EP1637662A1 - Device for holding suspended matter, in particular vegetable matter floating on water - Google Patents

Abstract

The extractor for removal of suspended vegetable material from water has a container (6) with a suction pipe (40) which can be placed into the water. A first pump (36) removes the air from the container (6) and a second pump (32) removes water and particles from the container. Filters (16,22) return vegetable material to the container. The container can have an overflow control for the water feed pump.

Description

The invention relates to a device for receiving suspended matter with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Excessive algae growth, which often occurs during the summer months, causes algae or algae foam, along with other suspended matter, to contaminate the shallow water area of many bathing beaches on many parts of the coast. Bathers feel bothered by the suspended matter, floating in the water as well as washed up on the beach. Therefore, remove the plant flotsam.

In most cases, alluvial algae and seaweed on the shore or on the beach are picked up and collected manually with rakes, rakes and shovels or by means of larger clearing equipment and then processed to insulation material, cat litter and the like. Previously, the plant constituents have to be separated from the sand in an expensive way, since about half of the collected material to be prepared consists of sand and other non-plant soil particles.

In DE 100 00 154 A1 a vehicle for cleaning a Flutesaums is described, in the front region of a pick-up unit is arranged, are received on the flotsam together with sand and stones and a conveyor belt to a collecting area on the Be transported, where sand and stone by hand or by means of suitable machinery must be laboriously separated.

From DE 40 29 021 A1 a running in water tracked vehicle is known, on the front side of a cutting device for ground-level cutting of aquatic plants and a suction pump for sucking these plants is arranged. The plants and seawater are separated in a centrifuge and the aquatic plants are further processed directly on the vehicle. A disadvantage of this vehicle is in addition to the high fuel consumption and noise pollution, especially the susceptibility to wear of the device arranged on the vehicle.

DE 100 44 014 C2 describes a device in which a suction device conveys aquatic plants and seawater by means of a suction pump via an intake into a receptacle, where the plants are collected in a strainer and the seawater flows through a drain valve. This arrangement is very susceptible to interference and wear.

Against this background, the present invention has the object to provide a device with which particulate matter and in particular vegetable flotsam from waters with ease of use can be reliably absorbed, the device should be technologically simple and inexpensive to implement.

This object is achieved by a device for receiving suspended matter from waters with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

The device according to the invention for receiving suspended matter, in particular vegetable flotsam from bodies of water, has a closed container and an intake stub, which is insertable into the body of water and conductively connected to the container. The apparatus further includes a first pump for removing air from the container and a second pump for substantially removing water from the container and means for retaining plant flotsam within the container.

The container can be arranged both on a body of water and in the bank area of a body of water and be moved there. It must only be ensured that the intake manifold, which is connected via a suitable line connection, such as a pipe or hose connection to the container, can be introduced into the water.

The first pump for removing air from the container, which is preferably a vacuum pump, for example a lamellar pump, generates in the container a negative pressure, which causes the in-water intake manifold water and the suspended matter contained therein sucks the container. Advantageously, this first pump for sucking air is arranged so that it does not come into contact with the aspirated from the intake manifold water-suspended matter mixture. For this purpose, the suction nozzle of the pump for sucking air is preferably positioned in the container so that it is as far as possible from both the inlet of the water flowing into the container and from the standing water in the container. Furthermore, this arrangement allows that in addition to the water possibly also air can be sucked with. The first pump for removing air from the container is designed to provide the necessary negative pressure in the container to allow suction of water, suspended matter, possibly also air through the intake manifold takes place.

The pumped into the container water is sucked from the second pump, which is expediently a liquid pump, preferably a diaphragm pump, in place again from the container, wherein means are provided in the container, the vegetable Hold flotsam within the container so that it is collected in the container.

Unlike the recording of the plant propellant on the beach, the device of the invention ensures in a simple manner by the suspended matter are taken directly from the water, that only a very small proportion, at best even no unwanted sand and rock absorbed by the device and in the container is collected. In this way eliminates a costly reworking of the groupage.

Advantageously, the two pumps of the device are arranged in the flow direction behind the means for retaining vegetable flotsam. Thus, both pumps do not come with the sucked from the intake flotsam and other entrained solids in touch, as they are collected within the container before the pump. In particular, the liquid pump for sucking off the water is thus protected against increased wear or total failure, since the subsidized by her water was previously filtered. Accordingly, the inventive arrangement of the pumps significantly increases the reliability and life of the pumps and thus of the device.

