Flood gate with hydraulic draw down deflector

Abstract

A flood control gate having one or more deflectors on a backside surface of the gate for reducing hydraulic forces acting upon the gate when the gate is raised in a water body. The gate may have a front side surface configured to prevent fluids from passing through the gate. The deflector may be attached to a backside surface of the gate proximate to a bottom surface. A transition may be located at an intersection of the backside surface and the bottom surface to further facilitate movement of the gate in a water body.

1 . A fluid control gate, comprising: 
 a frame formed from a plurality of support members and having a bottom surface, a front side surface, and a backside surface generally opposite to the front side surface of the frame;    a fluid retention plate coupled to the front side surface of the frame; and    a deflector coupled to the backside surface of the frame in a position proximate to a bottom surface of the frame for reducing hydraulic load on the support members when the fluid control gate is raised in a water body.    
   
   
       2 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid retention plate covers substantially all of the front side surface of the frame.  
   
   
       3 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , and the deflector extends substantially across an entire width of the frame.  
   
   
       4 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , wherein the deflector extends from the bottom surface of the frame up the backside of the frame a height equal to about one fourth a total height of the fluid retention plate.  
   
   
       5 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , further comprising a transition at an intersection between the backside surface and the bottom surface.  
   
   
       6 . The fluid control gate of  claim 5 , wherein the transition is beveled.  
   
   
       7 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , wherein the support members comprise a plurality of vertical support members and a plurality of horizontal support members forming a grid.  
   
   
       8 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of wheels attached to a first side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and a plurality of wheels attached to a second side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and generally opposite from the first side.  
   
   
       9 . The fluid control gate of  claim 1 , further comprising a sliding surface attached to a first side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and a sliding surface attached to a second side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and generally opposite from the first side.  
   
   
       10 . A fluid control gate, comprising: 
 a frame formed from a plurality of support members and having a bottom surface, a front side surface, and a backside surface generally opposite to the front side surface of the frame;    a fluid retention plate coupled to the front side surface of the frame;    a deflector coupled to the backside surface of the frame in a position proximate to a bottom surface of the frame for reducing hydraulic load on the support members when the fluid control gate is raised in a water body;    a transition at an intersection between the backside surface and the bottom surface; and    a plurality of wheels attached to a first side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and attached to a second side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and generally opposite from the first side.    
   
   
       11 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid retention plate covers substantially all of the front side surface of the frame.  
   
   
       12 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , and the deflector extends substantially across an entire width of the fluid retention plate.  
   
   
       13 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , wherein the deflector extends from the bottom surface of the frame up the backside of the frame a height equal to about one fourth a total height of the frame.  
   
   
       14 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , wherein the transition is beveled.  
   
   
       15 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , wherein the support members comprise a plurality of vertical support members and a plurality of horizontal support members forming a grid.  
   
   
       16 . The fluid control gate of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of wheels attached to a first side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface, and a plurality of wheels attached to a second side of the frame positioned generally orthogonally to the front side surface and to the backside surface and generally opposite from the first side.  
   
   
       17 . A method of reducing hydraulic load on a fluid control gate, comprising: 
 assembling a frame comprising a plurality of support members and having a bottom surface, a front side surface and a backside surface generally opposite to the front side surface of the frame and a fluid retention plate coupled to the front side surface of the frame; and    attaching a deflector to the backside surface of the frame in a position proximate to a bottom surface of the frame for reducing hydraulic load on the support members when the fluid control gate is raised in a water body.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assembling the frame comprises assembling a frame in which the fluid retention plate covers substantially all of the front side surface of the frame and the deflector extends substantially across an entire width of the frame.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assembling the frame comprises assembling a frame in which the deflector extends from the bottom surface of the frame up the backside of the frame a height equal to about one fourth a total height of the fluid retention plate.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assembling the frame comprises assembling a frame including a transition at an intersection between the backside surface and the bottom surface.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein assembling the frame comprises assembling a frame including a beveled transition at an intersection between the backside surface and the bottom surface.