Artificial Turf Substrate with Drainage Channels and Heating Wire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Artificial turf surfaces tend to become excessively hot in sunlight and cold in extreme temperatures, and they often suffer from inadequate water management, which can affect playing conditions for athletes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate with an elastomeric foam base pad featuring channels for water flow, optional drain holes, and a radiant heating wire, along with a nonwoven carpet, provides cooling, heating, and improved water management by allowing water to drain or be supplied to the artificial turf.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If artificial turf is exposed to direct sunlight, then it provides a suitable playing surface in unsuitable environments, but the surface becomes excessively hot
Solution Approach 1:
The base pad is divided into multiple functional zones: an upper portion containing cooling channels for heat dissipation, and a lower portion with drain holes for water management. This segmentation allows simultaneous temperature regulation and environmental adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling channels are integrated into the upper portion of the base pad to circulate cooling fluid, actively reducing surface temperature. Drain holes in the lower portion manage water flow, preventing pooling and maintaining playing conditions in various environments
2Duration of action of stationary object
If artificial turf is exposed to extreme cold, then it provides durability, but the surface appears harder and colder than natural surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The base pad separates heating functionality (radiant heating wire in upper portion) from structural support (lower portion), allowing temperature regulation without compromising durability and lifetime
Solution Approach 2:
A radiant heating wire is embedded in the upper portion to actively adjust surface temperature in cold conditions, changing the thermal parameter to maintain player comfort while preserving the durable artificial turf structure
3Ease of manufacture
If artificial turf lacks water management features, then it simplifies construction, but water pooling affects playing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The base pad divides water management into two segments: cooling channels in the upper portion for active water circulation and temperature control, and drain holes in the lower portion for passive drainage, maintaining playing conditions without overly complicating construction
Solution Approach 2:
The lower portion incorporates drain holes that allow water to pass through the base pad, providing passive drainage functionality. This porous approach simplifies water management by utilizing gravity-driven flow rather than complex active drainage systems
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 substrate effectively regulates temperature and manages water, enhancing playing conditions by cooling the turf in hot environments, heating it in cold ones, and ensuring proper drainage, thus improving player safety and performance.
Implementation Method 1
The channel and the tube are operable for liquid to flow through... an artificial turf substrate that would provide cooling for the artificial surface when exposed to hot environments
Implementation Method 2
a radiant heating wire embedded within the base pad proximate the upper surface
Implementation Method 3
a layer of nonwoven carpet extending across the upper surface of the base pad
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate for artificial turf that includes a base pad with a channel that extends across an upper surface of the pad and a tube that lies within the channel. The base pad has a generally flat lower surface and a generally flat upper surface that is spaced apart and oppositely disposed from the lower surface. The channel has a sidewall and a bottom surface, the sidewall extending from the upper surface of the base pad to the bottom surface of the channel and the bottom surface being spaced apart from the lower surface of the base pad. The tube has a sidewall defining an inner diameter surface and an outer diameter surface, with at least one aperture through the sidewall adjoining the inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface. The channel and the tube are operable for liquid to flow through. In some instances, a radiant heating wire can extend across the upper surface of the base pad.