Rotatable Seafood Flow Distributor for Multi-Route Pipe Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water and seafood distribution systems face challenges in avoiding sharp bends that can damage transported goods and offer limited selection of inlets and outlets, necessitating multiple valves for additional connections.
Innovation Solution
A flow distributor with rotatable bent pipes allowing connection to multiple inlets and outlets, avoiding sharp bends and enabling 144 unique flow routes, compatible with pumps like the Archimedes screw type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional valves with limited inlet/outlet connections are used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flow distributor is designed as a universal device with multiple inlet and outlet connections (e.g., 3 inlets and 3 outlets), allowing a single device to handle multiple flow routes simultaneously. This eliminates the need for multiple separate valves arranged in series, thereby improving adaptability while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow distributor incorporates rotatable components that enable dynamic reconfiguration of flow routes. The rotatable mechanism allows the device to adapt to different operational requirements by changing which inlet connects to which outlet, providing versatility without requiring multiple fixed-configuration valves.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sharp bends and obstacles are included in pipe design, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors to transported goods increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow distributor employs curved pipe transitions instead of sharp bends. The curved design smoothly guides water and live fish from one direction to another, eliminating abrupt angles that could cause injury or stress to the transported goods, thereby reducing object-affected harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow distributor incorporates flexible bellows or expandable sections in the pipe configuration. These flexible elements allow the pipes to expand and contract while maintaining smooth internal surfaces, preventing sharp bends and obstacles that could harm live fish during transport.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple valves are arranged in series to increase inlet/outlet options, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow distributor merges the functions of multiple valves into a single integrated device. By combining multiple inlet and outlet connections with a unified body and coordinated control mechanism, it achieves the flow route selection capability of several valves while reducing overall device complexity and space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow distributor serves as a multi-functional device that can handle various flow distribution patterns (e.g., one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one) within a single unit. This universal design eliminates the need for multiple specialized valves arranged in series, improving adaptability while simplifying the system.
Data Source
AI summary
A water and seafood flow distributor (1) for routing flowable mass from a first location to a selected one of a second plurality of locations. The distributor (1) has a first pipe (5) and a second bent pipe (51), which are in communication with one another at a first end (8, 8′) via a mass mover. The second bent pipe (5′) is rotatable about the first end (81) to displace a second end (91) along a circle (121). A first conduit (10) is in communication with the first location, and a plurality of second conduits (10′) are in communication with a respective one of the second plurality of locations, and the ends of the conduits are arranged along a circle (12′) described by the second end (91) of the second bent pipe (51). The first and second conduits can be fluidly connected through the first and second pipes.