Vibration-Decoupled Air-Water Separator for Stealth Watercraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-water separation devices used in military watercraft, such as submarines, do not achieve complete separation, leading to noise emissions due to air entraining water, which is problematic during operations requiring stealth like slow travel, flooding, or draining of weapon barrels.
Innovation Solution
A device with a vibration-decoupled separation area, featuring a non-aligned inlet and outlet configuration, vibration-isolated suspension, and a silencer to prevent sound transmission, ensuring noise-free separation of air and water by allowing water to rest and gas bubbles to escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional air-water separation devices are used, then separation function is provided, but noise emissions occur due to incomplete separation and air entraining water
Solution Approach 1:
The separation device is divided into multiple functional zones: a first separation region with a first outlet for air-water mixture, a second separation region with a second outlet for separated water, and a third separation region with a third outlet for further separated air-water mixture. This segmentation allows progressive separation stages to achieve complete separation while minimizing noise emissions from each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
A silencer is introduced as an intermediary component between the separation device and the environment to absorb and dampen noise emissions. The silencer acts as a mediator that allows the separation function to proceed while preventing noise transmission to the surrounding environment, thus resolving the contradiction between separation effectiveness and noise control.
2Productivity
If high volume flows are used for rapid flooding or dewatering, then operational speed is improved, but noise emissions increase due to turbulent flow and incomplete separation
Solution Approach 1:
The high volume flow is processed through multiple sequential separation regions rather than a single stage. Each region handles a portion of the separation task, allowing the system to maintain high productivity while reducing turbulence and noise in each individual stage through distributed processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes vertical stacking of separation regions (first, second, and third regions arranged in different heights and positions) to handle high volume flows. This three-dimensional arrangement allows simultaneous multi-stage separation to occur, maintaining high throughput while each stage operates at lower intensity to minimize noise.
3Device complexity
If the outlet opening is aligned with the inlet, then flow path is simplified, but water flow remains fast preventing complete gas separation
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet opening is deliberately positioned asymmetrically relative to the inlet opening, creating a non-aligned flow path. This asymmetric arrangement forces the water flow to change direction and reduce velocity, creating a resting zone that allows gas bubbles to separate from water without significantly increasing device complexity.
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 device effectively separates air and water without noise, maintaining operational stealth and preventing corrosion, even under high-pressure conditions, by ensuring efficient drainage and compact design.
Implementation Method 1
The separation region allows the water to settle, allowing gas bubbles to escape. The non-aligned arrangement between the at least one first inlet and the at least one outlet opening slows down the water, thus creating a resting zone for gas to escape.
Implementation Method 2
The separation region is mounted in a vibration-decoupled manner. The separation area is suspended in a vibration-decoupled manner, so that no vibrations caused by water hitting the separation area are transmitted to the environment, and in particular no sound is transmitted via the connected solid bodies.
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device 10 for the noiseless separation of an air-water mixture, the device 10 having at least one first inlet 20, at least one first air outlet 30, at least one first water outlet 40 and an interior 50. A separation region 60 is arranged inside the interior 50, the separation region 60 being vibrationally decoupled. The at least one first inlet 20 is arranged above the separation region 60. The separation region 60 has an entrance opening 70 arranged at the top of the separation region 60 and at least one exit opening 80 arranged at the bottom, the at least one exit opening 80 not being flush with the at least one first inlet 20. The at least one first water outlet 40 can be closed.