ES2881849A1 - Equipment for the disinfection and inerting of biological species for its application in cleaning floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, ships, polishing propellers, ballast tanks, and water filtering systems. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for the disinfection and inerting of biological species for its application in cleaning floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, ships, polishing propellers, ballast tanks, and water filtering systems. This equipment consists of a disinfection and inerting system of plants, algae, fungi, animals, bacteria or aquatic viruses attached or resident in floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, ships, ship propellers, ballast tanks and waters of said tanks to that they do not become invasive species. This equipment is applicable to cleaning processes and equipment for these elements and to water and waste filtering systems from these cleaning processes. The equipment uses ozone gas dissolved in pressurized water used for cleaning and filtering waste as an inerting and disinfectant agent. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Equipment for the disinfection and inerting of biological species for its application in cleaning floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, ships, polishing propellers, ballast tanks, and water filtering systems.

TECHNICAL SECTOR

This equipment consists of a disinfection and inerting system of plants, algae, fungi, animals, bacteria or aquatic viruses adhered or resident in floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, live works of ships, ship propellers and propellers, ballast tanks and water from these tanks so that they do not become invasive species. This equipment is applicable to processes and equipment for cleaning floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, live works of ships, ship propellers and propellants, ballast tanks and water from said tanks, to filtering systems for water and waste from of the cleaning and filtering processes of said elements. The equipment uses ozone gas dissolved in water as an inerting and disinfectant agent by injection under pressure during the cleaning process and filtration of the resulting residue.

The sector in which the present invention is framed is the manufacture of water and surface disinfection equipment by applying ozone dissolved in pressurized water for application to cleaning equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

SHIP CLEANING

There are many cleaning equipment for ship hulls and submerged surfaces, represented in documents ES 2672 257 T3, ES 2701 446 T3 or ES 2713247 T3, where different systems and machinery that perform the cleaning of submerged surfaces are registered, and especially hulls. of ships with various systems and procedures, there are also tools for polishing submerged propellers and cleaning systems for ballast tanks. Cleaning and polishing equipment uses friction brush systems, pressurized water injection, or a combination of both. Normally, these cleaning and polishing equipment are applied by divers or robotic vehicles. remotely operated submersibles (hereinafter ROVs). Some of these cleaning equipment or others are also used by projection of pressurized water in shipyards, ramps or docking areas of ships when they are removed from the water to carry out maintenance and cleaning operations.

There is the problem, which exists above all in the equipment and during the propeller cleaning and polishing operations carried out on afloat ships, of the existence of biological elements adhered to the ship's living part and its propellers and propellers. The elimination of these adhesions is necessary to maintain the navigability of the ship as well as the efficiency and less friction with the water, which results in its lower energy and fuel consumption in the propulsion and movement of the same. Carrying out cleaning and polishing operations implies the extraction of these adhered elements and includes the absorption of the elements detached by the cleaning or polishing equipment, the removal by direct filtering, or the impulsion or pumping of the water used in cleaning or contaminated. by this to a filtering equipment and the return of the filtered water to the medium.

In cleaning processes when the ship is grounded (the ship is out of the water), pressurized or cavitation water equipment is used, with the waste being dumped into the cabin or surface where the ship is located and subsequent collection by manual or mechanical means and withdrawal to a landfill or treatment plant.

These processes have a high degree of risk of introducing invasive species in the places where they develop.

When cleaning and polishing processes for propellers are carried out in structures located in aquatic environments or on afloat vessels, the machines and systems for cleaning and removing the residue have a percentage of losses in the absorption of the residues, which are discharged directly to the aquatic environment where they develop. In the processes of primary filtration, impulsion to the surface, second filtration and discharge into the medium, there can also be losses of waste, spillage without filtration or filter breakages that cause the waste to enter the environment directly. In the cleaning processes while the ship is stranded, the discharge on the surface where the ship is located causes seepage or runoff of the water used in cleaning to the aquatic environment with the consequent discharge of waste carried by the waters into the aquatic environment.

