US3285692A - Apparatus for distributing material to reduce evaporation from water storages - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1966 c. s. ROBERTSON 3,285,692

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIAL TO REDUCE EVAPORATION FROM WATER STORAGES Filed May 24, 1960 x 1 l I United States Patent 3,285,692 APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIAL T0 lgEGDlslCE EVAPORATION FROM WATER STOR- E Colin Scott Robertson, P.O. Box 369, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia Filed May 24, 1960, Ser. No. 56,076 Claims priority, application Australia, May 26, 1959, 49,197/59 3 Claims. (Cl. 21-61) This invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the rate of evaporation from water storages and refers particularly to an apparatus for producing'a stream of fine particles of amlphipathic materials which are sparingly soluble or insoluble in water and which spread spontaneously on the surface of the water to form films capable of reducing the rate of evaporation.

It has been recently proposed to reduce the rate of evaporation from water storages by projecting into the air a stream of particles of hexadecanol and/or octadecanol of average size not greater than about 0.2 mm. and allowing the particles of this stream to fall upon the surface of the water whereby a multiplicity of spreading points is formed from which the hexadecanol and/or octadecano'l can spread spontaneously to form a continuous film upon the water surface. The spreading capacity under these conditions is large, and excellent coverage may be achieved over a wide area.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for use in connection with the above described method, and which is operative both to grind solid hexadecanol and/or octadecanol and to blow the resulting powder onto the water surface, at the site of its use, thereby to avoid the necessity of transporting the powdered material.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the described character which is suitable for transportation by boat or. aircraft on or over dams or reservoirs.

The above, and other objects, [features and advantages of the invention,- will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings is an end view of the apparatus with an end cover removed, and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

The device illustrated in the drawings comprises a spindle 1 on which is mounted a cylindrical wire wheel type brush consisting of a series of spaced annular stock members 2 of channel section carrying closely packed wire bristles 3. The spindle is provided at one end with a bore 4 which communicates with a reduced bore 5 at the other end of the spindle, the bore 4 of greater width occupying the major portion of the length of the spindle. A grub screw 21 is provided in the spindle for a purpose hereinafter referred to. The external profile of the spindle is stepped so as to provide an annular shoulder 6 disposed adjacent to the inner end of the bore 4'. Axial-flow fans 7, 17 are mounted at the ends of the spindle adjacent the brush assembly so as to be rotatable in unison with the spindle 1. Each fan is cut and formed trom a single piece of sheet metal, the blades being of such form that on rotation of the spindle an air current is caused to move inwardly towards the centre of the brush assembly ctrom each end of the spindle. Each .fan is mounted on the por- 'ice clamped between a retaining collar 9 on the spindle and a washer 10.

As the annular stock members 2 are merely slid into position on the narrower end of the spindle 1 it is necessary to provide means which will cause the bristles to rotate in unison with the spindle and this is brought about by inserting pins 11 through holes in the collar 9, washers 10, 8, stock members 2 and shoulder 6.

The brush is assembled by sliding the various annular stock members 2 on to the narrower portion of the spindle after the fan 7 and the washer 8 have been placed in position on the spindle and the assembly is completed by also placing on the spindle the washer 10 and fan 17, inserting the pins 11 through the openings in the various components and finally securing the collar 9 on the outer end of the spindle by grub screws or other suitable means, the ends of the pins being located in recesses provided [for that purpose in the shoulder 6 and collar 9.

Fro-m FIGURE 2 it will be apparent that as the bristles diverge outwardly away =from the stock members 2, spaces will exist between the stock members along the spindle and holes 12 are drilled through the spindle at right angles to the axis thereof so as to coincide with the spaces between the stock members. The holes are drilled so that each will be at right angles to its neighbour.

The brush assembly is located in use within a casing indicated generally at 13, such casing having a central cylindrical portion 14 and removable end covers -15, 16 which are held in place on the central portion by means of correspondingly placed pimples 18 on the parts. The central portion of the casing is provided at its upper end with a vertical feed hopper 19 which communicates with the interior of the casing above the brush assembly. The central portion of the casing is also provided with a rearwardly extending outlet tube 20 disposed at right angles to the hopper 19, the outlet tube also communicating with the interior of the casing in the vicinity of the upper portion of the brush assembly and in such a position that the axes of the outlet tube and the hopper are disposed in the same vertical plane. As will be seen from FIGURE 1 the axis X of the feed hopper is located forwardly of the axis on? the spindle 1, that is, offset from the radial plane Y extending from the axis of spindle 1 parallel to the axis X at the side of such plane Y away from the opening of outlet tube 20 communicating with the interior of casing :13. Thus, with hopper 19 disposed vertically, as

' shown, the ends of the wire bristles which pass below tion of the spindle which is of reduced diameter, the fan i the lower end of the teed hopper in use have an upward component of motion. The end covers 15, 16 are provided with centrally located openings 15a, 16a respectively of substantial diameter, the opening 16a being at least somewhat larger than the diameter of the shoulder portion 6 of the spindle.

