WO2003106255A1

WO2003106255A1 - Removing device for removing floating matter

Info

Publication number: WO2003106255A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/001086
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sun Soon Park
Original assignee: Sun Soon Park
Priority date: 2002-06-15
Filing date: 2003-06-03
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Also published as: AU2003241193A1

Abstract

It is necessary to remove floating matter which are on the surface of the water in river, lake or sea. The removing device for removing the floating matter, for example, spilled oil on the surface of water consists essentially of a stator, a rotator rotatably supported on the stator, a screw mean rotatably supported on the rotator, a hopper, a conveying mean, a drive motor for the rotator, a beveled gear unit for the screw mean. The floating matter is according to the invention continuously conveyed into a hopper by means of a screw mean sweeping over the surface of the water, from which hopper the conveyed floating matter is discontinuously pumped off by pumping mean of the conveying mean.

Description

Removing device for removing floating matter

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device for removing floating matter, for example spilled oil, especially the oil in the state of an emulsion with the water, from the surface of water,

Background Art

Various types of oil removing devices, for example weir, disc and brush skimmer, has been employed in the past to separate and collect pollutants from the surface of water. Such apparatus have, in general, been unable to perform efficiently in wave conditions due to inherent design flaws and a lack of stability in open waters. These devices are unable to collect the floating matter in an efficient concentrated form, often gathering large amounts of water at the same time. In addition, the prior art, as a whole, does not handle the oil in the state of an emulsion with the water and high viscosity.

The problem of removing floating matter, particularly oil spread in a thin layer on the surface of water of a much great thickness has acquired great importance since one has realized the serious danger constituted by the general increase of water contamination. Such floating matter often leads to the formation of a thin layer of one or more contaminating liquids on the surface of the water, these contaminating liquids being immiscible with the water below and therefore being either in a pure state or in the state of an emulsion with the water. When rivers, lakes or the sea are contaminated by petroleum products the contaminant often forms, at least in the initial stage of contamination, a very thin and extensive layer "pure" contaminant which is not emulsified with the water below. But very soon, mainly due to the effect of swells and the wind, the contaminant forms an emulsion and it is no longer a "liquid" but becomes a fluid. This happen in the case of catastrophes caused by shipwrecked tankers or by accidents in the operation of submarine petroleum extraction plants or in liquid hydrocarbon transfer and treatment plants.

Also the same problem occurs in the purification of waste water, particularly waste water coming from highly industrialized regions. In this case the contaminant forms a layer in which it is emulsified with the water below, but this layer can only cover a relatively small area. In all these cases the fluid contaminant, which may or may not be liquid, and the underlying liquid are immiscible and the contaminant forms a thin layer on the surface of the underlying liquid which has a relatively great thickness.

Therefore, it is difficult to separate the thin layer of contaminant from the underlying thick layer to recover the contaminant without taking particular measures, forcing the floating matter to move into the hopper and for increasing the thickness of the contaminant layer. In effect, attempts have been made to remove the liquid contaminant with the aid of pumps having suction roses floating on the contaminating water surface, but the suction roses could not work well as the free contaminant surface is generally irregular in most cases of contaminated rivers, lakes and the sea which is agitated by the swells and the wind. Especially a contaminated layer in which it is emulsified with the water below can not be removed by the prior device, for example disc skimmer or brush skimmer.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned difficulties in the collection of liquid surface pollutants in fresh or salt water.

the preferred embodiment of the removing device consists essentially of a stator, a rotator rotatably supported on the stator 1 , a screw mean rotatably supported on the rotator, a hopper, a baffle mean surrounding the hopper and a conveying mean,

Radially horizontally disposed screw means rotatably supported about its longitudinal axis on the rotator which rotatably supported about a vertical axis on the stator pull the oil in some distance from large surrounding area Into the baffle mean. These buoyant screw means which revolve around the stator (revolving direction B) while rotating about its longitudinal axis (rotating direction A) also have floats and function as outriggers to add further stability in wave conditions. This movement of the screw means force the oil in the state of an emulsion with the water and high viscosity to move into the hopper. If desired, these screw means can be operated at their rotational speed varied by the shipboard operator. Increasing the turning revolutions of screw means would increase the flow rate of the floating matter into the baffle mean.

