Patent Application
20240300624
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a floating body and a floating platform including the same. More particularly, example embodiments of the present invention relate to the floating body capable of decreasing a friction resistance to water and the floating platform including the same.
In general, floating architecture such as an artificial plant island, a floating photovoltaic power generating device, a cage farm, etc. are installed on a surface of water like a river, a lake, and a sea for various purposes. In particular, a number of the photovoltaic power generation devices positioned on water has been gradually increasing. Thus, they could solve problems, for example, urban sprawl and environmental pollution which may occur on land when the photovoltaic power generation devices are built on a farmland or a forest.
The floating architecture may include a floating body for providing buoyancy, a frame having various shapes in accordance with an upper structure to be installed on the floating body, and a footrest.
In particular, the floating body is exposed to a flow of water such as waves and currents, and thus, endures a relatively high resistance against the flow of the water. In particular, when the floating structure including the floating body travels along a specific path, the floating body might be caused to have a reduced running velocity due to the relatively high resistance to the flow of the water. Furthermore, the floating body may be easily damaged by the flow of the water.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide a floating body capable of decreasing a resistance value to a flow of water to improve a running speed or a durability.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a floating platform including a floating body capable of decreasing a resistance value to a flow of water to improve a running speed or a durability.
According to example embodiments, a floating body includes a frame extending a first direction, a floating part surrounding a portion of the frame, an anti-rotation pin interposed between the frame and the floating part, and being configured to prevent the floating part from rotating along a periphery of the frame, a resin coating portion surrounding the floating part; and a cover film entirely surrounding the resin coating portion, wherein the floating part includes a pair of end portions each having a vertical cross-sectional area that becomes smaller as it goes away from a center portion thereof to decrease a resistance to water.
In an example embodiment, each of the end portions is a cone-shape.
In an example embodiment, the anti-rotation pin radially extends from a circumference of the frame to penetrate through the floating part.
In an example embodiment, the floating part includes a foamed material.
In an example embodiment, the floating part includes a plurality of partition walls spaced apart from each other to be internally air-injected.
In an example embodiment, the floating part includes a groove surrounding a circumference thereof, and being configured to receive a fixing part for fixing an upper structure thereto.
According to example embodiments, a floating platform includes a plurality of floating bodies; and a stage disposed over the floating bodies, wherein a plurality of frames is connected to each other in a matrix type.
According to some embodiments of the present invention as described above, there are provided with the floating part having the resistance suppression portions capable of decreasing the resistance against water, and the anti-rotation pin. That is, the floating part includes end portions of which each has a vertical cross-sectional area that becomes smaller as it goes away from the center of the floating part, so that the floating part may decrease the resistance to water.
On the other hand, the anti-rotation pin is positioned between the floating part and the frame. Thus, the anti-rotation pin may suppress the floating portion from rotating along the circumference of the frame. Thereby, the floating part may keep a buoyancy force constant for the floating body.
The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to cross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient of implant concentration at its edges rather than a binary change from implanted to non-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantation may result in some implantation in the region between the buried region and the surface through which the implantation takes place. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Referring to
The frame 110 extends in a first direction. The frame 110 includes a reinforcing bar structure. The frame 110 may have a hollow tube shape. A plurality of frames 110 may be coupled to each other. For example, the plurality of frames 110 is connected to each other in a matrix arrangement.
The floating part 120 is provided to partially surround the frame 110. The floating part 120 may generate buoyant force to the floating body 100.
The floating part 120 includes, for example, expanded polypropylene (EPP) or foamed Styrofoam (EPS). A plurality of floating parts 120 may be fixed to the frame 110.
The floating part 120 includes a foam portion 121 and resistance suppression portions 126 and 127 formed at both ends of the foam portion 121, respectively.
The foam portion 121 has a cylindrical shape. The foam portion 121 may have the same diameter along the first direction.
The resistance suppression portions 126 and 127 are provided at both ends of the foam portion 121, respectively. Each of the resistance suppression portions 126 and 127 has a vertical cross-sectional area which becomes smaller as it goes away form a center of the foam portion 121. Accordingly, the resistance suppression portions 126 and 127 may suppress a resistance of the floating part 120 to water.
For example, each of the resistance suppression portions 126 and 127 has a cone shape.
The anti-rotation pin 130 is positioned between the floating part 120 and the frame 110. The anti-rotation pin 130 may prevent the floating part 120 from rotating along a circumference of the frame 110. Accordingly, the anti-rotation pin 130 suppresses the rotation of the floating part 120, so that the floating part 120 may maintain a buoyancy force for the floating body 100 constant.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, the anti-rotation pin 130 is provided to extend in a radial direction from the circumference of the frame 110 to penetrate through the floating portion 120.
That is, the anti-rotation pin 130 extends from a peripheral surface of the frame 110 in the radial direction so that the anti-rotation pin 130 may be integrally formed with the frame 110.
In addition, a front end of the anti-rotation pin 130 passes through the floating portion 120, so that the floating portion 120 may be effectively suppressed from rotating with respect to the frame 110. The front end may have a pin-shape.
The resin coating part 140 is provided to surround the floating part 120. The resin coating part 140 is provided to surround an outer circumferential surface of the floating part 120, thereby maintaining a shape of the floating part 120.
In particular, the resin coating part 140 corresponds to a composite material in which glass fibers or carbon fibers are mixed with either an epoxy resin or a polyester resin. The resin coating part 140 has the tendency to be relatively light, not to rust, and to be easily manufactured. Furthermore, the resin coating part 140 may have improved strength such that the resin coating part 140 is not easily broken, and the resin coating part 140 may have excellent heat resistance.
The cover film 150 is provided to surround the resin coating part 140. The cover film 150 may be made of a thermoplastic resin. For example, the cover film 150 is polyethylene (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene: UHMWPE), high-density polyethylene (High-density polyethylene: HDPE), medium-density polyethylene (Medium-density polyethylene: MDPE), low-density polyethylene (Low-density polyethylene: LDPE) and the like. Accordingly, the cover film 150 may have excellent abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and toughness even at a low temperature.
Referring to
The floating part includes an upper sub-floating part and a lower sub-floating part having the same shape as each other. The upper and lower sub-floating parts may be bonded to each other to form the float part.
On the other hand, the floating part 120 may have a groove portion 125 being provided to surround an outer periphery thereof for accommodating a fixing part (not shown) for fixing an upper structure (not shown) to the floating body. The fixing part, for example, includes a fixing belt, a fixing chain, etc. The fixing part may be located in the groove portion 125 so that the upper structure can be fastened to the lower structure such as the floating body.
Referring to
The stage 200 is provided over the floating body 100. The stage 200 may provide an area on which a house, a panel for solar power generation device, and the like may be located. Accordingly, a floating house, a floating solar power generation device, and the like may be positioned on the stage 200.
In the case of the floating house, it may be operated using a untact-prepayment reservation system. In addition, the floating house may be operated by an autonomous driving system through a predetermined route. In this case, the floating house may autonomously drive along a specific route using an automatic navigation device and a ground positioning system. In addition, the floating housing may be operated through a payment system.
In the above-described invention, the floating body and floating platform according to the present invention can be applied to a pension operable on the water, a solar power plant that can rotate according to the altitude of the sun, and the like.
Although the above has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art could variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. You will understand that you can.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2022/007567 | 5/27/2022 | WO |