Preferably, the container has a level control, which controls the water-bearing pump level-dependent. The level control, which may be, for example, a liquid sensor or a float with a downstream switch, determines in the container the water or air level and ensures that the liquid pump pumps only water from the container. If the water level in the container is so low or has dropped so far that the liquid pump would suck air in addition to water, the level control regulates the delivery rate of the liquid pump down. This prevents the liquid pump from sucking air out of the container and the liquid level within the container falling unduly far, which would reduce the filter area.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the level control controls in addition to the water-bearing pump and the air-bearing pump water level dependent. If the delivery rate of the liquid pump is regulated down as described above due to a low liquid level, the level control in this embodiment simultaneously increases the delivery rate of the air-carrying vacuum pump, so that it sucks more water from the water into the container. A water level, which then rises again, then again leads to an increase in the delivery rate of the liquid pump, while the delivery rate of the vacuum pump is reduced. In this way, a substantially constant flow rate is achieved in the device.

In addition, the container expediently a pressure control, which controls the air-conducting pump pressure-dependent. The pressure control ensures that in the container always necessary for the suction vacuum of preferably 0.8 to 0.9 bar prevails. If, for example, the tank internal pressure falls below this value, for example if the intake pipe located in the water body is blocked, then the pressure control shuts off the air-carrying pump after the vacuum has been reached.

Advantageously, the means for retaining vegetable flotsam a water-permeable filter material, preferably a filter fleece, which is supported by a permeable wall. The filter material or filter fleece forms a barrier against which plants and plant components as well as other solids are trapped, while they can be penetrated by the water, so that this then filtered and freed from suspended water can be sucked from the liquid pump and discharged from the container , Suitable filter material are all water-resistant materials in question whose pore widths on the one hand enable a high water throughput, but on the other hand hold back vegetable flotsam and suspended solids in the water.

In an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention, the container has a substantially cylindrical shape. The filter can then be formed by a filter drum arranged in the container. A cylindrical container corresponds to a standard design used in the container or pressure vessel construction. Containers with a cylindrical shape are inexpensive to produce or can be obtained from a variety of manufacturers of pressure vessels as a standard container.

Advantageously, the filter has a shape corresponding to the container. This is achieved by a cylindrically shaped filter drum. It is expedient if the filter drum is arranged in the container so that the container and the filter drum form an annular gap. In this way, a very large surface area of the filter drum is exposed, which is associated with a correspondingly large filter area.

The filter drum can be integrally formed when using a dimensionally stable filter material as a shape filter, but preferably it has a Support body of a coarse-meshed wire mesh, the inside of which is clad in sections with filter material. Preferably, the filter material is detachably connected to the support body, so that contaminated filter material can be quickly replaced or cleaned. For example, consisting of the filter material mats can be clamped or clamped to the support body. For this purpose, the inner wall of the support body, for example, have undercuts, in which the mats are clamped by filter material and thus fixed to the wall. Furthermore, it is also possible to use additional clamping elements such as clamping rings to releasably secure the filter material to the inner wall of the support body.

For the purpose of emptying, the container has a closable container opening. The container opening is preferably arranged on an end face of the cylindrical container. This opening is closed by a flap, which is preferably hydraulically or mechanically actuated. The filter drum is expediently designed to be open towards this container opening, so that the grouped product located in the filter drum can be removed from the container after the flap has been opened, without having to remove the filter drum.

Preferably, the device forms the part of a vehicle on which the container is tiltably arranged. As vehicles such vehicles are predestined, where the device constructed and the container can be tilted. Since these vehicles are used on beaches and other impassable shore areas as well as in shallow waters, these vehicles should be suitable for off-road or beach. A particularly preferred carrier vehicle for the device according to the invention is a vehicle of the type Unimog U 500 L.

The container is arranged so tiltable on the vehicle that the container opening facing the bottom when tilting and the contents of the filter drum can be distributed from this. For this purpose, the container is expediently mounted pivotably in the region of the opening about a horizontal opening.

Advantageously, the intake manifold is arranged on the front or side of the vehicle and preferably guided over an over the cab cross-arm. An arrangement of the suction nozzle on the front of the vehicle has the advantage that the intake area can be viewed very well by an operator. However, it is necessary for a suction nozzle arranged in such a way that the vehicle is moved in the water. Alternatively, it is possible for a suction nozzle arranged on a pivoting arm to pivot it so that the pivoting arm is directed laterally of the vehicle in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis and the vehicle is moved on land parallel to the shore, while the pivoting arm extends over the water and the intake manifold can be guided in the water. With this arrangement, it may be possible that the intake area is not directly visible by the operating personnel and can be monitored by special monitoring means, for example surveillance cameras.

