Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/10—Devices for removing the material from the surface
  • E02B15/106—Overflow skimmers with suction heads; suction heads
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/20—Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment
  • Y02A20/204—Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S210/00—Liquid purification or separation
  • Y10S210/918—Miscellaneous specific techniques
  • Y10S210/922—Oil spill cleanup, e.g. bacterial
  • Y10S210/923—Oil spill cleanup, e.g. bacterial using mechanical means, e.g. skimmers, pump

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for removing floating liquid impurities, particularly oil, from a flowing (or forced flowing) water surface by creating locally water surface range of lowered level, by inlet of surface layer of water contaminated (by oil) in the range of water of lowered level through spillway, by separating the mixture of liquid impurities and water, and by removing the separated, collected impurities. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for removing liquid impurities, particularly oil, floating on the water surface, from flowing or forced-flowing water surface, executed as structural units submerged in water, provided with wall elements as well as overflow spillway encircling a range of lowered water level.
• One of the groups contains the (oil) scrapers operating on the basis of the so called adhesion principle in such a way that while oil adheres to certain structural matters submerged in impured water - which are afterwards taken out -, water does not adhere to them.
• the oil can be recovered by scraping, wiping, extraction from means of generally large surface (rotary discs, elevators, bundles of fibres, tussels) made of such structural materials (steel, plastics, etc.).
• the other group involves the oil and impurity scraping methos for separating the impured surface layer of water.
• a common disadvantage of ail known equipment is that they can be used with full efficiency for still water only as a fundamental condition of their efficient operation is that there can be only at least a slight speed difference between the equipment and the impured water. Therefore, such equipment are operated in such a way that the impurities in the vicinity of the scraper are locally stepped by dam ⁇ iing, air blast etc. Scraping, however, is in such case of very low efficiency, considerable losses incur, i.e. depending on the water rate under the effect of the sucking swirls producing, one part of the impurities floating on the surface (such as oil) iecves the scraper, bypassing the equipment and the damming elements mostly from below.
• the subject of the invention is to separate the impure surface layer of water, to separate the mixture of impurities and water, and to develop method and device - realizing the principle of discharging impurities - suitable for the removal, at a high rate of scraping efficiency, the liquid impurities, particularly e.g. petroleum products floating on the surface in flowing or forced flowing water.
• the separation of impure surface water layer, separation in the same step and collection of the separate impurities can be realized in the cleaning cross-section by producing and maintaining expedient speed of flow influenced both in its .'irccticn and rate. Accordingly, this aim can be achieved by applying the method referred to above in the course of which, cccording to the invention, local water level lowering in flowing cr forced flowing water is effected by creating i.e. maintaining a flow range of increased speed, while the separation of the mixture by the trcnsient reduction of speed and changing the direction of flow subsequent to the inflow of surface water layer let in said range without any speed reduction.
• the scraping efficiency can be considerably increased by turbulent-free inflow of the surface water lover in the range of lowered water level.
• the impurities, particuiarly oil, obtained from the mixture are separated in a practically flow-free zone inside the range of lowered water level, then from here same is discharged either continuously or intermittently in the- known way e.g. by pumping, gravitationally, by mechanical, adhesion means, etc.
• the device for carrying out the method according to the invention comprising a tcnk-Iike submersion body provided with spillway on its open front side facing the water flow, while on the other parts v/ith closed walls overhanging the water surface of a submersion depth first increasing downstream from the front side provided with spillway then gradually decreasing, with at least one opening of adjustable cro ⁇ s- ⁇ ctic ⁇ in the bottom, in the body cross_section of the greatest submersion depth, with a baffle plate in its inner space from the front side provided with spillway, overhanging the range above the bottom hole, dividing the inner space of the body in oarts separated from each other.
• Such embodiments of the device according to the invention that are provided with spillway of adjustable position (of adjustable height) and/or baffle plate of adjustable angle position proved to be suitable, furthermore, it is advantageous to provide - on the bottom of the submersion body - also a deflection hopper covering the opening from outside, being practically perpendicular to the direction of water flow, provided with an outlet opening of adjustable cross-section.
• a deflection hopper covering the opening from outside, being practically perpendicular to the direction of water flow, provided with an outlet opening of adjustable cross-section.
• the preferable embodiments of the device according to the invention are provided also with swirl-diffusion grid arranged in the surface water layer, before the spillway.
• the method and device cccording to the invention enable, by using the energy of flow, in one step and one equipment, the collection of liquid impurities e.g. petroleum products floating on the water surface, the separation of impure surface water layer, the separation of the mixture of impurities and water and the discharging of separrted and collected impurities.
