Portable Pathway for Tank Farm Barrier Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stairways and ladders used in petrochemical plants and other areas with contoured surfaces are either too heavy and rigid, making them impractical for movement, or too flimsy and prone to damage, leading to safety hazards and inefficiencies in accessing areas like tank farms and coastlines.
Innovation Solution
A portable pathway apparatus with a pliable frame member, adjustable steps, and securing elements that can be easily positioned and secured on varying surfaces, including angled surfaces, to provide a safe and traversable path without damaging the surrounding structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy-duty reinforced concrete or large metal grid-like structures are used for stairways, then durability and safety are improved, but weight and cost increase significantly, and mobility is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The stairway system is divided into multiple individual steps that can be separately positioned and secured. Each step is an independent component that can be handled and installed separately, transforming a monolithic heavy structure into modular units that maintain durability while reducing overall system weight and enabling mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The stairway transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic, reconfigurable system. Steps can be moved, repositioned, and resecured as needed, allowing the structure to adapt to different configurations and locations while maintaining structural integrity through securement mechanisms.
2Reliability
If heavy-duty reinforced concrete or large metal grid-like structures are used for stairways, then durability and safety are improved, but manufacturing complexity, transportation difficulty, and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex stairway structure is segmented into simple, standardized step components that can be manufactured using straightforward processes. Each step is a discrete unit with consistent geometry and securement features, simplifying manufacturing while the modular assembly provides the necessary durability when properly installed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid one-piece stairways are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but flexibility and mobility are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The stairway is segmented into multiple steps that can be independently positioned and secured to the barrier. This segmentation enables flexibility and mobility while structural integrity is maintained through the securement mechanisms that firmly attach each step to the barrier, creating a stable configuration when installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic reconfigurable system where steps can be moved and repositioned. Structural integrity is preserved through securement mechanisms that firmly attach steps to the barrier during use, while allowing reconfiguration when needed.
4Reliability
If a barrier is constructed around tank farms to prevent leaks, then safety is improved, but ingress and egress to tanks becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The portable stairway acts as an intermediary element between the barrier and users. It provides a safe climbing path over the barrier without compromising the barrier's integrity or leak-prevention function, while enabling easy ingress and egress to tank farm areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A tank farm system with improved ingress and egress that includes a tank configured to hold a volume of fluid; a barrier constructed at least partially around the tank, the barrier comprising a first surface contour and a second surface contour; and a portable pathway configured to conform to the first surface contour and the second surface contour. The pathway further having a frame member; at least one step; and a mount for movingly coupling the at least one step to the frame member.