IT202300022005A1 - WATER CLEANING DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

Description of an Industrial Invention Patent entitled:

?WATER CLEANING DEVICE?

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water cleaning device.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a water cleaning device that has the objective of filtering the surface layer of water in reservoirs, lakes, ports, etc., from plastic waste and floating or suspended pollutants.

STATE OF THE ART

Devices for cleaning the surface layer of water basins, lakes, ports, etc., from plastic waste and floating or suspended pollutants are currently known and in use.

One type of such device comprises an external container, for example cylindrical or substantially cylindrical in shape, which, by means of a special support connected to a fixed or mobile dock, or even to a floating body, is kept completely immersed in the water, and close to the free surface.

This inner container is open at the top, and includes a bottom, provided with an opening.

This device also comprises a floating internal vessel, which slides inside the aforementioned external vessel.

The internal container also has a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape, for example, and is also open at the top.

At the base, however, it includes a sort of basket, with filter mesh, which allows the passage of water but not the waste and impurities that you want to remove from the surface layer of the basin.

The device also includes a pump, connected to its own drive system, and installed at the opening in the bottom of the external container: when the pump is off, the internal container normally surfaces above the free surface, thus preventing water from entering the external container.

The pump is configured to expel water from the outer container through the opening in its bottom: this lowers the position of the inner container with respect to the outer container, and therefore the water from the basin can enter the outer container.

The internal container can thus retain waste and impurities, while the water, through the action of the pump, comes out from the bottom and is reintroduced into the basin.

Devices of this type are not, however, without drawbacks.

In fact, known types of devices often include very fine filters, suitable for retaining even hydrocarbons and microplastics, to prevent clogging of the pump.

While this prevents the pump from blocking, it also causes the device upstream of the pump to rapidly clog, requiring frequent maintenance interventions by operators, especially in situations where the surface of the basin is particularly dirty.

These interventions are quite laborious, and require a complete shutdown of the device for a certain period of time.

Furthermore, the persistent presence of waste upstream of the pump hinders the flow of water at its intake, causing a decrease in its efficiency and an increase in energy consumption.

Additionally, in situations where the basin surface is particularly dirty, the device must be stopped particularly frequently, since the internal container fills up quickly and prevents the entry of further materials.

PURPOSES OF THE INVENTION

The technical aim of the present invention is to improve the state of the art in the field of water cleaning devices.

Within the scope of this technical task, it is an object of the present invention to develop a water cleaning device that allows the previously mentioned drawbacks to be overcome.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water purification device that improves filtration and energy performance compared to known devices.

A further object of the present invention is to develop a water cleaning device that allows for the quality of the water returned to the basin after treatment to be monitored.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a water cleaning device that ensures more regular operation than known types of devices, in particular with fewer interruptions due to necessary cleaning and maintenance operations.

This task and these purposes are all achieved by the water cleaning device according to the attached claim 1.

The device according to the invention comprises at least one unit for drawing water from the basin to be cleaned, fixed to a fixed or mobile dock, or to another floating system.

The sampling unit comprises, in turn, an external vessel, open at the top, kept completely immersed below the free surface of the water in the basin to be filtered, and having a bottom with an opening. The sampling unit also comprises a floating internal vessel, open at the top and bottom, slidably housed inside the external vessel, and a pump configured to expel water from the external vessel through the opening in the bottom, thus allowing the internal vessel to lower relative to the external vessel, thus allowing water from the basin to enter the external vessel.

The device also comprises at least one collection container, installed on the dock, fixed or mobile, or on another floating system, and at least one conduit, which connects the opening in the bottom of the external container with the collection container.

The collection container contains internal filter elements configured to retain the waste and impurities carried by the water processed by the pump and which passes through the conduit, and a discharge opening to reintroduce the filtered water inside the collection container into the basin.

In particular, the filter elements can be configured to retain even very small waste and impurities (including oils and hydrocarbons), since their cleaning and maintenance is carried out by operators directly inside the container, therefore on the fixed or mobile dock, or on another floating system.

The dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a water cleaning device, illustrated by way of example, but not of limitation, in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the device according to the invention, in the inactive configuration;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the device, in a configuration in which water can enter the external vessel;

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the device according to the invention, in a further configuration in which water can enter the external container.

FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the attached figures, the reference number 1 generally designates a water cleaning device according to the present invention. It should be noted first of all that, in the following description, specifications such as upper, lower, lateral, etc., are used, in a completely conventional manner, with reference to the orientation of the device 1 in its position/configuration of use; these specifications are therefore not to be construed in a limiting sense, but are only intended to improve understanding of the characteristics of the invention.

Device 1 comprises a unit for drawing water from the basin to be cleaned, indicated overall by 2.