These residues always include marine life challenges in the form of vegetables, algae, marine animals and the fungi, bacteria or viruses that accompany them. These remains are On many occasions, they become invasive species when a ship that has transited through the waters of a specific area is cleaned in different waters. For example, a ship that sails in warm waters, where it acquires marine life in the form of adhesions in its propeller and hull, moves to waters of other latitudes and proceeds to clean it in those other waters, resulting in the removal of animals. , algae and attached plants that grow in the waters where they have been introduced, being invasive species with serious risks to the environment where they do so, destroying or altering marine or aquatic ecosystems. The same case occurs in the case of vessels that navigate in inland waters and are displaced from one lake, river or swamp to another, cleaning their living work or their propeller in a different place from where they have acquired the adhesions found on their surface. .

All these cleaning equipment contemplate the descaling of the adhered elements by abrasion or projection of jets of water under pressure, but without primary treatment, only the filtering of the detached particles. The invention proposed herein contemplates incorporating ozone into cleaning treatment water in a manner that causes a disinfecting effect on cleaning equipment. This principle is not contemplated in any of the examined patents.

BALLAST TANKS, BALLAST WATER AND BALLAST WATER TREATMENT

The case of ballast tanks has a special impact on ships that navigate in open waters, where they fill the middle water tanks where they are when they are without cargo in a port or location for the stabilization of the ship in navigation, and They pour it into the middle when they add cargo to the ship in a port other than the one of origin of these ballast waters. In this case, the incorporation of invasive species into the environment is more direct than in cleaning cases, since the acquisition of water is done without filtering the water and on multiple occasions, the discharge of ballast water is also done. no filtering or minimal or poor filtering.

Document ES 2 355 500 T3 refers to a ballast water treatment system for the elimination of potentially invasive biological species, but which uses the exact opposite method to that proposed in this invention, it proposes the elimination of dissolved oxygen in water as a form of eliminate aquatic organisms by asphyxiating them. The invention proposed by us seeks the opposite effect, the injection of ozone (O3) in the water as this is a disinfectant and eliminator of all traces of biological elements at the level even of viruses depending on the concentration in parts per million achieved when dissolved in water.

Document ES2374846T3 describes another ballast water treatment system for disinfection using centrifugation and hydrodynamic cavitation. Document ES2582938T3 describes an invention by which ballast water is treated by electrolysis of the water by means of an electrolyzer and generation of NaOCl as an eliminating agent for marine organisms. Document ES2450466T3 employs a centrifuge, an ultrasonic sterilizer and an ultraviolet sterilizer for ballast water treatment. Document ES2204296B1 proposes to use the heat released by a thermoelectric device through a heat exchanger that cools the exhaust gases of the device with the ballast water and heats this resulting in its treatment. There are multiple inventions for ballast water treatment, with different methods, although none of these inventions uses the application of ozone as a disinfectant, which is what we propose in this document.

OZONE GENERATION AND OZONE DISSOLUTION MACHINERY IN WATER.

Ozone is recognized as a biocide by the European chemical agency, it is used as a disinfectant agent in multiple agricultural and industrial processes, domestic and of all kinds.

There are multiple procedures for generating ozone in the form of gas, for example that specified in document KR100756797B1, for its use as a disinfectant.

Dissolved in water, it is used to disinfect water for drinking water, it is used to disinfect agricultural soils and plant species, by means of irrigation with ozonated water, to disinfect surfaces, rooms, vehicles and equipment, devices and any kind of equipment through its application. gaseous by saturation in air.

Disinfection processes in water are obtained by ozone concentration from 0.5 and 1 part per million (ppm onwards), and in air from 0.05 ppm. Depending on the concentration in ppm, one result or another of disinfection and elimination of biological elements in water or surfaces will be obtained.

There are multiple commercial equipment for the generation of gaseous ozone, or for the generation of water enriched in ozone for disinfection. Although, none is proposed for cleaning and disinfection of residues from cleaning of structures or afloat elements.

OZONE DISINFECTION EQUIPMENT.

There are multiple patents that use gases for disinfection of equipment or surfaces, document ES2278588T3 refers to a method for sterilization using a hermetic closure chamber, vacuum and injection of ozone gas into the chamber as a sterilization method.

Document ES2247379T3 proposes a procedure to sterilize an article in an atmosphere of sterilization gas by a similar procedure

Document ES2376303T3 describes an apparatus for treating wastewater, comprising: - a gas enrichment assembly adapted to receive wastewater and a treatment gas, the gas enrichment assembly being configured to generate a gas-enriched liquid by means of a pressurizable chamber having an inlet for gas and an outlet for the gas-enriched liquid.

