Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01H—STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING OR PREVENTING FOG IN GENERAL CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS
  • E01H5/00—Removing snow or ice from roads or like surfaces; Grading or roughening snow or ice
  • E01H5/12—Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow with or without clearing or removing ; Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
  • B02C23/18—Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B30—PRESSES
  • B30B—PRESSES IN GENERAL
  • B30B15/00—Details of, or accessories for, presses; Auxiliary measures in connection with pressing
  • B30B15/32—Discharging presses
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B30—PRESSES
  • B30B—PRESSES IN GENERAL
  • B30B9/00—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes
  • B30B9/02—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material
  • B30B9/12—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material using pressing worms or screws co-operating with a permeable casing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B30—PRESSES
  • B30B—PRESSES IN GENERAL
  • B30B9/00—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes
  • B30B9/02—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material
  • B30B9/26—Permeable casings or strainers
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01H—STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING OR PREVENTING FOG IN GENERAL CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS
  • E01H5/00—Removing snow or ice from roads or like surfaces; Grading or roughening snow or ice
  • E01H5/10—Removing snow or ice from roads or like surfaces; Grading or roughening snow or ice by application of heat for melting snow or ice, whether cleared or not, combined or not with clearing or removing mud or water, e.g. burners for melting in situ, heated clearing instruments; Cleaning snow by blowing or suction only
  • E01H5/102—Self-contained devices for melting dislodged snow or ice, e.g. built-in melting chambers, movable melting tanks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for reducing the volume and fluidification of snow for the evacuation of snow accumulated on roads in public places or industrial and airport sites.
• the present invention relates to the general field of reducing the volume of snow due to bad weather in areas of large area and whose evacuation and return to service of the area must be carried out very quickly. These are mainly airports and aerodromes but also all surfaces in public places that need to be cleared of accumulated snow so as to return to a normal operating situation.
• the evacuated snow contains pollutants such as fuels as well as various solid waste or objects such as pieces of tires or various dirt.
• WO / 038595 to store and heat the snow by various ordinary heating means in a surface enclosure and recover water.
• US 4697572 there is described a container equipped with snow destructuring means combined with water injection means, the liquid being discharged to the sewer.
• the device of US 4697572 uses water from the urban network in a very large quantity in order to mechanically create a mixture. Water from the urban network is consumed significantly and released as a water / snow amalgam. It is the calories of the urban water that are used at a high price.
• the disadvantages of the current methods come from the fact that the volume of snow at stake requires storage in large enclosures or bins and therefore at a place far from the site whereas, because of the volume of snow at stake, the number of gear as well as the number of loading / transport / discharge cycles between the site and the place of storage are relatively important and therefore the proposed snow removal methods are relatively long and expensive.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to provide snow removal devices and methods making it possible to facilitate transport and to reduce the volume of snow as quickly as possible in order to allow it to be evacuated in order to limit extremely costly shutdowns, and lower cost.
• the goal is to reduce the amount of snow accumulated on large surfaces that must be made operational very quickly and to evacuate and / or store the snow in liquid form in tanks of limited volume to be able to locate them easily near risky sites to limit the distance to be covered by snow removal equipment.
• the present invention provides a device for reducing volume and fluidizing snow comprising:
• a first fixed tank (acting as a "fluidization tank”), equipped with means of fluidification and reduction of volume of the snow, and
• At least one second reservoir forming a storage basin of greater volume than the first reservoir, the volume of said storage basin being at least 20 times preferably at least 100 times, the volume of the first reservoir, and said storage tank being at least partially filled with water at ambient temperature, preferably at least 20% of its volume being filled with water, and
• At least one first fluid transfer pipe between a discharge orifice at the lower end of said first fluidization tank and said storage tank, and
• said fluidization means comprising:
• snow settlement means comprising mobile dynamic settlement means (4)
• water injection means preferably comprising water spray nozzles, inside and / or above the first tank fed with water from the storage tank via a said second channeling, said water injection means being located at least above the hashing and kneading means, preferably also below said hashing and / or kneading means, and
• ultrasonic generation means comprising ultrasound emitting devices supported by a rigid structure inside the first reservoir, arranged below said means for chopping and / or mixing and below said water injection nozzles.
• said first reservoir is partially pre-filled with water at the bottom of the first reservoir to above said ultrasound emitters and below said mechanical means of breakdown. Ultrasound thus differs with greater efficiency in water than in air.
