with movable connections. This dynamic design allows the tank to adapt between assembled and disassembled states, enabling nesting operations while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized, repeatable connection 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
Nestable water tanks reduce the space needed for storage and transportation, lowering costs and logistical complexities compared to traditional stacked tanks, while minimizing material and waste during manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
heating a polymer to a temperature ranging from about 180° C. to about 240° C. to form a melted polymer
Implementation Method 2
pressing air from a compressed air source into the extruded polymer to inflate the extruded polymer to fill the hollow mold
Implementation Method 3
cooling the inflated polymer water tank to a temperature ranging from about 25° C. to about 60° C. to form the water tank
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a nestable water tank, the method comprising molding a water tank comprising a hollow cylindrical body and cutting the water tank to form the nestable water tank comprising a tank body and a lid, wherein the tank body comprises: a side wall comprising a cylindrical shape running along a vertical axis, an interior surface, and an exterior surface; and a bottom connected to a bottom portion of the cylindrical tank, together forming a nestable water tank interior space capable of storing water within the nestable water tank interior space and comprising an interior bottom surface and an exterior bottom surface, wherein at least one of the tank body and the lid are each nestable with other similarly shaped tank bodies and lids.