Patent Application
20170268192
This invention relates generally to harvesting floatable material (e.g., in the form of seaweed and algae; or in the form of a floating, chemical/radioactive absorbent material such as wood chips, mesh polypropylene, straw, vermiculite, zeolite, composite titanate nanofibres). Particularly, in one instance, the system of the invention is used for harvesting beached seaweed and detached seaweed floating in the surf and, in another instance, for harvesting spent pollutant absorbent material floating on a body of water or on the beach after having been used to aid the cleanup of a chemical spill on that body of water or beach. In another instance, for harvesting titanate nanofibre material that has been used to absorb radiation, heavy metals, and isotopes from a nuclear disaster. Furthermore, an efficient disposal method of incinerating the chemical spill within the apparatus is disclosed, or, in the instance of seaweed, the organic matter is processed within the apparatus for preservation. And in yet another example, alginates are fermented onboard the water vessel, and the resulting mash distilled into zero carbon footprint ethanol, for direct distribution to local fuel stations.
Eutrophication is the unnatural nutrient enrichment of our oceans, rivers, and lakes, causing a linear increase in algae and seaweed growth. This measurable scientific phenomenon is occurring globally through sewer, aquaculture, and farm run-off pollution, and as a result there is a large accumulation of seaweed on beaches, in particular after storm activity that tears the seaweed from the ocean floor. The amounts are sometimes staggering, leading to mass rotting and often the generation of hydrogen sulphide gas, which has been known to kill both humans and animals, as well as the direct release of methane into the atmosphere through anaerobic decomposition, where methane is commonly known to have 72 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) over 20 years than carbon dioxide. Furthermore, although some of the seaweed provides beneficial decomposing matter as food for insects and worms that feed other species, the amounts of seaweed often far outweighs the benefit of the ecosystem, as it amounts to incredible masses of rotting vegetation similar to a massive landfill. There appears to be a direct correlation between the global jellyfish epidemic and eutrophication. Eutrophication is also for certain leading to the starvation and destruction of coral reef systems that are overwhelmed and suffocated by algae. In fresh water environments, eutrophication is starving fish of oxygen and ultimately destroying their natural habitat by overwhelming the habitat with biomass.
While overgrown or invasive, aquatic plants can be a nuisance as well as a hazard to the environment, those plants at the same time can present commercial opportunity. For example Irish Moss, also known as Chondrus crispus, Mastocarpus stellatus, or Mazaella japonica, is a type of storm-cast seaweed often found on beaches in certain areas. Alginates from Laminaria and Macrocystis also present commercial opportunity. The large amounts of seaweed can be a nuisance when it washes up on shore and begins to decay, causing a stench, releasing methane and hydrogen sulfide gases, and leaving the beach looking filthy. However, some seaweeds are high in carrageenan and alginates, which have significant commercial value in the food and cosmetic industry. It would therefore be beneficial to harvest this seaweed for its commercial value, while at the same time providing an effective removal service for the washed up seaweed on the beach.
Conventional methods of harvesting beached seaweed and other aquatic plants cast on or near shores of bodies of water include use of equipment such as all terrain vehicles and trailers on the shore. However, conventional methods do not address the difficulty of harvesting seaweed from shores where land access is unavailable. Furthermore, in sensitive beach environments, they can disturb the ground, causing the sea grass to die and the beach to erode, as well as promoting the destruction of clams and fish eggs by the use of tracked vehicles to access such beach areas.
Other methods of harvesting beached seaweed include accessing a shore with a large barge or landing craft. However, the waters near many shores have shallow areas where access would not be possible during low tide, as the barge would contact the ground and possibly damage clam beds and other sea life or ecology.
Another situation in which floatable material may need to be removed from the surface of a body of water or the beach is when floatable fibrous material are introduced to the surface of the water or beach, to aid in the clean up of a chemical such as petroleum. Many different apparatus that suction oil are known in the prior art. Currently, oil companies mainly use dispersants, which only cause the oil to break up, but do not remove the pollution, but rather hide it. Also, there is strong evidence that the use of a dispersant can make the oil itself many times more toxic to the environment, even if the dispersant itself is non-toxic. All oil removing machines have a limitation of rate and speed of pick up. Petroleum spills cause more damage to the environment the longer the oil spill is present. A situation in which non-organics may be used near a body of water is to aid in the clean up after a nuclear disaster near/within water, such as the use of titanate nanofibres or zeolite material to absorb radiation and radioactive isotopes.