In use of the device, the narrower bore 5 of the hollow spindle is mounted directly on to the shaft of an internal combustion engine and is secured thereon by tightening the grub screw 21, the brush and fan assembly being wholly supported by the shaft. The casing is mounted so as to enclose the brush and fan assembly, but the latter assembly is in no way supported by or connected to the casing.

In order to make use of the device, the brush and fan assembly is caused to rotate by means of the internal combustion engine at a speed which may vary from be tween about 2,000 to 5,000 r.p.m., the preferred speed being in the vicinity of 3,000 rpm. The direction ofv rotation of the brush assembly is such that the upper ends of the bristles move in a direction so as to pass from the base of the feed hopper 19 towards the inner end of the outlet tube 20. To project a stream of finely dividedparticles of hexadecanol on to a water surface in accordance with the invention, a preformed block of material having a cross-section such that it will fit neatly into the hopper, is pressed downwardly by hand through the feed hopper 19 on to the upper ends of the wire bristles and the rubbing action of the latter on the block will cause disintegration of the block into small particles which will mainly consist of particles of a size not greater than 0.2 rnm., such particles being emitted from the casing through the outlet tube 20 which should be arranged so as not to obstruct the natural path of projection of the particles as they are flung ofl? from the bristles. Because of the asymmetric mounting of the feed hopper 19 on the casing, the last portion of a block which is fed towards the brush by pressure from a further block in the hopper, is held in the grinding position by the motion of the brush until substantially all of it is consumed so that any portion of the block which finally escapes through the outlet tube without being ground is small.

Owing to the presence of the fans 7, 17 at both ends of the brush assembly, rotation of the assembly will induce a draught into the interior of the brush through the openings a, 16a in the casing and the forced draught will then pass out from the casing through the outlet tube along with the fine particles of hexadecanol, thus increasing the velocity with which such particles leave the outlet tube and so cause the particles to be projected from the device for a greater distance than would otherwise be the case in the absence of such forced draught. To prevent blow-back of air through the hopper, a resilient rubber or plastic sleeve may be fitted to the top of the hopper to provide a substantially air-tight seal around the block.

To facilitate distribution of the particles from the apparatus, an elongated delivery tube may be connected to the outlet tube by means of a flexible coupling.

Air will aso be caused to enter the interior of the hollow spindle and will pass outwardly therefrom through the holes 12 thus further augmenting the velocity for projection of the hexadecanol particles. Thus in the absence of wind, particles of a fineness required by the present invention can readily be projected to a distance of 20 feet or more and in windy conditions it may be necessary to depress the delivery tube somewhat in order to reduce the tendency of the particles to become wind-borne to such :an extent that they are carried away from the area being treated.

It will be apparent that a device of the type described above can be operated very readily by a single person and that it enables the direct use of commercially available material without prior treatment other than forming into blocks of suitable size. It will also be apparent that the circulation of air through the spindle and brush assembly will greatly assist in keeping the parts cool during operation of the device.

Reference has been made above to the use of hexadecanol in block form, but the device can of course be elfectively used with other materials such as octadecanol, mixtures of hexadecanol and octadecanol and other similar materials.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for producing a stream of fine particles from a block of amphipathic material comprising a hollow spindle rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said spindle being open at one end and having spaced apart radial openings, a cylindrical brush assembly secured on said spindle and made up of spaced bundles of stifi bristles between which said radial openings of the spindle are located, a casing disposed about said brush assembly and having air inlet openings adjacent the opposed ends of said spindle, which air inlet openings are coaxial with said spindle, a feed hopper extending from the upper portion of said casing and communicating at its base with the interior of said casing above the upper portion of said brush assembly, the axis of said hopper being substantially parallel to a radial plane extending from said axis of the spindle, an outlet tube extending from said casing substantially at right angles to said hopper and having an opening communicating with said interior of the casing adjacent said base of the hopper, the axes of said hopper and outlet tube lying substantially in a common plane which is perpendicular to said axis of the spindle, means coupled to said spindle at the end thereof remote from said one open end and being operative in use to rotate said spindle and brush assembly in the direction moving the ends of said bristles at the upper portion of the brush assembly past said base of the hopper toward said opening of the outlet tube to abrade fine particles from the lower end of a block of amphipathic material pressed in said hopper toward said brush assembly and to propel said fine particles tangentially from said brush assembly through said outlet tube, and fan elements secured on each end of said spindle and operative upon rotation of the latter to draw air into said interior of said casing through said inlet openings, causing .the air to move inwardly towards the center of the brush assembly from each end of the spindle and further inducing the movement of air into said open end of the spindle and out of the latter through said radial openings past said bristles for discharge through said outlet tube along with said fine particles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said axis of the hopper is oifset from said radial plane extending from said axis of the spindle, and said opening of the outlet tube lies at the side of said radial plane opposite to the side of said offset of the axis of the hopper from said radial plane.