In the preferred embodiment a central hopper is surrounded by a large circular baffle mean with intake ports through which screw mean allow conveyed floating matter to reach the hopper(moving direction of the floating matter 100). The weir of the hopper keeps most of heavier liquid, water, from entering the hopper.

An opening is located at the bottom of the baffle mean below the surface line of the water for the passage of water out of the baffle mean(moving direction of water 200). Generally the baffle mean holds the oil and the water within its interior area and stabilizes the movements of the removing device in water. The baffle mean is very useful in providing additional stability to the removing device.

The conveying mean is connected to said discharge channel of the stator and include pumping mean and a conveying line to pump up the floating matter from said discharge channel of the stator to a storage tank outside.

The removing device itself can be built in any size in diameter. A large device would be more stable in ocean use and would also be able to handle large chemical spills efficiently.

Thus, before discharging the contaminant layer it is necessary to increase the thickness of this layer, usually by hydrodynamic means. Particularly the damming effect produced by an obstacle has been utilized, for example, a baffle mean in the form of a circle on the surface of the liquid with the intake hole about the periphery wall of the circle to collect the liquid contaminant.

In this manner the liquid contaminant can be removed by pumping or by causing it to flow over a weir into a hopper arranged in the baffle mean. When the water is covered with a contaminant layer, the thickness of such layer increases from the periphery toward the center of the rotator. So the contaminant can be pumped off through a suction line of a stator which form a hollow. As a result, the range of action which can be technically obtained by the screw means which revolve around the stator rotating on its longitudinal axis is relatively large.

The process according to the invention comprises the steps of skimming contaminated fluid spread in a thin layer on the surface of the water, accumulating the collected contaminant fluid to increase the thickness of the layer of contaminated fluid and recovering at least the major portion of the thickened layer of fluid.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter in connection with one exemplary embodiment and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along section lines m — m of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along section lines m — m of FIG. 1 illustrating the sectional view of the stator, the rotator, the hopper and the baffle mean.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 , illustrating a conveying process of a floating matter. FIG. 5 is a vertical view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along section lines m — m of FIG. 1 , illustrating a conveying process of a floating matter.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The device is based on the consideration that, as is schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, if a thin layer of oil is successively driven into a baffle mean 7 by screw means 3 which rotate on its own axis while revolving around a stator 1 , the thickness of the oil layer thus enclosed is increased.

Thus, the invention consists in continuously and successively moving portions of the floating matter into a baffle mean 7 and in accumulating portions of the floating matter contained in baffle mean 7 having a opening 72 which permits the water in a baffle mean 7 to escape or to draw off.

The removing device D is particularly useful in gathering the floating matter from shore lines and narrow coves.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the removing device D illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists essentially of a stator 1 , a rotator 2 rotatably supported on the stator 1 , a screw mean 3 rotatably supported on the rotator 2, a hopper 5, a conveying mean 6, a drive motor 1 1 for the rotator 2, a beveled gear unit 40 for the screw mean 3.

The stator 1 have a vertically stationary shaft, a drive motor 1 1 and a discharge channel 12 through which the collected floating matter is discharged to a conveying mean 6.

The rotator 2 is rotatably supported on the stator 1 about a vertically stationary shaft 13 of said stator 1 .

A drive motor which turn the rotator can be operated at varying revolutions to control the amount of the surface liquid of the floating matter within the baffle mean 7.

The screw mean 3 is rotatably supported about its longitudinal axis on the rotator 2 in such a manner that its longitudinal axle extends approximately radially outwardly from the rotator 2 and is partially immersible in use in a body of liquid with its major length dimension generally horizontal along the surface of the water for skimming the surface of the water and conveying floating matter skimmed from the surface of the water. Thus said screw mean 3 together with said rotator 2 revolves (revolving direction B) around the stator 1 about vertically stationary shaft of said stator 1 while simultaneously rotating (rotating direction A) about its longitudinal axis on the rotator 2.

The beveled gear and the beveled pinion meshing with said beveled gear is provided for rotating said screw mean 3 about its longitudinal axis while said screw mean 3 revolves around said stator 1 together with said rotator 2, said beveled gear being mounted on a stationary shaft 13 of said stator 1 , said beveled pinion being mounted on the screw shaft of said screw mean 3.