Therefore, there remains a need for an efficient and environmentally sound system for harvesting seaweed from the shore and intertidal zone of a body of water and a need for a system for collecting floating fibrous material used in absorbing chemicals or radioactive isotopes spilled on a given body of water.
In brief, a floatable material (e.g., seaweed; fibrous material used in oil-spill clean up or a nuclear disaster) harvester is disclosed, including a vacuum source, a transport hose, and a floatable-material receiver. In one embodiment, the transport hose has at least one air inductor/intake along its length, which allows air to enter the transport hose to accelerate its contents, by negative pressure air induction. The air inductor may have a valve controlled by an air flow meter. In another embodiment, a plurality of air inductors is shown. In some embodiments, a plurality of valves is shown. In another embodiment, a transport hose has at least one floatable-material thruster along its length, comprised of at least one nozzle, which provides pressurized fluid (e.g., air or water) in the direction of the flow of the harvested floatable material by positive pressure induction. In some embodiments, a plurality of floatable-material thrusters is shown. In some embodiments, the directed flow of fluid may also produce a strong Venturi effect, which draws product in through the floatable-material input of the thruster. A method is disclosed whereby the floatable-material harvester is used to harvest a chemically absorbent material (e.g., wood chips, straw, perlite, vermiculite, polypropylene mesh, zeolite) that has absorbed chemicals (e.g., oil or solvent) spilled in water. In another example, the apparatus is used to remove chemicals from a beach by use of sorbent material that is picked up by a vehicle configured to pick up floatable material. In some embodiments, the absorbent material may be floatable titanate nanofibres material and radioactive heavy metals/chemicals may be absorbed by this material. Zeolite and in particular some synthetic zeolites, are also suitable for absorbing radioactive material or isotopes. For the purpose of describing this invention, chemicals and radioactive material/isotopes may be referred to simply as pollutants.
Zeolite is any of a large group of minerals consisting of hydrated aluminosilicates of sodium, potassium, calcium, and barium. They can be readily dehydrated and rehydrated, and are used as cation exchangers and molecular sieves.
Disclosed is a floatable-material harvester, including a vacuum source having an input, a transport hose having an input at one end and an output connected to the vacuum source input, and having at least one air inductor/intake, and a floatable-material receiver, connected to the input of the transport hose. Also disclosed is a process, for when the floatable material is specifically seaweed, for treating and preserving the seaweed by washing, sterilizing, refrigerating, and oxygenating the seaweed.
In a related embodiment and improvement to the vacuum system, the at least one air inductor is replaced with at least one floatable-material thruster, which is a device designed to provide pressurized fluid in the direction of the flow of seaweed or other floatable material (whether natural or synthetic) to be collected, through at least one nozzle pointed in the relative direction of flow of the floatable material. The fluid, namely air or water, in some embodiments is provided by a pump connected to a high pressure hose that runs at least partially parallel to the transport hose and connects to the at least one floatable-material thruster. In some embodiments, at least one pump is connected to the at least one floatable-material thruster.
In a related embodiment, the floatable-material harvester further includes a trommel washer connected to the collection area. The trommel washer has a refrigeration unit to lower the temperature of the wash water to lower the temperature of the seaweed for preservation. In another embodiment, refrigeration is provided by circulating refrigerated air through the seaweed as it enters the storage container. In another embodiment, refrigeration is provided inside the storage container. The trommel washer also has an ozonator or other sterilizer such as bromine or chlorine, where ozone both sterilizes and oxygenates the seaweed. An ozonator is preferred because it does not require the storage of chemicals and ozone may be generated by means of passing air over an Ultraviolet-C light or by using a corona discharge apparatus. In another embodiment, the seaweed is passed by a UV-C (i.e., an Ultraviolet-C) light to sterilize the seaweed. In another embodiment, radiation is used to sterilize the seaweed.
