Secondary Containment Liner Bonding via Pre-Coated Modular Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional secondary containment liner systems for petroleum and chemical storage tanks are time-consuming, costly, and inefficient due to the need for on-site application of polyurea coatings and complex logistics, leading to material waste and increased labor costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves assembling a secondary containment liner system using individual impermeable sheet materials like XR5™ or HDPE, which do not require polyurea coatings, by bonding substrate elements to form a liquid-impermeable seal, reducing the need for extensive on-site equipment and labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional polyurea coating method is used to render the liner impermeable, then the liner becomes impermeable to hazardous liquids, but the installation time, labor cost, and equipment requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is pre-coated with polyurea at the manufacturing plant before delivery to the site. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site coating application, reducing installation time while maintaining the impermeability function.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner system is divided into modular panels that are pre-coated and assembled on-site. This segmentation allows for faster installation compared to coating the entire liner on-site, as the panels can be quickly connected using mechanical fasteners and sealants.
2Reliability
If polyurea coating is applied on-site, then the liner becomes impermeable, but material waste increases due to adverse weather, equipment failures, and applicator errors
Solution Approach 1:
The polyurea coating is applied at the manufacturing plant under controlled conditions, eliminating waste caused by adverse weather, equipment failures, and applicator errors that occur during on-site application. The pre-coated panels are then transported and assembled on-site, significantly reducing material waste.
3Reliability
If polyurea coating equipment and materials are transported to the site, then the liner can be coated on-site, but the logistical complexity and expense increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner panels are pre-coated at the manufacturing plant, eliminating the need to transport bulky polyurea coating equipment, drums, and applicator materials to the site. Only the pre-coated panels need to be transported, significantly reducing logistical complexity and expense.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating process is extracted from the on-site installation process and performed at the manufacturing plant. This separation eliminates the need for complex on-site coating equipment and materials, simplifying the on-site installation to just panel assembly and connection.
4Adaptability or versatility
If geotextile fabric panels are cut and assembled on-site, then the liner can be configured to fit the containment area, but the assembly time and labor cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is divided into modular panels with standardized dimensions and pre-attached connection elements. These panels can be quickly assembled on-site to fit various containment area configurations, maintaining adaptability while significantly improving assembly speed compared to cutting and assembling fabric panels on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner system uses rigid or semi-rigid panels with fixed dimensions rather than flexible fabric that requires cutting and shaping. This parameter change from fabric to panel construction enables faster assembly while still allowing configuration to fit different containment areas through modular arrangement.
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 approach significantly reduces installation time, material, and equipment requirements, resulting in a faster, simpler, and more cost-effective secondary containment solution with minimal waste and improved efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid impermeable coating material is applied to the overlapping substrate elements to sealably bond the overlapping substrate elements together
Data Source
AI summary
A method of assembling a secondary containment liner includes providing at least a pair of uncoated, impermeable sheet components. Respective substrate elements are secured to corresponding edges of the sheet components such that the substrate elements overlap the corresponding edges of the respective sheet components. The substrate elements are themselves overlapped and an impermeable coating is applied to the overlapping substrate elements to sealably bond the adjoining sheet components to one another and thereby define an assembled liner.