Perforated Raised Floor for Wave Pool Reflection Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cross-over wave pools face issues with rip currents and wave reflections, reducing surfable wave quality and increasing construction costs, while attempts to mitigate these problems often result in reduced wave frequency and spectator displacement.
Innovation Solution
A wave pool design incorporating a wave dampening chamber with a perforated raised floor downstream from the breaker line, which absorbs wave energy and reduces rip currents and reflections, allowing for larger and more frequent surfable waves without increasing pool size or altering the floor design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the size and power of wave pools are increased to produce larger surfing class waves, then wave size and power are improved, but the occurrence of rip currents increases and surfable wave quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes rip currents from the wave pool system by introducing a drainage system that actively removes harmful water flows at their source, separating the harmful rip current component from the useful wave component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful rip currents into beneficial drainage flow by channeling them through a grated drainage system that transforms the harmful reverse flow into a useful water removal mechanism that actually improves wave quality
2Productivity
If wave frequency is increased to improve throughput, then productivity is improved, but the occurrence of rip currents and wave reflections increases and wave quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system performs preliminary action by continuously removing water and potential rip currents before they can develop into harmful reflections, preventing the formation of harmful wave patterns before they interfere with subsequent waves
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system operates continuously to maintain water quality and prevent harmful conditions, ensuring that each wave cycle starts with optimal conditions rather than allowing harmful patterns to accumulate over time
3Ease of operation
If a sloped floor design is used to enable waves to break onto the beach, then wave breaking action is improved, but wave reflections increase and surfable wave quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grated drainage system acts as an intermediary between the sloped floor and the water surface, allowing the floor to maintain its wave-breaking function while the drainage system mediates by removing excess water and preventing harmful reflections from forming
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 solution enables the production of larger and more frequent surfable waves while minimizing rip currents and wave reflections, enhancing wave quality and increasing throughput without expanding the pool's size or relocating spectators.
Implementation Method 1
the porosity of the raised floor helps to cause the wave energy to be absorbed and waves to be dampened
Implementation Method 2
a wave dampening chamber preferably downstream from the breaker line that absorbs wave energy and dampens waves
Data Source
AI summary
A wave pool for producing waves having a first wave forming portion with an inclined section and a second wave dampening portion having a raised floor above a bottom chamber floor wherein the raised floor preferably has multiple openings thereon and a predetermined porosity (γ) within the range of 0<γ≦0.5, such that as the waves travel across the wave dampening chamber, a boundary layer of energy absorbing vortices and eddies are generated above and below the raised floor resulting from water flowing up and down through the perforations, which helps to dampen the waves, and wherein the raised floor preferably comprises a padded grate drainage system consisting of multiple elongated members formed by rigid bars with foam adhered on one side thereof, which are encapsulated by a water impervious layer.