In an additional embodiment, at least one air inductor has at least one air control valve regulating the flow of air through the at least one air inductor. An air inductor is an air intake that allows a controlled amount of air to enter the transport hose by negative pressure. In some embodiments, a plurality of air inductors is shown. In still another embodiment, the floatable-material harvester includes a microprocessor coupled to the at least one air control valve and configured to control the at least one air control valve. The at least one air inductor may further include an airflow meter, in another embodiment. A plurality of air inductors may assist material in traveling a greater distance than a single air inductor.
In yet another embodiment, the least one air inductor includes a snorkel to help ensure that air and not water is intaken by placing the level of the air intake a distance above the normal water level, while being high enough of a distance to minimize take on water from waves. Another embodiment of the floatable-material harvester includes an airtight hose section filled with air, through which the transport hose passes, with the airtight hose section interior being connected to the interior of the transport hose by the at least one air inductor.
In another embodiment, the at least one air inductor is replaced with or possibly supplemented by at least one floatable-material thruster connected to a pump. A floatable-material thruster is a device designed to inject high pressure fluid into the transport hose from a fluid input and through at least one nozzle. In some embodiments, the floatable-material thruster operates in the same manner as a conventional air conveyor, comprised of a fluid input that connects to an outer plenum that is pressurized with fluid, connected to a ring of nozzles that injects the fluid into the direction of the flow of the floatable material through the inner passage. Air conveyors also may have a slightly smaller passage diameter than the connecting hose, causing a Venturi effect to occur on the inlet and thrust on the outlet of the floatable-material thruster. In some embodiments, the floatable-material thruster is provided fluid through at least one flow control valve. In other embodiments, the flow control valve is controlled by a microprocessor. In some embodiments, at least one flow meter is connected in series with the at least one flow control valve and controls the at least one flow valve. In some embodiments, at least one pressure sensor provides pressure information from inside the transport hose to a microprocessor, which for the purposes of the present disclosure could, by way of example only, be part of a personal computer or a computer network or may be a stand-alone programmable logic circuit (PLC). In some embodiments, the microprocessor also receives information from the at least one flow meter. In another embodiment, the pressure sensor controls at least one of the flow valve, pressure regulator, and the speed or thrust of the pumps by an analog electrical connection. In another embodiment, the at least one pressure sensor is located on the high pressure hose and/or the high pressure tank. In another embodiment, an air inductor may operate in the opposite flow direction to function as a gas escape mechanism, where it is positioned in such a manner as to relieve gas pressure produced in the transport hose by the floatable-material thruster. A filter screen may be placed over the air output, as to prevent the solid contents of the transport hose from plugging the gas escape mechanism.
In yet other embodiments, the microprocessor uses the information from the at least one pressure sensor and the at least one flow meter to control the at least one flow valve and the speed of the high pressure pump. In another embodiment, the microprocessor also controls the speed of the vacuum source or of a centrifugal or other type of water pump. The water pump and vacuum source each may have its speed and/or power controlled, for example, by the rpm (i.e., revolutions per minute) of an engine, by pulsation, or by otherwise providing continuous flow or bursts of energy by combustion, electrical, or waste steam from an incinerator connected to the apparatus.
According to another embodiment, the floatable-material receiver further includes a hopper having an outlet coupled to the input of the transport hose. In an additional embodiment, the hopper also includes an agitator, which vibrates to assist in the flow of floatable material. In another embodiment of a feeder mechanism, the floatable-material receiver includes a paddle wheel placed within the floatable-material receiver so as to stir its contents into the transport hose. In still another embodiment, the floatable-material receiver includes a nozzle placed within the floatable-material receiver, so as to propel the floatable-material receiver's contents with a water jet into the transport hose. The nozzle is connected to a water pump that receives water from a water source and drives the water into the nozzle to produce the water jet. The water jet may propel the floatable material into a funneling element and into the transport hose, or the water jet may propel the floatable material directly into the transport hose. In some embodiments, a water jet or nozzle is submerged into the floatable material within the beach or surf, propels the material onto a mechanic device that picks up floatable material, such as a conveyor belt. In another embodiment, the nozzle simply propels material in the surf or on the beach into the floatable-material receiver. In another embodiment, the nozzle is fluidly connected to an air compressor and instead provides an air jet.
