Abstract: Liquid covering disks configured to float on the surface of a body of liquid, including a body with an aperture at a periphery of the body, the aperture configured to allow a liquid to pass through, a plurality of ribs projecting from the body, and a wall protruding at the periphery of the body. A portion of the body, a portion of the plurality of ribs, and a portion of the wall define a cavity allowing a volume of a gas to be trapped in the cavity when the disk is deployed on the surface of the body of liquid. In some examples, a system of floating disks covers the surface of a body of liquid. Each disk includes an interlocking element configured to interact with a complementary interlocking element at an adjacent disk to form a floating arrangement of disks.

Abstract: Systems and methods for covering the surface of a body of liquid, including a plurality of buoyant members, each having the shape of a rhombic dodecahedron including twelve identical quadrilateral faces, configured to float on the surface of the body of liquid and to substantially cover the surface of the body of liquid. The plurality of buoyant members naturally align when floating on the surface of the body of liquid with a quadrilateral face of a rhombic dodecahedron abutting a quadrilateral face of an adjacent rhombic dodecahedron and the plurality of buoyant members form a closely packed floating arrangement of face-to-face abutting rhombic dodecahedrons that substantially covers the surface of the body of liquid.

Abstract: Disks configured to float on the surface of a body of liquid, including a top member configured to float substantially above the surface of the body of liquid, a bottom member spaced from the top member and configured to float substantially below the surface of the body of liquid, a sidewall extending between the top member and the bottom member along the periphery of the top member and along the periphery of the bottom member, wherein the top member, the bottom member, and the sidewall collectively define a cavity, a chamber mounted within the cavity, the chamber enclosing a predetermined volume of a gas, and a port defined in the sidewall to allow liquid from the body of liquid to enter the cavity, wherein the predetermined volume of gas enclosed in the chamber is selected to impart a buoyancy force sufficient to maintain the disk afloat on the body of liquid with the bottom member a predetermined depth below the member of the body of liquid.

Abstract: Disks configured to float on the surface of a body of liquid, including a top member configured to float substantially above the surface of the body of liquid, a bottom member spaced from the top member and configured to float substantially below the surface of the body of liquid, a sidewall extending between the top member and the bottom member along the periphery of the top member and along the periphery of the bottom member, wherein the top member, the bottom member, and the sidewall collectively define a cavity, a chamber mounted within the cavity, the chamber enclosing a predetermined volume of a gas, and a port defined in the sidewall to allow liquid from the body of liquid to enter the cavity, wherein the predetermined volume of gas enclosed in the chamber is selected to impart a buoyancy force sufficient to maintain the disk afloat on the body of liquid with the bottom member a predetermined depth below the member of the body of liquid.