CA2925185A1 - Apparatus for removing and sorting particulate and other materials from fluid and for regenerating water - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a unit for separation of solids and other materials in suspension in fluids and for collection of same, and for aeration, oxygenation, purification, cooling and revitalization of water.
Due to contamination of water by natural processes, industry, accidents, marine transportation, and waste disposal, better method strategies are needed.
Degradation and reduction of the quality of water is a problem worldwide in natural environments, such as rivers, lakes and oceans and in rural, agricultural and urban areas.
There is much concern about the concentration of plastic trash, and garbage gyres the size of Texas have been observed in the Pacific Ocean. These materials do not biodegrade, become smaller and smaller and are often toxic. Dr. Charles Moore of the Algalita Foundation estimates the amount of plastic in the oceans to be in trillions of pieces.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ worlds-oceans-plagued-by-269000-tons-of-plastic-pollution/ Note Bill 75, Microbead Elimination and Monitoring Act, 2015 in Ontario, Canada. Preliminary experiments have shown that the unit described in this application it is effective in recovering/removing finely dispersed particulate to 60% or better result, and it separates other matter and materials in suspension from fluid streams. As well it is effective in aerating, oxygenating, purifiying, cooling and revitalizing water. Separated materials can be recycled after collection, for a return on investment (ROI) eliminating or reducing of further adulteration of chemicals to water. Small functioning models of tabletop size will be cost effective, suitable for kits and 3D printing, and the unit will be scalable to oceangoing dimensions. Units may be coupled together for greater functionality.
The present invention is an apparatus or device for aeration, oxygenation, purification, cooling and revitalization of water and for separation of solids and other materials in suspension in fluids, having a hollow body, tubing, a source of flow or power, a support, and catchment units for drained and separated fluids and soilds, and an external protective casing.

Description

Apparatus for Removing and Sorting Particulate and Other Materials from Fluid and for Regenerating Water L. K. Seay - Ontario, Canada BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 represents the simplest embodiment of the unit, a side view of the hollow VESSEL (a) on a SUPPORT (b) with FUNNEL (c) and TUBE (d) to channel entry of fluids and produce (e) VORTEX ACTION within mixing fluid, air and suspended materials in fluid with (f) OPENINGS with tubes - at least one on the side and if so one at the bottom; if more than one opening on the side, will be in mathematical sequence of recursion.
(g) airtight and watertight SEALS, (h) catchment CONTAINER below to receive particulate or other substance upon its exit and (i) SPILL TRAY to receive processed water.
Fig. 2 contains images from nature of spirals, implosion and examples from the work of Viktor Schaubeger, C, Coates and R, Steiner,.
(a) is a side view of an egg used by Steiner to explain implosion and expansion - cooling occurs in a vortex spiral in downward pointing egg's hollow body (b) is a side view of a common seashell, labelled to identify sections and dimensions of the golden proportion.
(c) is a schematic of the interior or a vortex as it might appear if it could be seen inside the unit herein described (d) (e) and (g) are diagrams of the geometry of phi as it would be seen above (d,g) and inside (e) the unit herein descibed.
Image (f) is from a plant which demonstrates the geometry seen from above.
(h) is an image I made to demonstrate pivotal movement of a vortex inside an egg, with a grid to show some of the good places for outlets on the unit I propose.
(I) is a collage of images from the inventions of Viktor Schauberger - "Ihr bewegt falsch - Needless work"
(j) is Schauberger's image of a vortex seen from above. (k) by Coates and (I) demonstrates Schaubergian movement and remediation of flowing water DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In Fig. 1 there is shown a) A hollow vessel, ovoid, bud or egg-shaped and placed for use so that it is widest at the top and narrowest at the bottom. It has an opening at the top and may be open or closed at the bottom. The unit body or egg may be formed of plastic, metal, cement or other firm solids. In more detail, in Fig. 1 there is shown (b) a support or stand to hold the unit in a substantially horizontal position. It may have a minimum of one leg, like a pillar or cup, but may consist of more, like a pendant between two sides of a bridge, or a tripod. The unit may rest in place if undisturbed but may be secured with screws, hinges, bolts and other appropriate fastenings and protected by an external casing designed for accessibility in maintenance.
(c) Dish, funnel, cone, or other initial channel where required at height suitable to prime the unit to create a vortex unless placed semi-submerged upright in rivers and sewers in which case an appropriate channel to direct flow can be provided, or a waterproof pump or other external mechanical force of the user's preference selected to establish and maintain a vortex.