The hopper 5 has a weir 51 for receiving the conveyed floating matter and is connected to said discharge channel 12 of the stator 1 for providing fluid communication to discharge the collected floating matter. Said hopper 5 can be fixed to the stator 1 or rotatably supported on the stator 1 being fixed on the rotator 2 to rotate together with the rotator 2.

The conveying mean 6 is connected to said discharge channel 12 of the stator 1 and include pumping mean 61 and a conveying line to pump up the floating matter from said discharge channel 12 of the stator to a storage tank outside.

Said screw mean 3 has at least three screw means which is positioned and spaced at least generally equally about the periphery of said rotator 2. Said each screw means 3 comprise said shaft rotatably supported on the rotator 2 and a buoyant float 32 attached to said screw shaft at the outer end face of the screw shaft of said screw means 3 for providing flotation to said stator 1 .

Said buoyant floats 32 is cylindrical for skimming the floating layer and said screw means 3 comprise a screw portion including at least one helical blade on the surface of the its screw shaft and said cylinder float.

Said helical blade on the surface of the screw shaft of the screw mean 3 extends from said weir of the hopper to inner end face of said cylinder floats.

In this embodiment, each three screw means 3 with helical blade mounted around screw shafts 31 and cylinder floats are radially, equidistantly disposed as outriggers around the stator 1 .

A drive motor 1 1 mounted on a motor platform 14 turns the screw shaft of the screw mean 3 through the rotator 2 and the beveled gear unit 40. To control the buoyancy of the screw mean 3, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, the buoyant floats 32 can be filled with the needed amount of fluid by use of fill caps which can also be used to drain the buoyant float 32.^'

The diameter of helical blade 33 on the surface of the screw shaft 31 is less than the diameter of said cylinder float 32 to allow the helical blade 33 on the surface of the screw shaft to convey only floating matter among liquids which is conveyed by the helical blade 34 on the surface of the cylinder float 32.

The pitch of helical blade 33 on the surface of the screw shaft is less than the pitch of helical blade 34 on the surface of said cylinder float for thickening the surface layer of the floating matter.

The operation of the helical blade of the screw means 3 causes the floating matter dammed by the cylinder floats 32 to move toward the center of stator 1 . As the pitch of the helical blade of the screw mean 3 decreases toward the center of the stator 1 , the layer of the floating matter, in the present case oil, floating on the surface of the contaminated liquid, in the present case water, is progressively thickened.

Alternatively at least three screw means are desired or four as illustrated spaced at ninety degrees to one another.

This type of the removing device having the screw means can handle an emulsion between the oil and water.

A baffle mean 7 are provided to isolate the oil in its inside. Surface liquids are drawn towards the baffle mean 7 by the operation of the screw mean 3 that rotates about its longitudinal axis on the rotator while revolving about vertically stationary shaft of the staotor 1 around the stator 1 .

The baffle mean 7 which is provided for accumulating the floating matter is partially immersible in use in a body of liquid and surround said weir 51 of the hopper 5 for enclosing the conveyed floating matter within said baffle mean 7, said baffle mean 7 being fixed on said rotator 2 for rotating together with the rotator 2, said baffle mean 7 having at least one intake hole 73 along its side wall

71 with said its intake hole 73 being penetrated by screw mean 3 for forcing a oil to flow into said baffle mean 7 through said intake hole 73 and having a opening

72 totally immersed in the body of liquid for forcing a underlying liquid to flow toward the water outside.

The screw means is rotatively mounted on the rotator 2 through the intake holes

73 of the baffle mean 7 which rotates together with the rotator 2 and forms the partition in which the floating matter is enclosed.

By providing the opening 72 in the bottom of baffle mean 7, as shown in FIG. 2, through which the water enclosed by baffle mean can escape to the water outside, the thickness of the floating matter enclosed by said baffle mean 7 can be varied as desired as a function of time depending on the speed at which the screw mean 3 rotate on its own axis while revolving around the stator 1 , and on the diameter of the opening 72 of the baffle mean 7. An opening 72 is located at the bottom of the baffle mean 7 below the surface line of the water for the passage of water out of the baffle mean 7. Generally the baffle mean 7 holds the oil and the water within its interior area and stabilizes the movements of the removing device D in water. The baffle mean 7 is very useful in providing additional stability to the removing device D.