The sampling unit 2 is fixed - for example by means of an adjustable support, or other similar means, not illustrated in the figures - to a dock 4, or to another floating system.

The sampling unit 2 comprises, in turn, an external container 3.

The external container 3 is kept - by means of the aforementioned adjustable support - completely immersed in the water of the basin to be filtered, and close to the free surface 5.

The external container 3 is open at the top; it has a cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical, shape.

The outer container 3 comprises a bottom 6, which is affected by an opening 7.

In one embodiment of the invention, the outer container 3 is made of plastic, for example by rotational or injection molding: thanks to this solution, the cost of the component is very low.

The sampling unit 2 also comprises a floating internal container 8. The internal container 8 is open both at the top and the bottom; it also has a cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical, shape.

The inner vessel 8 is housed, in a sliding manner, inside the outer vessel 3; more specifically, the inner vessel 8 is housed, inside the outer vessel 3, in a sliding manner and coaxial with the latter.

The inner container 8 comprises a first end 9 and a second end 10, opposite each other.

With reference to the configuration of use, the first end 9 is the upper one while the second end 10 is the lower one.

The first end 9 of the internal container 8 can be flared or joined, with a diameter that progressively narrows from the outside towards the inside.

The flaring or connection of the first end 9 facilitates the entry of waste into the device 1.

In one embodiment of the invention, the internal vessel 8 can be made from a sheet of aluminium which is rolled, welded and finally anodised and/or coated with anti-corrosive and/or anti-fouling material (for example Teflon, or similar).

This is a simpler and more economical construction technique than existing solutions.

According to one aspect of the invention, the inner vessel 8 comprises, at its second end 10, at least one thrust element 11. The at least one thrust element 11 causes the inner vessel 8 to float within the outer vessel 3.

The at least one thrust element 11 may comprise, for example, one or more sheets of closed-cell foam (which has a density significantly lower than that of water).

This solution is more robust than other existing ones that achieve buoyancy thanks to the presence of hollow areas, since any holes or cracks in these hollow areas could compromise this characteristic.

The at least one thrust element 11 is fixed to the internal container 8, at its second end 10, for example by gluing, or with other suitable connecting means or techniques.

More specifically, the at least one thrust element 11 is fixed to the internal surface, or also to the external surface, of the internal vessel 8, at its second end 10.

According to another aspect of the invention, the device 1 comprises at least one collection container 12.

The collection container 12 is installed on the dock 4, fixed or mobile, or on another floating system.

The device 1 further comprises at least one conduit 13.

The duct 13 connects the opening 7 of the bottom 6 of the external container 3 with the collection container 12.

The duct 13 is preferably flexible, to allow free relative movements between the components of the device, or position adjustments.

However, in some embodiments of the invention, the duct 13 could also be of the rigid type.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the sampling unit 2 comprises a pump 14.

As better explained below, the pump 14 is configured to expel water from the external vessel 3, through the opening 7, so as to allow the lowering of the position of the internal vessel 8 with respect to the external vessel 3, and therefore to allow the entry of water from the basin (in particular, from its surface layer) into the external vessel 3.

The pump 14 is installed, along the duct 13, in correspondence with the opening 7 of the bottom 6 of the external container 3, immediately downstream of this opening 7. More specifically, in correspondence with the opening 7 of the bottom 6 of the external container 3, the duct 13 forms a sort of chamber 15.

The impeller 16 of the pump 14 is housed inside this chamber 15.

According to another aspect of the invention, the pump 14 is of the non-clogging type: it is characterised by the fact that everything that enters through its suction mouth also manages to exit through the delivery mouth, therefore without obstructing the passageways.

The pump 14 is connected to a motor 17, which is associated with an inverter; the inverter is, in turn, managed by a control unit, so that it is possible to easily regulate the rotation speed of the impeller 16.

The pump 14, with its respective motor 17, can be housed inside a watertight casing 18, associated with the bottom 6 of the external container 3.

According to another aspect of the invention, the collection container 12 comprises an inlet mouth 19, connected to one end of the duct 13, and a discharge mouth 20.

The inlet mouth 19 is preferably provided at the top of the collection container 12, while the discharge mouth 20 is made at the base of the container 12 itself.

The discharge mouth 20 allows the filtered water inside the collection container 12 to be reintroduced into the basin, for example by gravity.

The collection container 12 includes, within it, filter elements 21 (for example grids, filters, or the like), configured to retain the waste and impurities carried by the water processed by the pump 14 and which passes through the duct 13.

The filter elements 21 are placed between the inlet mouth 19 and the outlet mouth 20.

The filter elements 21 can be configured to retain waste and impurities even of small or very small dimensions (including oils and hydrocarbons).