• said rigid structure is a lattice structure defining orifices for the passage of the fluidized snow and its downward flow of the first reservoir, said rigid structure extending over substantially the entire horizontal cross section of the first reservoir and supporting a plurality of ultrasound emitters distributed in several places.
• said ultrasound emitters are in the form of cylindrical bars, preferably in the number of 10 to 50, fixed over the solid portions of said rigid structure and distributed over said rigid structure so that said ultrasound diffuse substantially homogeneously throughout the cross section of said first tank, at least in a lower part of the first tank preferably pre-filled with water.
• ultrasonic destructuring means are optimized in terms of power required and / or speed of fluidification of the snow which becomes easier and faster transferable.
• the fluidification of the snow in said first tank is carried out in the form of a homogeneous pumped and pumped fluidified snow-water mixture or mechanically transferable to the said larger storage basin in which the complete cast iron natural snow is at room temperature and without any energy input from the machine.
• Ultrasound can destruct the aggregates of the crystals forming the snow and facilitate the fluidification of the snow without heating it and without making a change of state so as to reduce the volume and allow its transfer easily. If necessary, some of the snow from swimming in the submerged lower part of the first tank pre-filled with water may melt.
• the fact of not melting the snow but of bringing it to a pasty homogeneous pumpable and or mechanically transferable thanks to the combination of means applying in particular the ultrasounds to destructure the snow, allows to considerably reduce the consumption of energy since the calories required to pass from the solid state to the liquid state, are not necessary within the reservoir.
• the method according to the present invention does not consume water but operates in closed circuit with the storage tank and allows the recovery and treatment of water for use for other needs.
• the device according to the present invention is therefore more advantageous both in terms of energy consumption and in terms of water saving.
• the heating of the water is not necessary and is only implemented to prevent the freezing of the nozzles or pipes or organs of the machine under certain circumstances.
• the combination of means involving the use of ultrasound and agitation allows destructuring aggregates of ice crystals forming the snow to fluidify it, without changing its physical state, so that the overall energy consumption of the process according to the The invention is at least 20 times less than previous devices involving the heating of snow.
• the said means of hashing and / or mixing and reduction and fluidization are able to break blocks of ice or compacted snow and to destructure and homogenize the snow to make it transferable in said first transfer line from the lower end of the reservoir to the storage basin.
• Said water injection means at room temperature contribute to the fluidification thereof by using the energy that comes from the storage tank through the contribution of calories naturally present in the soil.
• the system operates in a closed loop without any energy input from the machine other than a transfer pump.
• the implementation of a relatively limited first reservoir volume in which the snow is fluidized before being transferred by pumping means to said storage tank of greater volume and further from the snow-covered site makes possible the permanent implantation of the first reservoir at a relatively small distance from the site at risk.
• the duration of the snow fluidification treatment in the relatively small first tank is compatible with the loading / transport / unloading duration of a relatively small number of trucks. bucket and / or bucket of standard size loaders.
• the first tank is used only to thin the snow, which is naturally melted in the larger storage tank by the tank. natural supply of energy from the ground and can be implanted at a greater distance from the site, the mixture obtained in the first tank allowing the easy transfer to long distances via pipes and pumps.
• the reservoir's reception capability will be several m 3 of snow, in particular from 4 to 30 m 3, according to the model of the machine and therefore adapted according to the size of the site and loading / unloading means snow as well as the number of tanks according to the present invention.
• the first tank receives snow unloaded directly by dump trucks. It serves as a buffer tank and includes equipment to help the snow down, even to compact, fluidify by water injection, knead and force down the tank.
• the lower part of the first tank is pre-filled with water so that the snow can be pumped out and the resulting mixture is sent to the injection nozzles which equip the first tank and / or to the storage tank, bringing thus the calories necessary to increase the fluidification of the snow.
• ultrasound diffuses more effectively in water than in air.
• Another advantage of the device is therefore also environmental because it allows to reuse a water rather than being lost as explained below.
• Another advantage, energetic this time, lies on the one hand in the fact of using the heat energy given by the soil and brought by the water stored in the storage basin to melt the snow and fluidify the agglomerate and on the other hand to reduce the distances traveled by trucks and therefore by the same reduction of greenhouse gases.
• the ultrasonic generation means emit ultrasound of at least 20 kHz, preferably from 20 kHz to 1 MHz.