Another embodiment of the floatable-material harvester includes a flotation device supporting the floatable-material receiver in order to keep the floatable-material receiver approximately near the level of the water in which it is operating. In a related embodiment, the flotation device further includes buoyancy control to allow the floatable-material receiver to be lowered into the water. In another embodiment, the flotation device additionally includes a propulsion system. In another embodiment, the transport hose has at least one flotation device to promote the buoyancy thereof. In yet another embodiment, the flotation device has a rudder. The flotation device further includes an anchoring system, in another embodiment. In a related embodiment, the anchoring system is automated.
A method is also included for harvesting beached and/or near-shore floatable material. The method involves dispersing sorbent material designed or suitable for absorbing petroleum or other chemicals and radiation/radioactive material while repelling water. The method may involve dispersing the material with an apparatus comprised of a storage area, feeder mechanism, floatable material receiver, and a transport hose comprised of at least on floatable material thruster. The method involves providing a floatable-material harvester as described above, activating the vacuum source or high pressure pump, supplying floatable material to the floatable-material receiver, and emptying harvested floatable material from the collection area. In the case of petroleum, the method further includes incinerating at least some of the collected floatable-material within the harvesting apparatus. The method then includes using the waste heat from the incinerator to provide power for the harvest apparatus. That power may be provided by way of steam to turbine and/or impeller. The same method includes using an air inductor along the length of the transport tube and a vacuum source, that both may replace or supplement the floatable-material thruster and high pressure pump.
In some embodiments, the seaweed is farmed either on a bottom substrate or a suspended structure. Further in this document, seaweed is cultivated and converted to high purity ethanol upon the vessel that harvests the seaweed.
In some embodiments, collected seaweed is metered into and through a mesh belt dryer, which is a well known apparatus for drying seaweed. This dryer provides air flow through a layer of seaweed that is several inches deep on a conveyor belt. The seaweed is often stirrated or flipped over as it moves down the conveyor belt to cause even distribution of air and drying. In some embodiments, instead of drying, the mesh belt dryer has an air intake that is fitted with a refrigeration unit, so that cold air is circulated through the seaweed, lowering its temperature to around −2 degrees Celsius as it moves down the conveyor belt. In some embodiments, an apparatus that cools the seaweed by cold air is used instead of the refrigeration unit in the seaweed washer. In some embodiments, a rotary dryer is used in place of a mesh belt dryer or any device suited for circulating cold air around solid material. The exhaust and intake of the mesh belt dryer may be directly connected by a circulation fan, so that the evaporator coils or other cooling mechanism of the refrigeration unit are in the path of the airflow. Cooling the seaweed from ambient temperature has the effect of dramatically lowering its rate of decomposition.
In other embodiments, the collected seaweed is processed through a seaweed washer. In some embodiments, the seaweed washer is comprised of a refrigeration unit to lower the temperature of the wash water, which in turn lowers the temperature of the seaweed. In other embodiments, the wash water is injected with a sterilizing agent such as ozone, bromine, or chlorine. In another embodiment, the seaweed is sterilized by ultraviolet-C (e.g. UV-C) or electromagnetic radiation suitable for killing, e.g., bacteria, nematodes, protozoans, and fungi, thereby suitably sterilizing the seaweed. Sterilizing the seaweed also aids in slowing the rate of decomposition.
Other aspects, embodiments and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The accompanying figures are for schematic purposes and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or substantially similar component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a single numeral or notation at its initial drawing depiction. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention.