When the thickness of the enclosed layer of the floating matter is progressively increased the water below the surface layer of the floating matter is evacuated to the water outside.

The hopper 5 into which the conveyed and thickened surface layer of the floating matter flow over the weir 51 is arranged in the baffle mean 7 in which the layer of enclosed oil become thick and the underlying water is evacuated through the opening 72 to the water outside.

Also said baffle mean 7 has at least three intake hole 73, said intake hole 73 being positioned and spaced at least generally equally about the periphery wall 71 of said baffle mean 7.

Said intake holes 73 are located at the periphery wall 71 of the baffle mean 7 to allow the oil or other surface liquid and debris (if desired) to reach into baffle mean 7 by means of said screw means. Grates or screens can be provided if desired at the intake hole 73 to keep out any unwanted debris.

As generally illustrated in FIG. 2, the screw mean 3 draws the floating matter and some water through the intake hole 73 into the baffle mean 7.

Said screw shaft 31 is therefore guided through the intake hole of the baffle mean 7 into the central bearing block of the rotator 2 as has been indicated in the drawings.

Second baffle mean 7 which has a generally circular configuration in horizontal cross-section can be provided along the screw mean 3 so that the removing device D can be used in wave conditions.

said baffle mean 7 and said hopper 5 are at least generally circular in horizontal configuration and wherein said rotator 2 and said hopper 5 are centrally located within said baffle mean 7.

A barrier 74 is provided on the intake hole 73 of the baffle mean 7, said barrier 74 enclosing said helical blade on its side not facing the oncoming water to dam the surface layer.

The barrier 74 are positioned at the intake holes 73 between the baffle mean 7 and the cylinder float. Also the barrier 74 can be extended from the screw housing 75 attached at the intake holes 73 of the baffle mean 7 to the cylinder float sliding with its end face.

The floating matter flows thereby against the screw mean transversely with respect to its longitudinally extending axle so that the floating matter in the area of the surface of the water dams up accordingly at the buoyant floats 32 and the floating matter existing thereon moves into the area of the barrier 74 by operating of the helically blade. The barrier 74 prevents on the discharge side that the floating matter seized and removed thereby by the helically extending element again leaves.

a cylindrical screw housing 75 is provided on the intake hole 73 of the baffle mean 7 between the intake hole 73 of said baffle mean 7 and said barrier 74, said cylindrical screw housing 75 enclosing said helical blade to prevent liquids communication between the two faces of the helical blade on the surface of screw shaft.

The screw mean 3 is guided in a pipelike closed screw housing 75 provided on the baffle mean 7, which screw housing 75 completely surrounds the helical blade on the surface of screw shaft with little clearance and has a length of one to three times pitch of the helical blade on the surface of screw shaft. The floating matter conveyed in the area of the pipelike closed screw housing 75 can from here only travel into the baffle mean 7 and accumulate on its inside. The floating matter accumulated in the baffle mean 7 flow over the weir 51 into the hopper 5 in the form of conveyed matter FG, which must in a suitable manner be moved on to a oil storage tank.

said each screw mean 3 includes a blade tube within which the helical blade on the surface of screw shaft is formed to constitute a substantially integral part with it, said blade tube being rotatably supported in said screw housing 75 by any bearing 16.

Waterproof bearing 16 can be used between the blade tube and the screw housing 75 so that the blade tube is rotatably supported in the screw housing 75.

said hopper 5 can be mounted on the stator 1 or be mounted on the rotator 2 so that the hopper 5 rotates together with the rotator 2.