• These ultrasound generation means comprise in a known manner generators for increasing the frequency of the usual voltage which is 50 Hz up to a frequency greater than or equal to 20 kHz coupled to transducers still called sonotrodes consisting of one or more pairs of preloaded piezoelectric ceramic forming Langevin triplets which transforms the electric current into vibratory mechanical displacement thus generating ultrasonic waves.
• the combination of said mobile dynamic settlement means, said water injection means and said hashing and kneading means thus divides the volume of the snow by a factor of 2 to 5 at least, while said means for generating ultrasound can fluidify the snow into a homogeneous mixture to allow its rapid transfer via pipes and conventional pumping and transfer means.
• said mobile dynamic settlement means comprise pivoting plates, preferably perforated plates, all of said plates covering substantially the entire surface of a horizontal section of said first tank above said hash means and and / or kneading, said plates being fixed to the side walls of the first tank in an articulated manner in rotation with respect to said side walls of said first tank, along an axis of horizontal rotation, preferably using hydraulic cylinders.
• the snow contains 50 to 90% of air, the adjournments allow to evacuate the air and pre-chop the snow during its settlement. More particularly, the perforations of said perforated plates form a comb or rake structure with solid structures. are at least 10 cm wide spaced by voids at least 10 cm wide.
• the first reservoir further comprises means for filtering solid objects contained in the snow, preferably a mesh grid preferably of at least 5 cm, arranged upstream of said discharge orifice of the fluidized snow mixture. lower part of the first tank, downstream of said ultrasonic generation means, and means for discharging said objects towards the outside of said first tank, in particular an additional tank, preferably scavenger-type evacuation means actuated by a hydraulic cylinder or Archimedes screw.
• the first reservoir, the injection nozzles and the pipelines further comprise secondary heating means by joule effect.
• the heating is implemented solely to prevent the freezing of the nozzles or pipes but is not required to fluidify the snow but it is the use of the combination of means including ultrasound which allows destructuring aggregates of ice crystals forming snow. More particularly the chords constituting said lattice structure supporting the ultrasound emitters, define a regular mesh of 5 to 15cm.
• the reservoir further comprises said reservoir, static settlement means consisting in that:
• Its side walls comprise a funnel portion of horizontal section smaller than its upper opening, said funnel portion being disposed at least below said hash means and / or kneading.
• said mechanical means are hashing and kneading and forced displacement means comprising toothed rotating discs and / or inclined pallet-shaped fingers mounted on at least one horizontal transverse axis or drum, able to break and push down pieces of ice and / or compacted snow, preferably a plurality of parallel axes so as to cover the entire horizontal section of said first tank.
• said first reservoir comprises or cooperates with means for dynamic evacuation of the fluidized snow, at the lower end of the first reservoir, preferably a transfer pump and / or a motorized worm, downstream of said orifice evacuation, and below said filtering means and said means for generating ultrasound.
• means for dynamic evacuation of the fluidized snow at the lower end of the first reservoir, preferably a transfer pump and / or a motorized worm, downstream of said orifice evacuation, and below said filtering means and said means for generating ultrasound.
• the first reservoir further comprises first fluidized snow transfer means comprising first conduit and first fluid circulation pump from said first reservoir to a said storage tank, and second water transfer means between said storage pond and water injection nozzles within the first tank, comprising second pipe and second fluid circulation pump.
• the first tank is an open tank whose side walls at the bottom are partially buried in the ground or said first tank is arranged on a truck or on a trailer.
• said first tank is mounted and fixed directly on a truck in order to follow the snowplowing machines, which then directly pour the snow into the opening of the first tank.
• the storage tank is open air whose side walls are at least at least buried in the ground. Otherwise, the storage tank can simply be placed on the ground.
• the present invention also provides a method of clearing a site using a device according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
• the device can be equipped with hydraulic pumps and pipes for transferring water to a point allowing its discharge such as river, lake or retention basin, after filtration.
• the ability to reduce snow, its fluidification and evacuation and storage is dependent on the size of the place to be equipped and the type of snow, including the proportion of air it contains, namely, in general from 50 to 90% air as mentioned above.
• the number of devices to implement is to be adapted on the basis of standard sizes of about 2 to 30 cubic m3 and the number and size of the tanks are adjustable according to the geometric constraints of the site. For example, it is possible to implement a storage basin with a capacity of 20m x 30m x 4m or 2,400m3.
