Removable Watercraft Drain Insert Using Venturi Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Watercraft hulls collect water during travel, which can wet objects and accumulate excessive water mass, especially when a removable propulsion mechanism is not mounted, exposing the hull to the water.
Innovation Solution
A removable insert is designed with a shaped aperture that utilizes the Venturi effect to create a low-pressure zone, preventing water from accumulating on the hull by drawing it back into the body of water through fluid communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the opening is exposed to receive a removable propulsion mechanism, then the watercraft can be propelled across water, but water can flow onto the hull and wet objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insert as an intermediary component that fits into the opening. This insert includes a cavity and aperture structure that mediates between the propulsion mechanism and the hull, allowing the opening to remain functional while preventing direct water contact with the hull. The insert acts as a protective barrier that maintains the opening's purpose while eliminating the harmful water flow effect.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an insert is placed in the opening to prevent water flow, then the hull is protected from water, but the insert must be easily exchanged with propulsion mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the opening into distinct functional zones: the insert with its cavity and aperture, and the opening itself. This segmentation allows the insert to be a separate, removable component that can be easily exchanged with propulsion mechanisms. The insert is designed as a discrete unit that can be independently installed and removed without affecting the hull or the opening structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the aperture is shaped to utilize Venturi effect, then water is drawn back into the body of water, but the insert must be manufactured easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by shaping the aperture with specific geometric parameters that exploit the Venturi effect. The aperture is designed with a narrowed section that creates a low-pressure zone when water flows past it, causing water to be drawn back into the body of water. This geometric parameter design achieves effective water drainage while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard molding techniques.
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 insert effectively drains water from the hull passively, without pumps, is easily manufactured, and can be easily exchanged with propulsion mechanisms, ensuring the hull remains dry and reducing water accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
the structures of the insert can interact with the water displaced by the watercraft in such a way that a low pressure zone is created near the aperture through the Venturi effect
Data Source
AI summary
A watercraft includes a hull, an opening extending through the hull, the opening configured to receive a removable propulsion mechanism, and an insert removably insertable into the opening. The insert includes an inner cavity, an aperture configured to be at least partially submerged in a fluid when the watercraft is positioned on the fluid, the aperture being configured to provide fluid communication between the inner cavity of the insert and the fluid as the watercraft travels in a forward direction, and a surface shaped and dimensioned such that a first pressure within the inner cavity is greater than a second pressure at the aperture as the watercraft travels in the forward direction.