Offshore Fresh Water Reservoir Density Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fresh water shortages are exacerbated by the seasonal nature of river flows and the high cost and land requirements of traditional reservoirs, particularly in regions near oceans where salt water is not potable and desalination plants are inefficient without a stable freshwater supply.
Innovation Solution
An offshore freshwater reservoir system utilizing a flotation member, a pliable tubular skirt, and a density interface assembly that includes buoyancy members with intermediate density to separate fresh and salt water, along with an anchor system and a conduit system for transporting fresh water from rivers, enabling efficient storage and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large fresh water reservoirs are built near river sources, then fresh water storage capacity is improved, but land use and construction cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from terrestrial reservoir construction to offshore deployment, moving the storage system from land-based two-dimensional space to three-dimensional ocean space. The reservoir system is positioned in salt water environments, utilizing vertical and horizontal spatial dimensions in the water column rather than consuming valuable land area.
Solution Approach 2:
A density interface assembly comprising buoyancy members with intermediate density (between fresh and salt water) acts as a mediator to separate and interface between fresh water and salt water. This intermediate density layer enables the reservoir to store fresh water offshore while preventing mixing with surrounding salt water, solving the storage capacity issue without requiring land-based infrastructure.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional land-based reservoirs are constructed, then fresh water storage is achieved, but construction and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir employs flexible, pliable skirts made of thin film materials that can be deployed and configured in various shapes and sizes. These flexible structures are more cost-effective to manufacture and maintain compared to rigid concrete or steel reservoir walls, reducing both construction and long-term maintenance costs while achieving the required storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
By relocating the reservoir to offshore environments, the invention avoids the high costs associated with land acquisition, terrestrial construction infrastructure, and environmental compliance on land. The salt water environment provides natural containment and structural support, reducing material and construction costs.
3Quantity of substance
If desalination plants are used in regions near salt water, then fresh water supply is improved, but efficiency decreases without stable freshwater supply for load leveling
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir captures and stores fresh water during periods of high river flow and seasonal abundance before the dry season or periods of high demand. This preliminary storage of fresh water allows desalination plants to operate at stable, peak efficiency during dry periods when river flow is low, rather than attempting to process salt water during high-demand periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The density interface assembly with intermediate density buoyancy members serves as a mediator that enables the coexistence of fresh and salt water in the same offshore space. This intermediate layer allows the reservoir to function as a buffer between riverine fresh water sources and ocean salt water, providing load leveling capability for desalination operations.
4Area of stationary object
If river water is diverted to offshore locations, then land use is reduced, but separation of fresh and salt water becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The density interface assembly comprising buoyancy members with intermediate density (between fresh and salt water) acts as a natural separator that exploits density differences. This intermediary layer automatically separates fresh water from salt water without requiring complex mechanical barriers, pumps, or energy-intensive separation systems, simplifying the overall device complexity while enabling offshore deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes changes in water density as a key parameter to achieve separation. By positioning the reservoir at the interface between fresh and salt water and using buoyancy members with intermediate density, the system leverages natural density stratification to maintain separation, avoiding the need for complex active separation 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
The system allows for the efficient storage and distribution of fresh water, reducing land use and environmental impact while providing a stable freshwater supply, even in regions with limited land availability and seasonal water flows.
Implementation Method 1
a flotation member, for example an annular foam and/or air-filled bladder, that defines a closed perimeter
Implementation Method 2
A density interface assembly in disposed in the volume, and is formed from one or more members having a gross density such that the members float in salt water and sink in fresh water
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore fresh water reservoir disposed a distance from the mouth of a river. The reservoir includes a flotation portion in the salt sea that supports a downwardly extending tubular skirt that defines a barrier. A transverse intermediate-density interface having a bulk density greater than fresh water and less than salt water is provided. The interface floats on the salt water and sinks in fresh water. In an embodiment the interface includes a plurality of balls filled with a liquid having a density corresponding to a mixture of salt water and fresh water. The reservoir is anchored in position, and includes a pumping means. In a reservoir system a curtain assembly directs the fresh water effluent to a floating blanket assembly, which further directs the effluent to a pipe that transports the effluent to the reservoir.