• the earth acts as a heat exchanger so that the fluidized mixture of snow transferred from the bottom of the first tank and / or the water transferred from the second tank, are a temperature higher than the outside temperature.
• the invention also makes it possible to add filtration modules in order to separate the chemical and particulate pollutants from the water contained in the storage tank, the aim being to make it usable for green spaces in hot weather for example or even for use in cleaning and sanitary water.
• said first reservoir and said storage basin are partially pre-filled with water and preferably at least partially buried, and the water flows in a closed circuit between said storage tank and said first tank, said storage tank comprising or cooperating with filtration and water circulation means for transferring water stored in a water supply network or in the environment.
• the device in the case of networks and natural or created water reservoirs on the site, the device (s) can be connected directly to them.
• the device and the various steps of the method according to the invention are determined by instructions of computer programs and or industrial programmable logic controller (PLC) with human machine interface (HMI). Consequently, the invention also relates to a computer program on an information medium, this program being capable of being implemented in a control module, this program comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of the steps of the process according to the invention.
• This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other form desirable shape.
• the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be routed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means to a control room for report alarm and / or remote control.
• Figure 1 shows a view of the entire device with the tank 1 and the storage tank 11 in vertical longitudinal section of the tank.
• FIG. 2 represents a view of the tank in a buried pit in transverse vertical section.
• FIG. 3 shows a top view of the tank showing the perforated perforation plates in the lower closed position.
• FIG. 4 represents a view from above of all the hashing and kneading devices 2.
• FIG. 5A represents a view from above of the first lattice structure 5 supporting ultrasonic generation means.
• Figure 5B is a vertical sectional view of the first lattice structure 5 showing transducers 5a arranged in a homogeneous manner.
• FIG. 1 represents a device according to the invention making it possible to reduce the volume of snow by fluidifying it to evacuate it more easily.
• the device for reducing volume, fluidization and storage according to the invention shown in the figures comprises a first reservoir 1 disposed below the ground level in a pit 17 which can be partially buried near the site to be cleared of snow and connected. to a second tank called storage basin 11 of larger volume also preferably buried located at a greater distance from the site to snow.
• the tank and storage basin are open.
• the first tank 1 comprises a horizontal section of rectangular shape and comprises an upper part la with flared side walls, of which 2 parallel opposite side walls are equipped with packing means 4.
• the packing means consist of 2 perforated rectangular plates 4a mounted pivotally each along a horizontal axis 4b disposed at a said side wall and adapted to be pivotally actuated by a jack 4c between:
• the plates 4a are formed of parallel slats 4 2 spaced by voids 4i forming combs or rakes.
• the orifices 4i within the perforated plates 4 allow the evacuation of the air contained in the snow during its compaction.
• compaction also aims to optimize the efficiency of the destructuring means of the snow by ultrasonic treatment described below.
• the compacted snow in the intermediate compartment 1b between the perforated plates 4a in the low position and the grinding and mixing means 2 is treated by injecting water at room temperature at the level of the first spray nozzles. 3a water mounted on the side walls of the intermediate portion lb of tank.
• the water comes from the water 12 stored in the storage tank 11 which is initially filled with an amount of at least 20% here about 50% of its volume.
• the water 12 is pumped at the bottom 11a of the storage tank 11 and transferred by said second transfer line 10 and second circulation pump 10a to the spray nozzles 3a and 3b.
• the spray nozzles 3a and 3b make it possible to spray the snow with water in order to contribute to its fluidization because the sprayed water is at ambient temperature.
• the external climatic conditions are very cold and the surface of the pond 12 is frozen, the water below the surface being liquid remains at a temperature sufficient to heat and start the fluidification of the water. snow.
• the water injected into the compacted snow thus allows a first fluidification.
• the snow is chopped and kneaded by chopping and mixing means 2 comprising a plurality of chopping and mixing devices 2 arranged horizontally and in parallel.
• Each chopping and kneading device 2 comprises a plurality of discs whose periphery is toothed and / or of fingers or lugs in the form of pallets 2a, inclined relative to the vertical, arranged parallel to each other regularly spaced, mounted around and along a horizontal axis 2b adapted to be actuated in rotation by means of a motor 2c.
• the toothed rotary disks and / or pallets 2a thus create the triple technical effect of hashing, mixing and forced displacement of the compacted downward snow which arrives at a lower portion 1a of the tank disposed below the hashing and kneading means 2 .
• the side walls of the first tank are of pyramidal shape or funnel.