In fact, maintenance of such filter elements 21 can be carried out by operators directly inside the container 12 on the dock 4, fixed or mobile, or other floating system, even without interrupting the operation of the device 1 (or in any case with very short interruptions).

It is possible to replace the dirty filter elements 21 with clean ones, and then clean the removed elements 21 at the appropriate times, while the device 1 can continue to operate, virtually without interruption.

The sampling unit 2 also comprises at least one protective cone 22, inserted into the internal container 8.

The protective cone 22 can be connected, for example, to the adjustable support of the unit 2 itself.

Cone 22 has the function of preventing larger waste from entering the suction mouth of pump 14.

Furthermore, cone 22 has the function of preventing direct access to pump 14 by users or operators, for obvious safety reasons.

The cone 22 can be connected to the adjustable support of the collection unit 2 in a removable manner, so as to be able to remove any larger waste that may have become trapped without interrupting the operation of the device 1.

In one embodiment of the invention, the device 1 may comprise a hydraulic turbine (for example of the Pelton type) installed at the end of the duct 13, i.e. immediately close to the inlet mouth 19 of the collection container 12.

This hydraulic turbine can be installed with the aim of recovering the kinetic energy of the water flow previously processed by pump 14.

In one embodiment of the invention, the device 1 may comprise one or more sensors, or sensor systems, configured to improve the functionality of the device 1 itself, in particular also to try to achieve a positive energy balance.

For example, the device 1 may comprise one or more sensors that detect the water level and/or the position of the floating internal container 8 (e.g., laser, ultrasonic, magnetic, inductive, capacitive sensors, cameras, etc.).

Furthermore, the device 1 may include sensors suitable for weighing the waste collected in the container 12, so as to provide a quantitative measure of the impact of the device 1 itself on the treated basin.

Additionally, device 1 may comprise at least one ultrasonic sensor that measures the level of waste inside collection container 12, and that sends a notification to the operator in charge when device 1 requires cleaning or maintenance.

The device 1 may also include a camera that, in addition to detecting the water level and/or the position of the internal floating container 8, can also perform general monitoring functions, in particular to monitor the type of waste collected.

Device 1 may also include sensors for measuring water quality (in particular parameters such as pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen).

In another embodiment of the invention, device 1 can be connected to a network comprising other similar devices, so as to provide information on its status and on sensor measurements; thanks to this connection, it is also possible to remotely send high-level signals (ON/OFF) to device 1.

In another embodiment of the invention, the device 1 may comprise means or systems for the use and exploitation of renewable energy: for example, the device 1 may comprise solar panels, installed on the container 12 and/or on the platform 4, or other systems for the exploitation of renewable energy.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, the device 1 according to the invention can be installed as a stand-alone unit, i.e. not fixed to any existing dock, fixed or mobile, but to an alternative floating system.

This floating system can support the sampling unit 2, the collection container 12, and other components such as the inverter and the control unit of the pump 14. In some further embodiments of the invention, the aforementioned floating system, which supports the device 1, could also be of the self-propelled type, so as to move to different areas of the same basin to be treated. The operation of the device 1 according to the invention is therefore as follows. When the pump 14 is not active (situation in figure 1), the first end 9 of the internal container 8 - or at least a portion of it - emerges from the free surface 5 of the water in the basin: in this situation, the water in the basin cannot enter the sampling unit 2 (with the exception of some possible leakage between the external container 3 and the internal container 8).

When, however, the pump 14 is put into operation (situation in figures 2 and 3), the flow of water is generated along the duct 13, and inside the container 12, indicated by the arrows F.

The free surface of the water contained in the internal container 8 lowers, and so does the internal container 8 itself with respect to the external container 3: in this way, the water from the basin can enter the collection unit 2 (as indicated by the further arrows F1).

In particular, the surface layer of the basin water - within a certain radius of action with respect to the position of the extraction unit 2 - enters inside the extraction unit 2 itself, and with it also the floating waste or pollutants.

The waste and pollutants entering the collection unit 2 are then processed by the non-clogging pump 14, with the exception of those larger than the suction mouth of the pump 14 itself, which are instead retained and stopped by the protection cone 22.

The waste and pollutants, processed by the pump 14, then pass through the duct 13, and are discharged into the collection container 12, where they are definitively retained by the filter elements 21 (grids, filters, and the like).

The internal vessel 8, therefore, acts only as a selective occlusion element, and does not perform any filtering.

When the flow rate of water from the basin entering the collection unit 2 is greater than that exiting it, and processed by the pump 14, the water level inside the collection unit 2 rises, and consequently the first end of the internal container 8 emerges from the free surface 5 of the basin, thus restarting the cycle.

If, however, the flow rate of water entering the withdrawal unit 2 is lower than that exiting it and processed by the pump 14, the water level inside the withdrawal unit 2 itself drops further, as shown in particular in the configuration in figure 3.