The preceding summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the attached drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
Embodiments of the disclosed floatable-material harvester, when used particularly to harvest seaweed or chemically absorbent material, enable workers on a shore of adjacent body of water to clean up seaweed or other floatable material more efficiently, with less environmental impact. The improved transport hose has the effect of accelerating the speed of material as the air speed increases over each air inductor, allowing a significant increase in both travel/conveyance distance, even while possibly using a smaller hose diameter. The improved suction also permits the harvester to collect seaweed or other floatable material more rapidly. Even more mass may be moved and/or an even larger conveyance distance may be achieved in some embodiments which depict at least one floatable-material thruster comprised of at least one nozzle pointed in the general direction of flow of the seaweed or floatable material, where the floatable-material thruster provides pressurized fluid from at least one pump through a high pressure hose. Even more mass may be transported a longer distance with the use of a plurality of floatable-material thrusters and a plurality of flow control valves.
Some embodiments disclosed herein are designed to harvest seaweed, particularly loose seaweed on the surface or shore of any body of water. “Seaweed” for the purposes used in this document includes oceanic seaweed, kelp, and other algal “plants,” as well as any aquatic plant or plant-like organisms in fresh, brackish, or salt water. Embodiments of the disclosed floatable-material harvester may function on the surface or shore of any body of water, including oceans, seas, bays, fjords, lagoons, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, estuaries, marshes, salt marshes, and swamps. The “shore” or “beach” of a body of water is the area of land immediately adjacent to that body of water.
It is noted that, for simplicity sake and ease of description, the floatable-material harvester is being described primarily in the context of harvesting seaweed but, as previously noted, the system can be used in a similar manner to harvest/retrieve other types of floating or beached sorbents, also known as a chemically absorbent material (e.g., wood chips, vermiculite, straw, clay, mesh polypropylene, zeolite, titanate nanofibres), such as those employed to aid clean up of a chemical or pollutant spill (e.g. absorbent material capable of floating in water) and providing that such material could be harvested either while floating or once beached on a shore. It is to be understood that, for the purposes of cleaning up non-organic beach/floating sorbents (e.g., clay, perlite, titanate nanofibres), the system described herein for use with floating organics can also be used to clean up of such non-organic beached/floating sorbents, given that the principles of operation are basically the same for such materials. Also, natural and synthetic zeolite minerals have a unique ability to absorb radiation and harmful substances from the environment. They are used even in food supplements for people employed in industries where there is a risk of exposure. Products such as zeolite which may not be easily pierced and picked up by a tine may be blended with a Styrofoam, fabric, or other material that is easily picked up by a tine or hook. In some embodiments, the absorbent material may be configured into loops. In some embodiments, zeolite or nanofibres may be embedded in natural material such as cotton. In some embodiments, zeolite or nanofibres may be embedded in a synthetic material such as but not limited to polypropylene mesh. In some embodiments, the sorbent may be comprised of magnetic material, so that it may be easier for a mechanical device to pick up.
A beach cleaner is a vehicle or pull-behind unit that operates on the beach and is designed to remove seaweed and refuse while leaving sand, either from the beach or near-shore waters. Beach cleaners may be comprised of a mechanical pick up device, or pick up material that can be pierced or grabbed by the tines. Beach cleaners come in many different forms and have been in active use for decades. The beach cleaner's largest limitation is that it has a collection area which becomes full, which requires the beach cleaner to travel to a separate vehicle to transfer the load, or a vehicle needs to meet the beach cleaner. This is fuel inefficient and an inefficient process in general. Beach cleaners may also only use one pick up mechanism, which makes the rate of pick up too slow for a mass removal from a single apparatus. Beach cleaners also have no means of elevating themselves over large obstructions. Also, once the load is transferred to truck, it is well known and published that barging can be roughly 6.2 times more fuel efficient than trucking a material an equal weight and distance. In some embodiments, the beach cleaner may be replaced with an amphibious vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle may be a hovercraft. In some embodiments, a vehicle that floats may be configured to pick up floatable material from the beach or within a body of water.