Document ES2157471T3 proposes an apparatus for the treatment of wastewater solutions containing cyanide and / or dissolved organic material, comprising a container to contain a tank of wastewater solution, and a plasma torch

Document ES2609733A1 proposes a system and procedure for the disinfection of water for the treatment of plants by applying water atomized with ozone. To eliminate bacteria, viruses, fungi and insect eggs that affect the surface of plants such as leaves, foliar mass, flowers and fruits of the external part of the plant and apply it by means of a gun, bar or cannon to avoid the application of phytosanitary products. Based on an ozone generator equipment equipped with a 220 V to 12 volt current converter, which takes current from the towing vehicle, which by an air compressor and through a Venturi tube injects ozone at the outlet of a water atomizer. It works by producing ozone in a conventional ozone generator, injecting said ozone through an air compressor through Venturi injection until the treatment water outlet of the atomizer.

None of these inventions or applications refers to the application of ozone gas in systems and equipment for cleaning surfaces of floating and fixed structures in aquatic environments, living works of ships, polishing of ship propellers, in ship ballast tanks, and water filtering systems from these systems and equipment.

The objective of the invention is to eliminate the risk of invasive species entering natural environments where cleaning processes of these structures, ships or ballast water discharge are carried out. None of the inventions envisaged in the aforementioned references deal with the cleaning of ships, ship ballast water or water filtering systems resulting from cleaning or ballast water filtering or treatment.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The invention that we present consists of the application of ozone as a disinfectant and inerting agent of invasive species present in submerged surfaces of port structures, ships, marine platforms, structures installed in an aquatic environment or in ships' ballast water by means of injection under pressure of ozone gas generated by a conventional ozone generator in a water compressor equipment for the use of this water in the cleaning equipment of these structures or submerged surfaces of fixed structures, floating or fixed platforms, ships, propeller polishing equipment, treatment ballast water and ballast water cleaning. The equipment will inject ozone gas under pressure also in the flow of cleaning waste water in the filtering systems of these waters.

The equipment will contain an ozone gas flow regulator in the water flow that regulates the concentration of dissolved ozone in the water to adapt said concentration to the needs of the cleaning equipment at all times.

It is sought that the biocidal effect of ozone at the appropriate concentration causes the death of any invasive marine species harmful to the environment and the aquatic ecosystem where the cleaning, polishing or ballast water treatment is carried out, so that the water returned to the environment lacks living species of any type (plants, algae, fungi, animals, bacteria or aquatic viruses) with the acquisition of the consequent environmental safety of the process.

The operation of the equipment consists of at least the following elements and stages: -A conventional gas ozone generator with output flow regulator

-An ozone gas conduction system for injection into the compression chamber of the water compressor

-A system for conducting the ozone gas towards the residual water filtering system for injection into it.

-A pressurized pipe for conducting the ozonated water to the cleaning or polishing heads of the equipment.

-A pressurized pipeline for the injection of ozonized water into the ballast tanks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of diagrams is attached as an integral part of said description, in which, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, the following has been represented. following:

Figure 1.- Scheme of the ozonated water generation and use system for cleaning fixed or floating structures and filtering systems.

Where the following elements are:

A: Ozone generator according to claim 1 a)

B: Pressurized water generation equipment according to claim 1 c)

C: Underwater cleaning or polishing equipment according to claim 1 d)

D: Equipment for filtering wastewater from the cleaning or polishing equipment according to claim 1 g)

X: Ozone flow regulating valve

A 1: ozone injection in water compressor equipment

A2: Water intake from the medium or supply for compressor equipment

B 1: Injecting ozonated water into underwater polishing or cleaning equipment

B2: Injection of ozonated water in filtering equipment

C1: suction of cleaning water to filter equipment

D 1: return of filtered water to the medium

Figure 2.- Scheme of the ozonated water generation system for use in cleaning tanks and ballast water.