Advantageously, the intake opens with a free distance in front of a guide shoe. This guide shoe is cap-shaped and convex towards the bottom. When sucking in floating parts, the guide shoe is guided on the bottom of the water and covers the bottom area directly under the intake opening of the intake. This prevents sand or other solid particles lying on the ground from being sucked in by the intake manifold. In this way, of the device according to the invention essentially only water and the vegetable suspended matter contained therein absorbed. The domed shape of the guide shoe allows the guide shoe to be easily moved on the bottom of the water, displacing loose ground particles laterally from the guide shoe and / or the intake manifold.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht der auf einem Fahrzeug angeordneten erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung in stark vereinfachter und in teilgeschnittener Darstellung und

Fig. 2

eine Rückansicht des Fahrzeugs gemäß Fig. 1

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a side view of the arranged on a vehicle device according to the invention in a greatly simplified and partially sectional view and

Fig. 2

a rear view of the vehicle of FIG. 1

The figures show a vehicle 2 on which a device 4 for receiving suspended matter is arranged.

The device 4 has a pressure-tight sealable cylindrical container 6, whose longitudinal axis is directed in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis. The container 6 is arranged and fixed on a loading area of the vehicle 2. The container 6 is pivotally mounted about a parallel to the wheel axles of the vehicle 2 extending bearing axis 8 and by means of a telescopic hydraulic cylinder 10 which is disposed near the spaced from the bearing axis 8 end face of the container 6, pivotable or tiltable. The arranged at the rear of the vehicle 2 end face of the container 6 has an opening 12 which is closed by a flap 14. The flap 14 is pivotally connected to the front side of the container 6 and can be swung to empty the container 6, so that the opening 12 is released. The pivoting of the flap 14 is hydraulically or by gravity when tilting. For better illustration of the container interior, the flap 14 is not shown in FIG. 2.

In the container 6, a filter drum 16 is arranged. This is, like the container 6, cylindrical, but has a shorter length than the container 6. An open end face of the filter drum 16 is flush with the opening 12 of the container 6. The filter drum 16 is arranged concentrically with respect to the container 6, so that an annular gap 18 is formed between the inner circumference of the container 6 and the peripheral surface of the filter drum 16. Due to the, with respect to the container 6, shorter length of the filter drum 16, a free container portion 20 is formed between the closed end faces of the container 6 and the filter drum 16.

The outer wall of the filter drum 16 consists of a coarse-meshed wire mesh, on the inner wall of a filter flow 22 is applied. The filter flow 22 is determined by not shown quick-release elements on the inner wall of the filter drum 16. In case of contamination, or if its filter capacity is exhausted, the filter flow 22 can be easily replaced or removed for cleaning purposes. For this purpose, the filter drum 16 can be walked on via a plate 24 which is arranged on the base of the filter drum 16 facing the vehicle frame and which is otherwise provided for facilitating the dumping of the contents of the filter drum 16.

In the region of the free portion 20, the wall of the container 6 facing the chassis of the vehicle 2 has an opening 26 and an opening 28. At the opening 26 opens an intake pipe 30 which is connected to a liquid pump 32, At the opening 28, an intake pipe 34 is guided in the portion 20 of the container 6. The intake pipe 34 is connected to a vacuum pump 36. The free end of the intake pipe 34 opens in the upper region of the section 20. The liquid pump 32 and the vacuum pump 36 are below the container 6 in the region of the chassis of the Vehicle 2 is arranged. The discharge nozzles of the pumps 32 and 36 open into the open.

Near the open end of the container 6, at the upper periphery spaced from the chassis of the vehicle 2, a tubular load arm 38 penetrates both the wall of the container 6 and the wall of the filter drum 16 to open into it. In this area, the load arm 38 is aligned normal to the longitudinal axis of the container 6, but soon kinks at an angle of 90 °, in order then to extend in a plane parallel to the longitudinal extent of the vehicle 2 in the direction of the driver's cab, this projects beyond a portion 40 of the load arm 38, which in turn is directed at 90 ° angled towards the bottom, near the bottom in an intake manifold 42 ends. By means of a joint 44 arranged in the region of the load arm 38 guided parallel to the longitudinal extent of the vehicle 2, the region of the load arm 38 projecting beyond the driver's cab can be pivoted upwards, thus adapting the position of the intake manifold 42 to the topography of the intake region. In the load arm 38, a suction hose, not shown in the figures is guided, which opens, starting from the intake manifold 42 within the container 6 in the filter drum 16. Between the cab and the container 6, a support 46 is provided on the vehicle 2, on which the load arm 38 can be stored during transport trips.

