Screen Intake Cleaning via Variable Pulsing Liquid Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water intake systems face challenges in effectively cleaning debris and frazil ice from submerged screens without causing disturbances to nearby water users or wildlife, and existing solutions for frazil ice are difficult to implement and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A screen intake apparatus using a system with pipes inside the screen that delivers variable pulsing flows of pumped liquid, optionally heated, to agitate and clear debris, and inhibit frazil ice formation, with controllable valves and a heater integrated into the system for extended cleaning cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If airburst systems are used to clean screens, then debris removal effectiveness is improved, but disturbance to water environment and wildlife increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical airburst cleaning system with a biological/filtration-based system. Instead of using high-pressure air bursts to dislodge debris, the system employs screens with specific mesh sizes that physically filter and retain debris while allowing water to pass through. This substitution eliminates the harmful mechanical disturbance caused by airbursts while maintaining effective debris removal through passive filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by allowing water flow to naturally carry debris through the screen system. The water current itself becomes the cleaning mechanism, using the kinetic energy of flowing water to move debris through the screen mesh and into collection areas, rather than introducing external air pressure that disturbs the environment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If screens are designed to protect fish and aquatic life with low suction velocity, then wildlife protection is improved, but debris collection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The screen system is segmented into multiple screens with progressively different mesh sizes arranged in sequence. The first screen has a larger mesh size that allows water and small organisms to pass while capturing large debris. Subsequent screens have progressively smaller mesh sizes that capture finer debris particles. This segmentation enables the system to maintain low suction velocity for wildlife protection while still effectively collecting debris of various sizes through the cumulative filtering action of multiple screens.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the screen system have different local qualities in terms of mesh size and opening dimensions. The upstream screens have larger openings optimized for wildlife protection, while downstream screens have smaller openings optimized for fine debris capture. This spatial variation in screen properties allows each section to perform its specific function optimally while working together as an integrated system.
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 provides effective debris removal and prevention of frazil ice formation with reduced disturbance to the water environment, offering a more sustainable and maintainable solution compared to airburst systems.
Implementation Method 1
A screen intake apparatus uses a screen cleaning system that uses variable pulsing flows of pumped liquid
Implementation Method 2
optionally heated, to agitate and clear debris, and inhibit frazil ice formation
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A screen intake apparatus for a water intake system uses a cleaning system to clean one or more screen intakes. To clean debris from a screen, pipes in the interior of the screen receive pumped liquid (e.g., water or incompressible liquid) from a pump. Outlets, such as apertures or nozzles, on the pipes then direct the pumped liquid into the interior of the screen. One or more valves can vary, agitate, or pulse the flow of pumped fluid and/or can selectively deliver the pumped liquid to the pipes to remove collected debris from the exterior of the screen. A heater of the system can also heat the pumped liquid for delivery to the pipes to remove or prevent ice formation on the screen.