• the compacted snow has been thinned in part and is in the form of a mixture.
• the chopped and kneaded snow is also subjected to a water injection treatment by second lower water spraying nozzles 3b disposed under the chopping and mixing devices 2, fed by the same second pipe 10 and the second pump 10a. .
• the snow undergoes a volume reduction of at least a factor of 2 to 5, whereby it is useful to subject it to additional compaction treatment resulting from the funnel-shaped side walls of the tank in said lower portion lb.
• 9 hashing and kneading devices 2 are arranged arranged side by side so as to cover substantially the entire surface of a horizontal section of the first tank, two successive devices being evenly spaced and their axis of rotation being in contact with each other. rotation in opposite directions with respect to each other.
• the snow is subjected to ultrasonic treatments in order to complete the destructuring and the fluidification of the snow.
• This lower portion of the first reservoir is pre-filled with water initially and represents a volume for example of about 6m3.
• the surface 6 of the water being for example about 6m 2 over a height H2 greater than 1m because of the funnel shape of this lower part.
• the portion 1b of the reservoir containing the hashing and kneading devices 2 and the water injection nozzle 3 above the rigid structure 5 extends over a height H1 greater than H2.
• the ultrasonic treatment means comprise a rigid lattice structure 5 constituted by a grid of rigid sections or members 5a 5 to 10 cm thick and on which width are fixed sonotrodes or transducers 5b emitters of ultrasound uniformly distributed in multiple locations in the horizontal cross section of the first tank.
• the sonotrodes are in the form of substantially cylindrical bars with a diameter of about 5 to 10 cm and a height of about 50 to 150 cm. Ultrasonic transmitters in the form of bars of this type are known to those skilled in the art and commercially available.
• This embodiment is advantageous because it creates a vibrating contact surface and therefore an ultrasound generation within the water / snow mixture in the first reservoir and substantially over its entire cross section.
• the initial water pre-filling of the lower part of the first tank allows to completely immerse said sonic emitting bars in particular to promote the diffusion of ultrasound within the entire water / snow mixture.
• FIG. 7 of smaller mesh size 1 x intended to recover the pieces of detritus or various objects initially contained in the spilled snow and which may be periodically evacuated from the grid by a scraper 7a actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 7b towards the outside of the tank 1 having an escape hatch (not shown) to the storage basin 11 annex.
• the grid 7 serves in particular to retain any metallic or mineral elements such as stones contained in the snow.
• this grid 7 beneath the fluidization means 2-6 of the first reservoir because if this grid 7 was arranged in the upper part, its small mesh lx could prevent the passage of non-fluidized snow through the filtration grid .
• the lower open end of the lower part ld of the tank disposed under the grid 7 is funnel-shaped to accompany the reduction of snow volume in fluidized form. The lower end communicates with a discharge means 8 of the fluidized snow.
• These evacuation means 8 comprise a transfer pump 9ab and a pipe 9 optionally supplemented by an endless motorized screw 8a or an Archimedean screw within a cylindrical nozzle 8c actuated by a motor 8b and push the fluidized snow to within the first transfer pipe 9 with the circulation pump 9a thus feeding the storage tank 11 thus creating a closed loop circulation between the first tank and the storage tank.
• the storage tank 11 may be equipped with a third transfer line 13 from its bottom 11a transferring by means of a circulation pump 14 integrating filtration means water to a water supply network 15.
• the third transfer line 15 may also make it possible to evacuate water 12 stored in the storage basin 11 to a secondary storage point such as a lake, a river or the like.
• a secondary storage point such as a lake, a river or the like.
• the amount of snow to be evacuated for 10 cm thick would be 200,000 to 600,000 m3 with a weight that varies from 200 to 500 kg / m3, the equivalent water to be evacuated is 22,000 to 300,000 m3.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Physical Water Treatments (AREA)
• Cleaning Of Streets, Tracks, Or Beaches (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2013
  • 2013-07-19 FR FR1357115A patent/FR3008721B1/fr active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-07-16 CA CA2934050A patent/CA2934050A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2014-07-16 US US14/905,977 patent/US9624635B2/en active Active
  • 2014-07-16 WO PCT/FR2014/051825 patent/WO2015007991A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2014-07-16 JP JP2016526678A patent/JP2016525636A/ja active Pending
  • 2014-07-16 EP EP14750571.3A patent/EP3022360B1/de active Active

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