21 Rushing Through
Conduct a process, or certain stages of it (e.g. destructible, harmful or hazardous operations) at high speed
■ Use a high speed dentist’s drill to avoid heating tissue
■ Cut plastic faster than heat can propagate in the material, to avoid deforming the shape
■ Shatter toffee with a hammer blow
■ Drop forge
■ Flash photography
■ Super - critical shaft – run through resonant modes quickly
■ Bikini waxing (ouch!)
22 Blessing in Disguise
A. Harm into benefit – Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or surroundings) to achieve a positive effect
■ Use waste heat to generate electric power
■ Recycle scrap material as raw materials for another – e.g. chipboard
■ Vaccination
■ Lower body temperature to slow metabolism during operations
■ Composting
■ Use centrifugal energy in rotating shaft to do something useful – e.g. seal, or modulate cooling air
■ Use pressure differences to help rather than hinder seal performance
B. Eliminate the primary harmful action by adding it to another harmful action to resolve the problem
■ Add a buffering material to a corrosive solution (e.g. an alkali to an acid, or vice versa)
■ Use a helium - oxygen mix for diving, to eliminate both nitrogen narcosis and oxygen poisoning from air and other nitrox mixes
■ Use gamma rays to detect positron emissions from explosives
C. Amplify a harmful factor to such a degree that it is no longer harmful
■ Use a backfire to eliminate the fuel from a forest fire
■ Use explosives to blow out an oil - well fire
■ Laser - knife cauterises skin/blood vessels as it cuts
23 Feedback
A. Introduce feedback to improve a process or action
■ Automatic volume control in audio circuits
■ Signal from gyrocompass is used to control simple aircraft autopilots
■ Engine management system based on exhaust gas levels is more efficient than carburettor ■ Thermostat controls temperature accurately
■ Statistical Process Control – measurements are used to decide when to modify a process ■ Feedback turns inaccurate op-amp into useable accurate amplifier
B. If feedback is already used, change its magnitude or influence in accordance with operating conditions
■ Change sensitivity of an autopilot when within 5 miles of an airport
■ Change sensitivity of a thermostat when cooling vs. heating, since it uses energy less efficiently when cooling
■ Use proportional, integral and/or differential control algorithm combinations
24 Intermediary/Mediator
A. Use an intermediary carrier article or intermediary process
■ Play a guitar with a plectrum
■ Use a chisel to control rock breaking/sculpting process
■ Dwell period during a manufacture process operation
Eradicate toxic cane toads (who were introduced to Sydney, Australia in 1935 from Hawaii and have defied all attempts to catch them) Trap the toads using ultraviolet disco lights. The lights attract insects which attract the toads)
B. Merge one object temporarily with another (which can be easily removed)
■ Gloves to get hot dishes out of an oven
■ Joining papers with a paper clip
■ Introduction of catalysts into chemical reaction
■ Abrasive particles enhance water jet cutting
■ Bouquet garni in cooking
25 Self -Service
A. An object must service itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions
■ Halogen lamps regenerate the filament – evaporated material is re-deposited
■ Self-aligning/self adjusting seal
■ Self-cleaning oven/glass/material
■ Self winding watch + Watch face self heating
■ Odour eater
■ Anti bacterial Tupperware
■ Distributor
■ Lizard ’ s tail
■ Software patches - Anti - virus
■ Atomic clock
■ Auto Headlamp levelling
■ Self Loading rifle
■ Tyres under golf course
■ Dissolvable stitches
■ Regenerative track steering
■ Trees photosynthesis
■ Parthenogenesis
■ Self pollinating plants
■ Thru colour panels on Saturn cars
■ Penguins feet (stay frozen)
■ Rock boots – wear away in a way that maintains grip
■ Customer data
■ Wikipedia
■ Self righting boats
■ Bone
■ FLAP valve
■ Dynomo on bike
■ Regenerative braking
■ Self closing door
■ Condensing boiler
B. Use waste resources, energy, or substances
■ Use heat from a process to generate electricity: Co-generation
■ Use animal waste as fertilizer
■ Use food and lawn waste to create compost
■ Use pressure difference to reinforce seal action
TRIZ for Engineers: Enabling Inventive Problem Solving, First Edition. Karen Gadd.
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-74188-7
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