Water Ballasted Wave Attenuator with Concrete Shell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floating wave attenuators designed to handle high elevation waves are excessively heavy, costly, and cumbersome due to the need for substantial mass below the water line, making them difficult to transport and install while being expensive to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A water ballasted wave attenuator constructed with a reinforced concrete shell, featuring polystyrene flotation in the upper interior and a water-filled chamber below, with water vents and an air vent to manage wave energy, reducing the need for concrete ballast and resulting in a lighter, less expensive, and more versatile design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional floating wave attenuators are designed to handle high elevation waves by deploying substantial mass below the water line, then the wave attenuation capability is improved, but the weight and cost increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulics by using water as ballast material instead of solid concrete or steel mass. The water-filled chamber below the water line provides the necessary mass for wave attenuation while being filled with water rather than heavy materials, significantly reducing the overall weight and cost of the attenuator structure.
2Reliability
If conventional floating wave attenuators use heavy mass below the water line to handle high elevation waves, then the wave force absorption is improved, but the ease of transport and installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing heavy solid ballast with water-filled chambers, the attenuator becomes much lighter and easier to transport and install. The water provides the necessary mass for wave force absorption while being contained in accessible chambers that can be filled at the installation location, eliminating the need to transport and install heavy concrete or steel ballast.
3Reliability
If conventional floating wave attenuators are designed with large mass to deal with high elevation waves, then the wave handling capability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses water as a replaceable ballast material instead of expensive heavy materials like concrete or steel. The water-filled chambers can be constructed using standard materials and filled with water at the installation location, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining the wave handling capability through the water mass.
4Reliability
If water vents are added to the lower region of the concrete shell to enable water entry, then the wave attenuation effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ballast function from the concrete shell structure and places it in separate water-filled chambers. This allows the concrete shell to be simpler in design while the ballast function is performed by the removable water-filled chambers, reducing overall structural 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 water ballasted wave attenuator is significantly lighter and less expensive to construct, easier to transport and install, yet provides equal water displacement and effective wave attenuation, allowing for greater depth at a lower cost, making it more efficient and versatile in handling high elevation waves.
Implementation Method 1
Polystyrene flotation is installed in the upper interior of the reinforced concrete shell
Implementation Method 2
Water vents may be located in the lower region of the concrete shell or filler pipes in the upper portion and permit water to enter the lower interior of the concrete shell
Data Source
AI summary
A water ballasted wave attenuator is provided. The water ballasted wave attenuator includes (a) a hollow shell formed of reinforced concrete; (b) a flotation medium in the upper region of the shell (a); (c) a water ballast chamber disposed in the lower region of the interior of the shell; (d) at least one water vent connecting the water ballast chamber with the exterior of the shell; and (e) at least one air vent connecting the water ballast chamber with the exterior of the shell, the at least one air vent including an outlet located higher than the at least one water vent.