RU2471927C1 - Oil skimmer for rivers with fast current - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: ecology.

SUBSTANCE: device comprises a container 1 filled with water and a water wheel 4. The container 1 is turned upside down and its edges are below the water level. The flat front wall of the container 1 is perpendicular to the flow. The water wheel 4 is mounted parallel to the front wall of the container 1. The axle 7 of the wheel 4 is located on the water surface, at a distance from the front wall equal to the radius of the water wheel 4. On the wheel 4 the trays 5 are mounted. The equal rectangular sides of the tray 5 form a solid right angle. And one rectangular side of the tray 5 is parallel to the axle 7. The other rectangular side of the tray 5 is directed towards the movement of the tray 5. The top of the solid angle is directed towards the axis 7. The axis 7 is connected to 4 rectangular plates 6. Each plate 6 is perpendicular to the neighboring plates. The width of the plate 6 is less than the distance from the axis 7 to the tray 5.

EFFECT: reduced power consumption.

2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of environmental protection and can be used in the collection of random or emergency spills of oil and oil products from the surface of rivers with a fast flow.

State of the art

A technical solution is known (1. RU 92030 U1, 11/30/2009) - an autonomous oil collector comprising a support frame on which a collecting means having an oleophilic surface is mounted. As a drive, it comprises a wind wheel, which is connected to a collecting means by means of a transmission.

The disadvantages of this device are: design complexity - the presence of a transmission, dependence on wind speed.

A technical solution is known (2. RU, patent 2413054 C1, 08.28.2009), in which water, flowing around the water wheel, rotates it, as a result of which the transmission mechanism rotates the pulleys of the Moebius band. The lower part of the tape touches the petroleum products that adhere to it, and under the influence of pulleys moves up. Behind the Mobius strip, i.e. where the outer side of the tape becomes inner, oil products are removed with a puller.

The disadvantage of this device is: the complexity of the device. The presence of a transmission mechanism from the water wheel rotating the pulleys.

The closest is a device (3. RU 89537 U1, 06/30/2009) for collecting oil pollution from the surface of water bodies, using wave energy. This device is a suspended tank with an annular restrictive element at its upper end, which serves as a seat for a floating valve with a convex upper surface (in the form of a ball or hemisphere), and the lower end of the tank can be narrowed to attach a load, sleeve or hose. The tank is filled with water.

The disadvantages of this device are: dependence on the characteristics of the wave - amplitude, period, weather conditions. Spillage of oil from the tank is possible if the valve is clogged.

Disclosure of invention

The objective of the invention is to provide a standalone, environmentally friendly device for collecting oil from the surface of rivers with a fast flow. The technical result achieved in solving the problem is to reduce energy consumption by using the strength of the river, Archimedean force and atmospheric pressure.

The essential features characterizing the invention

Restrictive: the capacity of the oil collector (hereinafter the device) is filled with water.

Distinctive: the device contains a container turned upside down, the edges of which are below the water level, with a flat front wall perpendicular to the flow. It also contains a water wheel mounted parallel to the front wall, with an axis lying on the surface of the water at a distance from the front wall equal to the radius of the water wheel. Instead of blades, trays are installed, the identical rectangular sides of which form a solid right angle, with one rectangular side parallel to the axis and the other rectangular side directed towards the movement of the tray. The top of the solid angle is directed toward the axis.

There is an option in which 4 rectangular plates are attached to the axis to enhance the traction of the water wheel; each plate is perpendicular to adjacent, and its width is less than the distance from the axis to the tray.

As a result, part of the water passes through the water wheel, between the end of the plate and the tray, without slowing down.

The device is installed on the bottom of the river close to the bank on the legs. The device can be installed on pontoons, floats and placed anywhere in the river. The immersion level of the device’s tank in water should be sufficient so that when the water level changes due to waves, air does not enter the tank. The tank is filled with water by pumping air through an opening at the bottom of the tank. Oil is supplied to the device with the help of booms that block the river or a section of the river. Under the action of the projection of the force, which is the vector sum of the flow force and the reaction force of the support (in this case, the surface of the boom) directed parallel to the booms, the oil will move in the direction of the device.

Under the influence of the force of the flow of water, the trays rotate, capturing oil from the surface of the water. The shape of the tray is designed so that it does not trap air when immersed in water and does not trap water when exiting it. Due to the frictional force, the angular velocity of the tray will be less than the flow velocity.