Where the elements are:

A: Ozone Generator

B: Pressurized water generation equipment

C: Ballast tank

D: Water filtering equipment

X: Ozone flow regulating valve

Y: Ozonated water diffuser in ballast tank

A 1: ozone injection in water compressor equipment

A2: Water intake from the medium or supply for compressor equipment

B 1: Injection of ozonated water in ballast tank

C 1: suction of treated ballast water to filter equipment

D1: return of filtered water to the medium

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of this invention is one that contains:

A conventional ozone generation equipment

A gas compressor

A flow regulator

A water compressor

A system for injecting ozone gas into the water flow of the water compressor through the flow regulator

An ozonated water injection system in the manual or robotic cleaning or polishing system

An ozonated water injection system in the wastewater filtering system of the cleaning system

An ozonated water injection system in ballast water tanks and pipes.

The operation is as follows:

The ozone generator creates ozone

This can be stored in a manifold or injected directly through a flow regulator

An air compressor injects it into the pressure tank or piston of the water compressor through the existing duct in the compressor for this.

In the cleaning or polishing process, ozonated water is injected as follows:

The compressed and ozone enriched water is driven by the water compressor to the cleaning or polishing heads through a pressurized conduit.

The compressed and ozone-enriched water is simultaneously driven through a second pressurized conduit to the filtering system for residual water from cleaning or polishing.

In a first phase, the ozonated water projected on the surface to be cleaned or polished from the cleaning heads kills adhering biological elements by ozone saturation.

The cleaning or polishing system removes the biological elements from the surface to be treated and absorbs or drives them to the filtering system.

The ozonated water injected into the filtering system eliminates the biological elements that could have survived the cleaning and spraying process of ozonated water in the first phase.

The filter system removes any solid residue from the fluid resulting from cleaning. The filtered and disinfected water is returned to the medium.

For the treatment of tanks and ballast water, proceed as follows:

Either of the two pressurized conduits described above is used to which a diffuser piece is added attached to the outlet of the pressurized tube for the diffusion of the pressurized water in the tank or water from the ballast tank.

Ozonated water is poured until the ozone concentration is reached in the ballast water calculated to eliminate any biological residue that may exist in it. The ballast water is driven through the same filtering system of the cleaning system to be discharged into the environment once it has been disinfected and filtered.

To clean dry or dry vessels, ozonated pressurized water is sprayed directly on the surface to be treated with the compressor equipment and one of the pressurized tubes with an outlet prepared for this type of gun or pressurized water diffuser that acts of descaling of the elements adhered by the pressure of the projected water and disinfectant killing the biological remains due to the disinfecting effect of the ozonated water that is projected.

Claims (2)

1. System that generates ozonated pressurized water for use in cleaning systems for submerged surfaces of fixed or mobile, floating or anchored structures, ships afloat or stranded, in polishing propellers, in disinfection of ship's ballast tanks, of the water contained in these tanks, a device characterized by being composed of: a) a conventional ozone generator, b) an ozone gas injection system in a water compressor unit with a flow regulating valve c) a conventional water compression device driven by an explosion engine or electric motor where ozone is injected generating compressed ozonated water, d) a cleaning device for fixed or mobile, floating or anchored structures, ships afloat or grounded, in polishing propellers operated by divers or by ROV, e) an ozonated pressurized water conduction device that conducts the water towards the heads of the device described in section d) above, f) a device that conducts the ozonated water under pressure from the compressor to the conventional system for filtering the residual water of the cleaning system, g) a water filtering device h) an alternative device that conducts the ozonated water under pressure from the water compressor to a diffuser head for use in ballast tanks for its diffusion into the water they contain, i) an alternative device that conducts the ozonated water under pressure to a gun or projector head to be projected under pressure onto surfaces of dry or beached ships or onto surfaces of empty ballast tanks. 2. Procedure characterized by the use of pressurized ozone dissolved in pressurized water as a disinfectant and inerting agent for the biological elements adhered to the surfaces to be treated or dissolved in the water to be treated by means of the devices contained in claim 1 which consists of the following treatment stages or steps: a) Generation of ozonated pressurized water using the devices described in claim 1a), 1b), 1c) b) Projection of ozonated water on the surfaces to be treated using any of the devices described in claim 1d) or 1i) c) Injection or diffusion of ozonated water under pressure into water to be treated in a filtering system using the device described in claim 1f) d) Diffusion of ozonated water under pressure in ballast water by means of the device described in claim 1h)