• the impure surface water layer is separated without speed reduction (without damming) and together with the swirl-diffusion grid being on the inlet side of the device it makes possible to eliminate swirls, taking away the layer of impurities, causing in such way loss in discharging.
• the separating forced path ensuring undisturbed flow- through, by its increasing cross-section adjustable by selecting the proper angle position of the baffle plate performs gradual deceleration of the mixture of impurities and water in the first section subsequent to the inflow, then behind the baffle plate end the flow is performing horizontal rotation, meanwhile, the upper layer of impurities, particularly oil-phase, stops and the lower water layer leaves the inner space of the submersion body, accelerating towards the opening forming the sink of sucking action.
• the method end device described above in details can be widely applied, as according to the invention, portable oil scrapers, fluvial impurity separators - as engineering structures (e.g. in hydro-electric power stations) -, preventive oil traps on a fixed plate for the outlet pipeline of impurity sources (e.g. oil refineries, heating plants, etc.) as well as impurity-, particularly oil-contamination traps, collecting basins established by bed setting and earthwork, serving for prevention purposes can be made.
• impurity sources e.g. oil refineries, heating plants, etc.
• impurity- particularly oil-contamination traps
• collecting basins established by bed setting and earthwork serving for prevention purposes
• the characteristics of the method according to the invention can be made use of when designing moving oil scraper ships i.e. the portable preventive devices according to the invention can be applied also as moving impurity-, especially oil-scrapers in case they are moved (e.g. pushed or hauled; by a water craft on still water.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of an oil removing device according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a sectional diagram taken along II-II plane of the same device shown in Fig. 1.
• the device taken as example, illustrated on the drawings contains practically a tank-like submersion body 2 with rectangular top view, provided with spillway 4 of adjustable heigh by turning along an axis on the open front end 21 facing the direction of water flow, encircling a rectangular water surface range by side walls 22, 23 and front end 24.
• the downstream section of its bottom 25 is executed with submersion depth of first increcsing from front end 21 provided with spillway 4 then gradually decreasing.
• On bottom 25 of submersion body 2 approximately in the middle, in the greatest submersion depth, there is a hole 26 whose clear opening is adjustable by the angle position of a closing element.
• a further essential feature of submersion body 2 is that in its inner space there is a baffle plate 27 dividing the inner space of submersion body 2 in parts separated from each other, starting from front end 21 provided with spillway 4 overhanging the range above opening 26 being in bottom 25.
• Other mechanical, adhesion etc. impurity discharging mecns can be connected with said device according to the invention also in said zone.
• Submersion body 2 is kept floating by float 1 placed on its two sides.
• the device according to the invention operates as follows: The flowing water, while bypassing from below float 2 kept floating end anchored by float 1, locally accelerates along contracted streamlines.
• one important feature of the method according to the invention can be achieved, namely in a flowing or forced flowing water cross section a cross-sectional range of increased flow rate is produced and maintained.
• the increase of speed produces local suction effect through opening 26 formed on bottom 25 in the inner space of submersion body 2 and this results in permanent water level decrease in the water surface range provided with spillway 4, encircled by side walls 22, 23 and front wall 24.
• the rate of the suction effect can be set by means of the execution of the longitudinal section of submersion body 2, i.e.
• separation of impurities and water can be performed by reducing the rate of surface water layer flow in the range of lowered water level and by changing the direction of flow.
• baffle plate 27 placed in the inner space of submersion body 2 takes the liquid flow flowing in through spillway 4, leaving submersion body 2 throuth opening 26 onto a forced path of gradually increasing cross section bringing about accordingly the reduction of the flow rate, then making it perform a horizontal, approximately 180o turn too.
• the device for carrying out the method according to the invention can bo made as equipment anchored properly in flowing surface water or as equipment to be moved in still water by vessels or otherwise.
• the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiment described above only by way of example with reference to the drawings, within the scope of protection defined by the attached claims other devices of differing embodiment can also be realized.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Removal Of Floating Material (AREA)
• Cleaning Or Clearing Of The Surface Of Open Water (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10993114

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (7)

Families Citing this family (49)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1979
  • 1979-12-12 HU HU79AI291A patent/HU181642B/hu not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1980
  • 1980-12-08 JP JP56500199A patent/JPS6319235B2/ja not_active Expired
  • 1980-12-08 EP EP81900051A patent/EP0041537B1/en not_active Expired
  • 1980-12-08 WO PCT/HU1980/000007 patent/WO1981001720A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1980-12-08 DE DE8181900051T patent/DE3070566D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1980-12-08 US US06/290,806 patent/US4372854A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1981
  • 1981-07-16 FI FI812237A patent/FI71383C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1981-08-11 SU SU813320742A patent/SU1152529A3/ru active

Patent Citations (3)

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