Oil leaves the tray of the blade, which is in the lower position, is picked up by the flow and rushes to the tank. The ingress of oil into the tank is proved by calculation.

Suppose - the length of the blade d ₁ = 75 cm, the level of immersion of the container in water d ₂ = 25 cm, the width of the rectangular wall of the tray of the blade is d ₃ = 15 cm. The average oil density is 90-95% of the density of water. Rivers with a fast flow are characterized by a flow velocity of 1-3 m / s. Take the current velocity - 1 m / s, and the oil density of 90% of the density of water.

The equation of vertical forces acting on a particle of oil:

_h m · dv / dt = m _{a h} · gm · g-ρ _a · S _h · v ² -3 · η · π · D · v _h

m _h - particle mass:

m _in is the mass of water;

g is the gravitational constant;

ρ _in - the density of water.

S _h - the cross-sectional area of the particle;

η — viscosity coefficient equal to 0.001 Pa · s for water;

D _h - particle diameter;

m _in · g is the strength of Archimedes;

m _h · g - gravity;

ρ _in · S _h · v ² - force "frontal resistance";

3 · η · π · D _h · v is the Stokes force.

For a particle with a small diameter and low speed, the Reynolds number, R << 1, therefore, the force of the “drag” can be ignored.

Without breaking the evidence, one can ignore the Stokes force, and the particle ascent rate will increase. To accelerate the oil particles - a _h we get the expression:

a _h = g · (m _in -m _h ) / m _h = g · 0.1 / 0.9≈1.1 m / s ²

The expression for the path length is h, when the particle moves upward, it looks like this:

h = d ₁ -d ₂ -d ₃ = 0.3 m

We calculate the travel time from the formula:

h = a _h · t ² / 2⇒t≈0.81 s

During this time, 1≈0.81 s, an oil particle travels a path in the horizontal direction, equal to 0.81 m, passing under the front wall of the tank.

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 shows a lateral section of the device.

Figure 2 shows the tray.

The implementation of the invention

The device is installed on the legs 8 (figure 1) on the bottom of the river close to the shore. The front flat wall of the tank 1 should be perpendicular to the flow. The device can be installed on pontoons, floats and placed anywhere in the river. The immersion level of the device container 1 in water should be sufficient so that when the level changes due to waves, air does not enter the container 1. The container 1 is filled with water, pumping air through an opening in the bottom. Oil is supplied to the device using booms that block the river or a section of the river.

The water wheel 4 is attached to the tank 1. The axis 7 of the water wheel 4 is located at a distance from the front flat wall equal to its radius. The axis 7 lies on the surface of the water parallel to the front wall of the tank 1. Instead of the blades set trays 4 (figure 2). Four rectangular plates 6 are attached to the axis 7. Each plate 6 is perpendicular to the neighboring ones, and its width is less than the distance from the axis to the tray 4. Under the influence of the flow of water, the trays 4 (Fig. 1) rotate, capturing oil from the surface of the water. With the lower position of the tray 4, the oil leaves the tray 5, is picked up by the flow and, passing under the wall of the tank 1, remains in it. Further, under the action of the Archimedean force, the oil rises up and is held in the tank 1, as well as the water under it, by atmospheric pressure. As the tank 1 is filled with oil, a pressure is created in the pipe 2 section located after the valve 3, the pressure is less:

P = P _a -ρ _a · g · h _e

P _a - atmospheric pressure;

h _e is the height of the container above the water.

Open the crane 3 and pump oil to other storage tanks. In this case, the water at the bottom of the tank 1, under the action of atmospheric pressure, rises up, filling it.

Information sources

1. RU, patent 92030 U1, 11.30.2009.

2. RU, patent 2413054 C1, 08.28.2009.

3. RU, patent 89537 U1, 06/30/2009.

Claims (2)

1. An oil skimmer for rivers with a fast flow, containing a tank filled with water, characterized in that the tank is turned upside down and its edges are below the water level, and the flat front wall is perpendicular to the flow; contains a water wheel mounted parallel to the front wall, with an axis lying on the surface of the water at a distance from the front wall equal to the radius of the water wheel, and instead of blades set trays, the same rectangular sides of which form a solid right angle, moreover, one rectangular side is parallel to the axis, the other the rectangular side is directed toward the movement of the tray, the top of the solid angle is directed toward the axis. 2. The skimmer for rivers with fast flow according to claim 1, characterized in that four rectangular plates are attached to the axis of the water wheel; each plate is perpendicular to adjacent, and its width is less than the distance from the axis to the tray.

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