In this embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the hopper 5 is fixed on the stator 1 , but according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, this hopper 5 may also be fixed on the baffle mean 7 and rotates together with the rotator 2.

a internal gear and a pinion meshing with said internal gear is provided to rotate the rotator 2, said internal gear being mounted on the rotator 2, said pinion being coupled to the drive motor 1 1 . Also a beveled gear and a beveled pinion meshing with said beveled gear can be provided to rotate the rotator 2, said beveled gear being mounted on the rotator 2, said beveled pinion being coupled to the drive motor 1 1 .

said rotator 2 is rotatably supported on a vertically stationary shaft 13 of said stator 1 , said drive motor 1 1 being mounted on the platfom that is fixed at upper end of the vertical shaft of the stator 1 , said vertically stationary shaft 13 of the stator 1 being hollow-shaped for interpenetrating power source line 15.

The conveyed floating matter flow over the weir 51 into the hopper 5 and is moved out of the hopper 5 by means of a conveyor pump through a conveyor line into the oil storage tank. The pumping mean 61 can be here designed as an encapsulated pressure pump and the conveyor line as a pressure hose; however, it is also possible to use a suction pipe or a suction hose for the conveyor line to withdraw the floating matter via a suction pump installed outside of the system.

The floating matter which flow over a weir 51 into the hopper 5 is pumped off through the discharge channel 12 of the stator 1 by the pumping mean.

A pumping mean is provided for recovering the oil which flow over the weir 51 into the hopper 5 in baffle mean 7 in which the layer of conveyed oil is accumulated and thickened and the underlying water is evacuated through the opening 72 to the water outside.

If required, the only oil may be pumped off. In this case a servo-mechanism is installed which ensures the pumping rate to be adjusted as a function of the position of the interface between water and contaminant so that the pump dose not suck in the contaminant.

The oil transfer line and a hydraulic control lines are run in a bundle from the removing device D to the "mother" vessel.

A stator ring 16 in a certain sense serve as mean for protecting the screw mean 3.

Lift pad eyes 15, for lifting and controlling the removing device D, are built on the top of the removing device D.

It is estimated that such a removing device should be able to handle a capacity of fifty to seventy-five gallons of oil per minute, or even greater.

But these device, especially that with the screw mean 3, can also be mounted on shipboard to permit the treatment of contaminated waters of rivers, lakes and the sea.

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

Claims The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 . A removing device for removing floating matter from the surface of water, said removing device including;

a stator that have a vertically stationary shaft and a drive motor , said stator having a discharge channel through which the collected floating matter is discharged; a rotator that is rotatably supported on the stator about a vertically stationary shaft of said stator; a screw mean for conveying floating matter on the surface of the water, said screw mean which is partially immersible in use in a body of water with its major length dimension generally horizontal and extend radially outwardly from said rotator for pulling the floating matter, said screw mean being rotatably supported on the rotator about its longitudinal axis by its screw shaft so that said screw mean together with said rotator revolves around said stator about vertically stationary shaft of said stator while simultaneously rotating about its longitudinal axis; a beveled gear and a beveled pinion meshing with said beveled gear for rotating said screw means about its longitudinal axis while said screw mean together with said rotator revolves around said stator, said beveled gear being mounted on a stationary shaft of said stator, said beveled pinion being mounted on the screw shaft of said screw means; a hopper that is arranged for receiving the conveyed floating matter and is connected to said discharge channel of the stator for providing fluid communication to discharge the collected the floating matter; a conveying mean connected to said discharge channel of the stator and including pumping mean for pumping up the floating matter from said discharge channel of the stator to a storage tank.

2. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein said screw mean has at least three screw means, said each screw means being positioned and spaced at least generally equally about the periphery of said rotator, wherein said each screw means comprise said screw shaft rotatably supported on the rotator and a buoyant float attached to said screw shaft at the outer end face of the screw shaft of said screw means for providing flotation to said stator;

3. The removing device according to claim 2, wherein said buoyant floats is cylindrical for skimming the floating matter, wherein said screw means comprise a screw portion including at least one helical blade on the surface of the screw shafts and said cylinder floats.

4. The removing device according to claim 3, wherein said helical blades on the surface of the screw shafts of the screw mean extends from said weir of the hopper to inner end face of said cylinder floats.

5. The removing device according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of helical blade on the surface of the screw shafts is less than the diameter of said cylinder floats to allow helical blade on the surface of the screw shaft to convey only floating matter among liquids which is conveyed by helical blade on the surface of the cylinder float.

