Rotatable Float Blade Wheel for Controlled Watercraft Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water amusement rides that produce rotational motion through channels result in uncontrolled, random rotation due to contact with channel walls, lacking a controlled method to generate rotational motion without wall contact.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable float with a blade wheel fixed to its underside, oriented coaxially, is used to induce rotational motion through water flow, with a displaceable guide plate allowing manual or automatic adjustment of rotational direction and speed via a control lever or actuator shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If floats move through a channel with contact with channel walls, then rotational motion is produced, but the rotation becomes uncontrolled and random
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rotational motion generation function from the channel wall contact mechanism and relocates it to a blade wheel component. The blade wheel, with its radially extending blades, captures water flow energy to produce controlled rotation independent of channel walls, thereby resolving the contradiction between producing rotation and maintaining control/stability
Solution Approach 2:
The blade wheel acts as an intermediary between the water flow and the float rotation. Instead of direct contact with channel walls, the blade wheel mediates the energy transfer from water flow to rotational motion, providing controlled and reliable rotation through its structured blade design
2Ease of operation
If a blade wheel is added to the float, then controlled rotational motion is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade wheel is merged with the float structure by fixing it to the underside of the float platform. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the controlled rotation function, thereby reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The blade wheel serves multiple functions: it propels the watercraft forward through water flow and simultaneously generates controlled rotational motion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure
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
This solution enables controlled rotational motion of the watercraft, enhancing the experience by allowing passengers to interactively influence the ride's direction and speed, eliminating the need for channel wall contact and providing a more appealing and controlled ride.
Implementation Method 1
the resulting flow imparts a rotational motion to the blade wheel and thus to the float
Data Source
AI summary
The water amusement ride according to the invention has watercraft that are pulled through the body of water (1) on a traction cable (40). These watercraft are composed of a frame (10), pulled by the traction cable (40), on which a float (20) having a platform (24) is rotatably supported and on the underside of which is provided with a blade wheel (30). When the watercraft is moved through the body of water (1) in the direction of the arrow (A), the blade wheel (30) together with the float (20) are set in rotational motion by the resulting flow.