Permeable Intake Cage Structure for Water Intake Silting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The silting of water intakes in artificial basins leads to reduced functionality and potential damage downstream, necessitating costly and disruptive sediment removal and disposal.
Innovation Solution
A building element with a permeable protection cage and side wall, made of steel, that surrounds the intake and allows sediment removal by gravity, creating an intake volume without precise conformation knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sediment removal is performed by dredging or excavation, then the water intake functionality is restored, but the water becomes turbid and the basin cannot supply water during the intervention period
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the sediment removal operation into localized segments around the water intake structure. Instead of dredging the entire basin, only the sediment immediately surrounding the intake is removed, allowing the rest of the basin to continue functioning normally and supplying water throughout the intervention period.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses an intermediary approach by creating a localized working chamber around the water intake. This chamber serves as a controlled environment where sediment can be removed without affecting the broader water supply system, maintaining productivity while restoring reliability.
2Reliability
If sediment removal is performed, then the water intake functionality is restored, but the sediments must be disposed of as special waste which is very expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful sediment into a beneficial resource by enabling its reuse. The localized removal system allows sediments to be collected and repurposed for construction materials or land reclamation, transforming a costly waste disposal problem into a value-generating opportunity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of completely discarding the removed sediments as waste, the invention implements a recovery system where the sediments are collected, processed, and reused for other purposes such as construction fill or land restoration, significantly reducing disposal costs while maintaining water intake reliability.
3Productivity
If a connecting collector is realized with precise conformation to the drain, then the drainage function is optimized, but it requires precise knowledge of the drain conformation which is often unavailable in older basins
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a dynamic, adaptable collector design that can adjust to varying drain conformations. Rather than requiring precise pre-knowledge of the drain geometry, the system uses flexible or adjustable components that can be configured in situ to match the actual drain shape, making installation feasible in older basins while maintaining drainage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows for parameter changes in the collector design during installation. By using adjustable geometric parameters and flexible materials, the collector can be adapted to match the actual drain conformation discovered during installation, rather than requiring precise prior knowledge of the drain geometry.
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
Simplifies and economizes sediment management, preventing debris entry and enabling safe, removable, and extendable intake volumes.
Implementation Method 1
a protection permeable cage (36) protruding from the upper end (34)
Implementation Method 2
allows sediment removal by gravity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention concerns a building element for an intake volume in a basin comprising a bottom surface and a water intake. The building element comprises a side wall, a lower end and an upper end. The lower end is suitable for being laid down on the bottom surface of the basin, such that the side wall and the bottom surface define an intake volume comprising the water intake of the basin. From the upper end a protection permeable cage protrudes comprising a door configured for the passage of an operator. The invention also concerns a method for laying down such a building element.