6. The removing device according to claim 3, wherein the pitch of helical blade on the surface of said screw shaft is less than the pitch of helical blade on the surface of said cylinder float for thickening the surface layer of the floating matter.

7. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein a baffle mean is provided for accumulating the floating matter, said baffle mean being partially immersible in use in a body of water and surrounding said weir of the hopper, said baffle mean being fixed on said rotator for rotating together with said rotator, said baffle mean having at least one intake hole along its periphery wall with said its intake hole being penetrated by said screw mean for forcing the floating matter to flow into said baffle mean through said intake hole and having a opening totally immersed in the body of water for forcing a underlying liquid to flow toward the water outside;

8. The removing device according to claim 7, wherein said baffle mean has at least three intake holes, said intake holes being positioned and spaced at least generally equally about the periphery of said baffle mean;

9. The removing device according to claim 7, wherein said baffle means and said hopper are at least generally circular in horizontal configuration and wherein said rotator and said hopper are centrally located within said baffle mean.

10. The removing device according to claim 7, wherein a barrier is provided on the intake hole of said baffle mean, said barrier enclosing the helical blade of said screw mean on its side not facing the oncoming water to dam the surface layer of the floating matter.

11. The removing device according to claim 10, wherein a screw housing is provided on said intake hole of the baffle mean between said intake hole and said barrier, said screw housing being cylindrical and enclosing the helical blade of said screw mean to prevent communication of liquid between the two faces of the helical blade on the surface of said screw shaft.

1 . The removing device according to claim 1 1 , wherein said each screw means includes a blade tube within which the helical blade on the surface of the screw shaft is formed to constitute a substantially integral_. part with it, said blade tube being rotatably supported in said screw housing by any bearing.

13. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein said hopper has a weir over which the conveyed floating matter flow, said hopper being fixed on said stator.

14. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein said hopper has a weir over which the conveyed floating matter flow, said said hopper being fixed on said rotator so that the hopper rotates together with said baffle mean.

15. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein a internal gear and a pinion meshing with said internal gear is provided to rotate said rotator, said internal gear being mounted on the rotator, said pinion being coupled to the drive motor.

16. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein a beveled gear and a beveled pinion meshing with said beveled gear is provided to rotate the rotator, said beveled gear being mounted on the rotator, said beveled pinion being coupled to the drive motor.

17. The removing device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotator is rotatably supported on a vertically stationary shaft of the stator, said drive motor that is mounted on the platform at upper end of the vertically stationary shaft of the stator, said vertically stationary shaft of the stator that is hollow-shaped for interpenetrating power source line.

18. A removing device for removing floating matter from the surface of water, said removing device including;

a stator that have a vertically stationary shaft and a drive unit, said stator having a discharge channel through which the collected floating matter is discharged; a rotator that is rotatably supported on the stator about a vertically stationary shaft of said stator; a screw mean for conveying floating matter on the surface of the water, said screw mean which is partially immersible in use in a body of water with its major length dimension generally horizontal and extend radially outwardly from said rotator for pulling the floating matter, said screw mean being rotatably supported on the rotator about its longitudinal axis by its screw shaft so that said screw mean together with said rotator revolves around said stator about vertically stationary shaft of said stator while simultaneously rotating about its longitudinal axis; a hopper that is arranged for receiving the conveyed floating matter and is connected to said discharge channel of the stator for providing fluid communication to discharge the collected the floating matter; a conveying mean connected to said discharge channel of the stator and including pumping mean for pumping up the floating matter from said discharge channel of the stator to a storage tank.

19. A removing device for removing floating matter from the surface of water, said removing device including;

a stator that have a vertically stationary shaft and a drive unit; a rotator that is rotatably supported on the stator about a vertically stationary shaft of said stator; a screw mean for conveying floating matter on the surface of the water, said screw mean which is partially immersible in use in a body of water with its major length dimension generally horizontal and extend radially outwardly from said rotator for pulling the floating matter, said screw mean being rotatably supported on the rotator about its longitudinal axis by its screw shaft so that said screw mean together with said rotator revolves around said stator about vertically stationary shaft of said stator while simultaneously rotating about its longitudinal axis; a conveying mean including pumping mean for pumping up the floating matter conveyed by the screw mean to a storage tank.