3. Apparatus for producing a stream of fine particles from a block of amphipathic material comprising a hollow spindle rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said spindle being open at one end and having spaced apart radial openings, a cylindrical wire brush assembly secured on said spindle and made up of spaced bundles of wire bristles between which said radial openings of the spindle are located, a casing disposed about said brush assembly and having air inlet openings adjacent the opposed ends of said spindle, which air inlet openings are coaxial with said spindle, a substantially upright feed hopper communicating at its base with the interior of said casing above the upper portion of said brush assembly, an outlet tube extending from said casing substantially at right angles to said hopper and having an opening communicating with said interior of the casing in the vicinity of said upper portion of the brush assembly, the axes of said hopper and outlet tube lying substantially in a common plane which is perpendicular to the axis of said spindle, said axis of the hopper and said opening of the outlet tube lying at opposite sides of an upwardly directed radial plane passing through said axis of the spindle and being substantially parallel to said axis of the hopper, means coupled to said spindle at the end thereof remote from said one open end and being operative in use to rotate said spindle and brush assembly in the direction moving the ends of said bristles at the upper portion of the brush assembly from below said base of the feed hopper toward said opening of the outlet tube with said ends of the bristles which pass below said base of the feed hopper having an upward component of motion to abrade fine particles from the lower end of a block of amphipathic material pressed downwardly in said hopper and to propel said fine particles through said outlet tube, and fan elements secured on each end of said spindle and operative upon rotation of the latter to draw air into said interior of said casing through said inlet openings, causing the air to move inwardly towards the center of the brush assembly from each end of the spindle and further inducing the movement of air into said open end of the spindle and out of the latter through said radial openings past said wire bristles for discharge through said outlet tube along with said fine particles.

(References 011 following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 OTHER REFERENCES Timblin, Lake Hefner Report, Oct. 13-17, 1957, page 5.

Williams 2 X MORRIS 0. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

Gardner X 5 DONALL H. SYLVESTER, WILLIAM B. KNIGHT, Snow 241 3 Examiners. Treloar 21-61 s. ROSEN, E. SZOKE, I. T. ZATARGA,

Dressler 21-605 Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A STREAM OF FINE PARTICLES FROM A BLOCK OF AMPHIPATHIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A HOLLOW SPINDLE ROTATABLE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS SAID SPINDLE BEING OPEN AT ONE END AND HAVING SPACED APART RADIAL OPENINGS, A CYLINDRICAL BRUSH ASSEMBLY SECURED ON SAID SPINDLE AND MADE UP OF SPACED BUNDLES OF STIFF BRISTLES BETWEEN WHICH SAID RADIAL OPENINGS OF THE SPINDLE ARE LOCATED, A CASING DISPOSED ABOUT SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY AND HAVING AIR INLET OPENINGS ADJACENT THE OPPOSED ENDS OF SAID SPINDLE, WHICH AIR INLET OPENINGS ARE COAXIAL WITH SAID SPINDLE, A FEED HOPPER EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CASING AND COMMUNICATING AT ITS BASE WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING ABOE THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY, THE AXIS OF SAID HOPPER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A RADIAL PLANE EXTENDING FROM SAID AXIS OF THE SPINDLE, AN OUTLET TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID CASING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID HOPPER AND HAVING AN OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTERIOR OF THE CASING ADJACENT SAID BASE OF THE HOPPER THE AXES OF SAID HOPPER AND OUTLET TUBE LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A COMMON PLANE WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS OF THE SPINDLE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SPINDLE AT THE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID ONE OPEN END AND BEING OPERA-

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