Stone-Carbon Fiber Support Structure for Lightweight Load Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steel beams in construction have high specific gravity and significant energy and CO₂ emissions, with aluminum alternatives being ecologically unfriendly and impractical at scale, necessitating a lightweight and low-emission material replacement.
Innovation Solution
Development of a composite beam using Carbon Fiber Stone (CFS) with interlocking structures and adhesive bonding, incorporating carbon fiber layers to enhance tensile strength and stone for compressive stiffness, utilizing sustainable carbon and graphene production methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel beams are used for construction, then load-bearing capacity and structural reliability are ensured, but weight and CO2 emissions increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining stone blocks with carbon fiber layers to create a hybrid beam structure. The stone provides compressive strength while the carbon fiber layers provide tensile strength, achieving high load-bearing capacity with significantly reduced weight compared to traditional steel beams.
2Strength
If steel beams are used for construction, then load-bearing capacity is ensured, but CO2 emissions and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces steel with a composite of stone and carbon fiber, which has a lower environmental footprint. Stone is a naturally abundant material requiring minimal processing, and carbon fiber can be produced with lower emissions than steel, together reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining structural strength.
3Weight of moving object
If aluminum beams are used as steel replacement, then weight is reduced, but ecological footprint and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a stone-carbon fiber composite that achieves lightweight properties similar to aluminum but with reduced ecological impact. Stone is more abundant and requires less energy-intensive processing than aluminum, while the carbon fiber reinforcement provides the necessary tensile strength.
4Weight of moving object
If stone is used alone for beams, then weight and emissions are reduced, but tensile strength is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines stone with carbon fiber layers to create a composite material that leverages the complementary strengths of each component. The stone provides compressive strength and low weight, while the carbon fiber layers provide the necessary tensile strength to handle bending loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies carbon fiber layers specifically at locations where tensile strength is needed (bottom flange in bending), while using stone throughout the structure for its compressive strength and weight advantages. This localized reinforcement optimizes the performance of each material where it is most effective.
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 CFS beam achieves comparable load-bearing capacity to steel while reducing weight by 30-50% and significantly lowering CO₂ emissions, with enhanced structural integrity through dovetail connections and adhesive bonding.
Implementation Method 1
The bond between the stone and the fiber is created using resins, such as oxide resins or high-temperature-resistant binders based on water glass and silicone, which are capable of crosslinking or bonding with the carbon material.
Implementation Method 2
if the stone's lack of tensile strength is compensated for by the extremely high tensile strength of the carbon fiber
Implementation Method 3
incorporating carbon fiber layers to enhance tensile strength and stone for compressive stiffness
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a profiled support made from stone material and tension-resistant material, produced preferably from CO2 in order to capture greenhouse gases. The intention is therefore to replace steel supports and aluminium supports by using sustainable building materials. The invention adopts the principle of dovetailing from timber construction and transfers this principle to construction from stone material and fibrous material, in that the generally orthogonally meeting planes of the profile intersect geometrically, or at least meet at a section plane, in relation to the tension-resistant material components. Such materials made from mineral substances and fibrous substances are considerably more lightweight, durable and ecological than such supports made from metallic materials.