(d) Pipes or tubes are attached the unit at the top to direct the flow of fluid/s (liquid with sediment or other material in suspension) and if needed water or other fluid to expand volume and flow into the vessel, and exit (e) a vortex (f) tubing/pipes attached to sides of the separation unit and/or bottom sealed with accessible and to allow fluid and suspensions to exit (g) removable watertight and airtight seals/plugs to hold tubes (j) Orifices or openings are placed at optimum locations through mathematical formulas (Lamba, Phi) on the separation chamber sides and sloping downwardly towards bottom outlets.
Described here is a unit which functions for separation of solids and other materials in suspension in fluids and for aeration, oxygenation, purification, cooling and revitalization of water.
It is known that the rotation of a vortex moves particles in liquid. It is known that a vortex can be generated in a container. It is known that a vortex can be created or activated by an external force of either mechanical or passive means. It is known that implosion cools. The present invention makes use of the mechanical and physical forces of a vortex in an inverted egg, elongated egg or vessel or container like a pithos, mastos or amphora or similar of Minoan and Grecian days.
The unit is composed of the following elements:
a) A hollow vessel formed of a rigid solid material such as metal, cement, plastics or the like.
The vessel is ovoid, bud or egg-shaped and placed for use so that it is widest at the top and narrowest at the bottom. When fluids enter the vessel via an opening provided at the top they flow downwardly in centripetal and counterclockwise motion along the boundaries of the sloping sides.
(b) a support or stand to hold the unit in a substantially horizontal position. It may have a minimum of one leg, like a pillar or cup, but may consist of more, like a pendant between two sides of a bridge, or a tripod. The unit may rest in place if undisturbed but may be secured with screws, hinges, bolts and other appropriate fastenings and protected by an external casing designed for accessibility in maintenance (c) Dish, cone or channel or other initial receptacle unit at height suitable to prime the unit to create a flow downward and being the vortex. A waterproof/submersible pump or mechanical force of the user's preference to establish a vortex (d) a tube to allow fluids to flow down from initial intake into the hollow vessel When (e) a vortex is established in the vessel, fluids and materials in them in suspension spiral down in logarithmic cycloidal spiral geometric curves. As fluids spiral the vortex center is open and full of air which spreads into the fluid. Fluids in the vortex are forced towards the vessel walls where they exit via the orifice/s provided on the sides into outlets and tubes. Experiments with this unit demonstrate that this results in 60 per cent or better separation of water from particulate (plastic nurdles) and to a greater or lesser degree of other materials in suspension. It also results in revitalization, oxygenation and cooling of water and air (V. Schauberger, P. von Forchheimer, R. Steiner) (f) Tubing/pipes attached to top. sides and/or bottom to allow fluid and suspensions to flow in and to flow out of the separation unit through a return pipe. These may be small vinyl tubes or strong woven steel industrial material or other as desired for the use and function. Tubes may be wound on the outside of the main body of the unit. Pipes or tubes are attached the unit to direct the flow of fluid/s (liquid with sediment or other material in suspension) and if needed water or other fluid to expand volume and flow into the vessel. Tubes must of sufficient length and height as needed from unit to allow fluids to descend and begin a vortex in the separation chamber if unit operates via gravity.
Lighter substances like water ill flow out first from the top, more condensed matter descend in the vortex and exit from the lower tubes.
(g) Seals - airtight plugs/seals are preferable to hold pipes/tubes and to allow the unit to be be accessed and maintained; marine plugs are excellent for this. Lake, river or sea water that has been separated may be returned to the body of water from which it came.
Collection units for external pipes/tubes.
(h) Containers for particulate and other materials: fitted tray, box, bag, cannister, cylinder, fitted bag or similar receptacle/s for separated materials as needed by user where materials will be collected.
Collection units may contain absorbent materials like sponge, sand, or ceramic material to separate out oil or other specific fluids from the vortex flow.
(i) Collection vessels for liquids: tray, box, bag, cylinder, or similar if needed. If water to be returned to the sea or lake, such are not needed and water may flow back into source or released as desired.
(j) Reticulated orifices or openings on the separation chamber sides, best positioned to slope downwardly towards bottom outlets. Minimally these comprise at least one on one side and one at the bottom; however more reticulation may be placed along sides at mathematically determined intervals, in recursive curved grid or lattice patterns like the formulas of Pascal's Triangle and Hofstadter's Butterfly.
In this latter case a bottom opening may not be required. Ovoid containers of different shapes may be acceptable for use as containers but will require different sized holes to maintain vortex flow discharge by gravity alone. If the orifice/s are too small, fluid loses momentum and simply exits from the container in a stream which lacks vortex power. When orifice/s are enlarged a point will be found at which the increased rate of flow will sustain a vortex. Different shaped containers require different sized holes to sustain a vortex force via gravitational energy. The more suitable the curve of the container unit for sustaining a vortex, the smaller the holes, and the required energy for sustaining a vortex, will be. The ideal unit container appears to be based on root two ellipse.The unit's form will be calculated mathematically to optimize a path curve in sequence in a a lattice-like pattern. The formulas for placement will vary according to length and width of the ovoid container used, elongation according to fitting and deployment need. Those skilled in the art will understand that the unit will not be limited to any particular dimensions, but flow will thus be "tunable" like a musical instrument. The placement formula will follow the recursion theorems of Dr. Douglas Hofstadter and and Flowforms math of N.C. Thomas, John Wilkes and Lawrence Edwards, and the work of Viktor Schauberger. In the placement and size of orifices on the separation vessel walls, as shown in Fig. 1, we can scale the shape of the orifices to make the pressure of inner vortex flow curve more efficient. By arranging reticulation in relation to the shape of the vessel and viscosity of processed materials we reduce drag of sediment and losses in flow speed due to mass density of the liquid.