Furthermore, the load arm 38 is hinged to the container 6 and can be pivoted by means of a pivoting device 48 which is disposed above the container 6 so that the load arm 38 projects with the attached thereto intake manifold 42 to the longitudinal sides of the vehicle 2.

For receiving vegetable flotsam from waters of the intake 42 is introduced into this body of water until a free End of the intake manifold 42 arranged Ansaugschuh 50 rests on the bottom of the water. The suction shoe 50 is cap-shaped and convexly curved towards the bottom. If the intake manifold 42 is guided over the body of water, the suction shoe 50 displaces solid bodies lying on the ground, such as sand and smaller stones, so that they are not or only to a very small extent sucked in by the intake manifold 42. Further, the suction shoe 50 holds the suction port of the intake manifold 42 at a distance from the ground, so that larger objects can not clog up this opening. The distance of the Ansaugschuhs 50 from the intake manifold 42 is adjustable.

By actuating the vacuum pump 36, the suction process is activated. The vacuum pump 36 sucks the air in the container 6 until a negative pressure prevails in the container 6. By way of the suction hose guided in the load arm 38, water with the flotsam contained therein is thus absorbed at the intake manifold 42 and conveyed into the filter drum 16. The water penetrates, supported by the vacuum pump 36, the filter flow 22 in the region of the annular gap 18 and at the free portion 20 facing end face of the filter drum 16, while the plant flotsam is retained by the filter flow 22 in the filter drum 16. When the water level in the container 6 reaches a predetermined level, the liquid pump 32 is actuated, which sucks the water and releases it outside the vehicle 2 to the environment. In this case, the liquid pump 32 comes into contact only with previously filtered water and is therefore charged little.

In the container 6, a float 52 is arranged. The float 52 is part of a control, not shown, which controls the flow rates of the vacuum pump 36 and the liquid pump 32 in response to the level of the container 6. If the water level reaches the Float 52 reduces the control connected to the float 52, the performance of the vacuum pump 36, while the liquid pump 32 sucks water from the container 6. If the liquid pump 32 sucks in too much air, its power is reduced by the regulation and the delivery rate of the vacuum pump 36 is increased again. The length of the intake pipe 34 and the high intake position ensure that the suction position of the vacuum pump 36 is always above the water level in the container 6, the vacuum pump 36 so always only air and no water sucks from the container 6.

Further, in the container 6 above the float 52, a pressure sensor is arranged. This pressure sensor is not shown in the figures. The pressure sensor takes the value of the pressure prevailing in the air-filled space of the container 6 air pressure and is connected to a pressure control. The pressure control controls the vacuum pump 36 on the basis of the pressure values determined by the pressure sensor so that there is always a vacuum of 0.8 to 0.9 bar necessary for suction in the container 6. Falling below this pressure is prevented by the pressure control by switching off the vacuum pump 36.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

vehicle

4

contraption

6

container

8th

bearing axle

10

hydraulic cylinders

12

opening

14

flap

16

filter drum

18

annular gap

20

container section

22

filter flow

24

catwalk

26

perforation

28

perforation

30

intake

32

liquid pump

34

intake

36

vacuum pump

38

load arm

40

section

42

intake

44

joint

46

support

48

swivel device

50

Ansaugschuh

52

swimmer

Claims (9)

Apparatus (4) for receiving suspended matter, in particular plant flotsam from bodies of water, comprising a container (6) and an intake pipe (42) which is insertable into the water and conductively connected to the container (6), with a first pump ( 36) for removing air from the container (6) and a second pump (32) for removing water and particles from the container (6) and means (16, 22) for retaining vegetable flotsam within the container (6 ). Device (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (6) has a level control (52) which controls the water-carrying pump (32) level-dependent. Device (4) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container (6) has a pressure control, which controls the air-conveying pump (36) pressure-dependent. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means (16, 22) for retaining vegetable flotsam are formed by a water-permeable filter material, preferably a filter fleece (22). Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (6) has a substantially cylindrical shape and the filter is formed by a filter drum (16) arranged in the container. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (6) for the purpose of emptying a closable container opening (12), which is preferably formed by a rear end wall which is formed as a flap (14). Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it forms part of a vehicle (2) and the container (6) is arranged tiltably on the vehicle (2). Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intake manifold (42) is arranged on the front side of the vehicle (2), preferably via a the driver's cab cross-swivel arm (38, 40) is guided. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intake nozzle (42) opens at a free distance in front of a guide shoe (50), which is cap-shaped and convex towards the bottom.

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