In this configuration, as highlighted by the arrows F1, the consequence is that the flow of incoming water is increased, until a new equilibrium situation is reached.

As mentioned above, the rotation speed of the pump 14 is regulated by an inverter, which in turn is managed by a control unit: the latter, possibly with the aid of sensors, can therefore enable several different operating modes of the device 1 according to the invention.

It has thus been seen how the invention achieves its proposed goals.

The device 1 according to the invention allows the removal from the surface layer of the basin, and therefore the effective retention, of even small or very small waste and impurities (including oils and hydrocarbons), without the risk of clogging and without the need for frequent interruptions in operation for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

Furthermore, the presence of the collection container 12, into which all the water collected and processed by the pump 14 is poured, allows various checks to be carried out on the functioning of the device 1 and therefore also on the quality of the treated water and then reintroduced into the basin through the discharge outlet 20.

These results are, moreover, obtained with a device that is constructively simple and economical, and whose operation can be managed in an optimised way so as to also recover part of the energy used to operate the pump 14.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention is characterized by greater robustness and operating autonomy compared to existing solutions, as it is subject, to a much lesser extent, to clogging situations.

In particular, there are no phenomena of degradation in the pump's performance, as the flow of water at the suction end is not hindered by the collected waste itself.

It should also be added that the volume of the collection container 12 is independent of the overall volume of the collection unit 2, and can therefore also be made as large as desired: in fact, as its dimensions increase, the need for operator intervention decreases, the filtering surface increases, with improved performance.

Furthermore, it is also possible to hypothesize the creation of multiple filtering stages.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all details are replaceable with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the needs without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims (10)

1. Water cleaning device (1), comprising: at least one collection unit (2) for the water from the basin to be cleaned, fixed to a dock (4), fixed or mobile, or to another floating system, said collection unit (2) comprising an external container (3), open at the top, kept completely immersed in the water of the basin to be filtered and close to its free surface (5), and having a bottom (6) provided with an opening (7), a floating internal container (8), open at the top and bottom, housed in a sliding manner inside said external container (3), a pump (14), configured to expel water from said external vessel (3), through said opening (7), thus allowing the lowering of said internal vessel (8) with respect to said external vessel (3), and therefore allowing the entry of water from the basin into said external vessel (3), characterised by the fact that it comprises at least one collection container (12), installed on said dock (4), fixed or mobile, or other floating system, and at least one conduit (13), which puts said opening (7) of said bottom (6) of said external container (3) in communication with said collection container (12), and by the fact that said container (12) includes, inside it, filter elements (21) configured to retain the waste and impurities carried by the water processed by said pump (14) and which passes through said duct (13), and a discharge mouth (20) to reintroduce the filtered water inside said collection container (12) into the basin. 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said internal vessel (8) comprises a first end (9) and a second end (10) opposite each other, wherein, with reference to the configuration of use, said first end (9) is the upper one, while said second end (10) is the lower one, said internal vessel (8) comprising, in correspondence with said second end (10), at least one thrust element (11) which determines the floating of said internal vessel (8) within said external vessel (3). 3. Device (1) according to claim 2, wherein said push member (11) comprises one or more closed cell foam sheets, fixed to said inner vessel (8) at said second end (10). 4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said pump (14) is of the non-clogging type. 5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said pump (14) is connected to a motor (17) to which an inverter is associated, said inverter being, in turn, managed by a control unit, so as to allow the regulation of the rotation speed of the impeller (16) of said pump (14). 6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said pump (14) is housed inside a watertight casing (18) associated with said bottom (6) of said external vessel (3), said pump (14) being installed along said conduit (13) immediately downstream of said opening (7) of said external vessel (3). 7. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said internal container is made from a rolled, welded and anodized aluminium sheet and/or coated with anti-corrosive and/or anti-fouling material. 8. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said collection unit (2) comprises at least one protective cone (22), inserted in said internal container (8), configured to prevent larger waste from entering the suction mouth of said pump (14), and to prevent direct access to said pump (14) by users or operators. 9. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising means or systems for the use and exploitation of renewable energy, and/or a hydraulic turbine installed at the terminal section of said duct (13), for the recovery of the kinetic energy of the water flow previously processed by said pump (14). 10. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more sensors configured to improve the functionality of the device (1) and to try to achieve a positive energy balance, said sensors being chosen from sensors that detect the water level and/or the position of said floating internal container (8), sensors suitable for weighing the waste collected in said container (12), at least one ultrasonic sensor configured to measure the level of waste inside said collection container (12), and to send a notification to the operator in charge when the device (1) requires cleaning or maintenance, sensors for measuring the water quality, a general monitoring camera.