Claims (7)

Apparatus for Removing and Sorting Particulate and Other Materials from Fluid and for Regenerating WaterIt is known that the rotation of a vortex moves particles in liquid. It is known that a vortex can be generated in a container. It is known that a vortex can be created or activated by an external force of either mechanical or passive means. The present invention makes use of the mechanical and physical forces of a vortex in an egg, elongated egg or vessel or similar container.

1. The unit is characterised by the fact that the movement of fluid in a vortex produces differences in temperature arise, via introduction of air into the vortex, this which leads to cooling interactions. The downward pointing egg produces implosion in the vortex, which is a cooling force (Schauberger, Steiner).

2. The unit is further characterized by the introducution of air into fluids, resulting in oxygenatation and regeneration of the quality of water

3. The unit is characterised by the fact that the spiraling solid and semi-solid materials are forced out and separated from the liquid suspension which carries them, thus making them separate and collectable,

4. The unit decribed is characterised by the fact that it can process a multiplicity of substances in fluid suspensions

5. The unit is characterised by the fact that it is beneficial in nature as it purifies without chemicals and that the discharge of water from it back into source can improve its condition.

6. The unit may be made portable, so the final steps of sorting and purification of particulates and the like from fluid could be done at the point of use, or it could be deployed to occur at a more distant remove.

7. The unit will be scalable, from tabletop to oceangoing size, and can be manufactured to be built from kits or made with a 3D printer.
BENEFITS
Schauberger's discoveries, among others, demonstrate that water can be improved by imitating nature's methods, and thus regenerate the quality of water, cooling and revitalizing it.
The unit described creates a vortex which incorporates air into the body of fluid and results in implosion or cyclonic energy, which leads to temperature changes.
The unit will cool the environment and beneficially influence climate.
By using a floating collecting system comprising the separating device of the present invention, large areas of waterborne garbage in the form of gyre plastics, slime, algae, oil and detritus can be collected effectively, and environmental conditions can be improved significantly.
The unit will be scalable - from small desktop and domestic size to oceangoing models It can be 3D printable and can be made to assemble from kits.
Applications include (but are not limited to) Installation/suspension with a secure belt, hook, rope or cable on a bridge over a channel or river. With a winch, the unit could be raised or lowered into flowing water to benefit the quality of water it processes.

This unit or multiples of these units may be supported on pivotable pillars in rivers or other areas with water flow to create beneficial alteration of water quality (Schauberger).
The unit may be used in an independent buoyant structure such as a round lifesaving device or vessel with section to lower it and GPI to track it.
Nurdles and mermaid's tears - collection and separation of plastic particulate, from rivers, lakes and oceans and removal of bisphenols therewith Control and removal or biofilms, algae blooms, flood remediation Reduction of pharmaceuticals and other unwanted substances from water (anticipated) Refinement and separation of fluid solution, emulsion, suspension or the like Industrial uses - manufacturing and mining - removal of fibers from fluid -fabric and asbestos, laundry plants, the food industry, and paper-mill industry.
Agricultural uses - farm wastes, processing foodstuffs, aquaculture, irrigation, weirs Urban uses - sewage plants and systems and municipal pipes - in land drains -in open and closed channels - industrial pipes - collection of effluent for processing -phosphate separation and collection - city water quality management Domestic applications such as cleaning of home plumbing and heating units, home water systems, bathing facilities Placement in river path to remediate and benefit flow via serpentine flow Collection of debris from water related disasters like Fukushima Surface collection of oil spills from water Restoration of natural waterways, lakes or bays by deployment in flow of water on pillar where its rounded external curves will revitalize river flow (Schauberger) Object of beauty in home, garden and water installations Video and photographic documentation available upon request Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited with respect to the materials from which the unit may be engineered. While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.