Solar Shower Platform Layout for Higher Water Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar-heated showers for outdoor use have limited water capacity, surface exposure to solar rays, and are cumbersome, lacking flexibility and stability on uneven terrain, and do not provide simultaneous hot and cold water dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A solar-ray heated shower with a truncoconical platform and multiple conduits, where a spiral tract for hot water and vertical tract for cold water are exposed to solar rays, connected by a mixer tap valve for temperature regulation, allowing for increased water capacity and stability without additional ballast, and easy disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single vertical pipe is used for solar heating, then the structure is simple, but the surface area exposed to solar rays is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The single vertical pipe is segmented into multiple parallel pipes (first pipe, second pipe, third pipe, fourth pipe) arranged in a plane. This segmentation increases the total surface area exposed to solar rays while maintaining structural simplicity through the use of identical modular pipe units.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipes are arranged in a planar configuration rather than a single vertical line, utilizing two-dimensional space to maximize solar exposure. The pipes extend vertically and are positioned at different horizontal locations to capture sunlight from multiple angles.
2Quantity of substance
If a larger water reservoir is used, then water capacity increases, but the device becomes more cumbersome and difficult to dismount
Solution Approach 1:
The water reservoir is divided into multiple separate tanks (first water tank, second water tank, third water tank, fourth water tank), each associated with a specific pipe. This segmentation allows the system to achieve large total water capacity while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly, as each tank can be independently handled and reconfigured.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, with pipes and tanks that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The modular design allows the structure to adapt between a deployed state for use and a compact state for storage and transport.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single pipe system is used, then the structure is compact, but it cannot dispense both hot and cold water through the head
Solution Approach 1:
The piping system is segmented into multiple independent pipes (first pipe for hot water, second pipe for cold water, third pipe for hot water, fourth pipe for cold water), allowing simultaneous dispensing of hot and cold water through the shower head while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shower system is designed to perform multiple functions through a unified structure, dispensing both hot and cold water simultaneously through the same shower head. The multiple pipes serve different functions (hot water supply, cold water supply) within a single integrated system.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the shower is designed for portability, then it can be easily moved, but it lacks stability on uneven terrain and under wind conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of water in the tanks as a natural counterweight to provide stability. The water-filled tanks act as ballast, lowering the center of gravity and providing resistance against tipping forces from wind or uneven terrain without requiring additional heavy structural elements.
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 design provides a larger water reservoir with enhanced solar exposure, stability, and flexibility, enabling simultaneous hot and cold water dispensing, while being compact and easy to store and install on uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
Externally the bag is of a dark colour so as to absorb the solar rays and consequently to heat up the water contained therein
Implementation Method 2
thanks to the air jacket interpositioned between the pipe and the casing, heat loss is reduced
Implementation Method 3
the heating of the water is obtained thanks to the sun's rays which strike the pipe
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The shower heated by solar energy comprises a platform (2), to a base (2a) of which is connected a piping (3) containing a water supply. A tubular body (4) is connected superiorly to the platform (2), bearing a shower head (5) at a top thereof. The platform (2) internally exhibits a plurality of conduits (7) for retaining water, which plurality of conduits (7) is exposed to solar rays.