In some embodiments, an elongated pick up 19 depicted in
In one of the embodiments and in relation to
For simplicity of naming conventions, hoses that transport floatable material are often referred to herein as “suction hoses” and vise-versa, given that a vacuum source is often employed to move material toward the collection area 12 in
Returning to
In some embodiments, the pick up 19 is a rotating conveyor belts that are mechanical pick up device 120 containing a large amount of tines or hooks that combs through the sand and removes surface and buried debris while leaving the sand on the beach. In some embodiments, the conveyor belts that are mechanical pick up device 120 transfer their load to a transverse conveyor 8 (see
In some embodiments, an upward facing nozzle 58 fluidly connected to a pump is extended into the material to be harvested. Further, the upward facing nozzle 58 may provide pressurized fluid in the direction of flow onto the mechanical pick up device 120 to assist in picking up that floatable material. In some embodiments, the nozzle 58 may replace or assist the mechanical pick up device 120. In some embodiments, the nozzle 58 may be raised or lowered into the floatable material by, for example, a swivel or elevator.
In some embodiments the mechanical pick up device 120 may have a magnetic surface, and the floatable material may be magnetic, so the floatable material is picked up. In another embodiment, the apparatus of
In a related embodiment, a wave sensor 500 may provide information to microprocessor 11. A wave sensor 500 may be a float switch. A wave sensor 500 may be a mercury tilt switch. In some embodiments, a wave sensor 500 may be a radar or sonar system configured in such a manner as to provide distance information from the water to microprocessor 11. A wave sensor 500 may also be an acoustic sensor. A wave sensor 500 may also be comprised of accelerometers. A wave sensor 500 may be a gyroscope.
Information from the wave sensor 500 may be used for a variety of purposes. For one, the feedback may be used to control flow valves (not specifically shown in
In some embodiments, the apparatus shown in
In some embodiments, the reverse and forward propulsion of the floatable-material receiver and the apparatus of
In some embodiments, the mechanical pick up device 120 and/or the conveyors 8 are equipped with covers, so that floatable material does not float away if submerged in water. In the same or similar embodiment, a water pump can be used exclusively without a thruster apparatus, where a water pump moves floatable material from the bottom of a body of water to the surface and through the water pump.
In the same or similar embodiment, the output of the transport hose may be projected against a screen which allows water to pass through, while collecting the floatable material within the screen. In some embodiments, the screen is sloped so that the bottom of the screen is farther away from the transport hose output than the top of the screen. This may cause floatable material to be forced downward onto a transverse conveyor. The motion of the transverse conveyor may provide continuous removal of floatable material from the water stream.
In some embodiments, projecting the water stream in an upwards direction may be used to dissipate energy. In some embodiments, conveyors 8 may particularly be tined conveyors, synchronized such that the respective tines thereof would not to collide with the tines of the mechanical pick up device 120. In some embodiments, the mechanical pick up device 120 may have at least one swivel joint, so that the device may bend like a finger as it picks up floatable material.
In some embodiments, the conveyor system of
In another embodiment, cylinders with tines are used to pick up material from the beach or surf, as commonly employed in a beach cleaner vehicle or pull behind. As depicted, floatable material flows from the mechanical pick up device 120 and is transferred to two transverse conveyor belts 8. In some embodiments, the conveyor belts 8 are replaced with screw augers, which may also be known and/or referred to in this document as screw conveyors 52. Both conveyors move in an inward direction towards a central screw conveyor 52 that is configured to receive material from the two conveyor belts 8. In some embodiments, the central screw auger 52 may be replaced by a conveyor belt 8. The screw auger 52, which for the scope of this document may be referred to as a conveyor or conveying device, moves floatable material directly into the floatable-material receiver, which in some embodiments is equipped with a funneling element 45. The floatable material may then be fed directly into the transport hose 60. In other embodiments, such as depicted in
In some embodiments, the entire conveyor apparatus of
In some embodiments, each mechanical pick up device 120 may be connected with a powered swivel 135 connected to the apparatus, in such a manner that each mechanical pick up device may each individually be adjustable in height/vertical position by means of a controller (e.g., on-board PLC, wireless remote, etc.). Such a mechanism assists in passing over beach or surf that is uneven in height or where obstructions such as rocks are present. In one embodiment, one conveyor is positioned perpendicular or at least generally transverse to all of the mechanical pick up device, and the end of the conveyor belt is curved so that the material flows directly to the floatable-material receiver. In some embodiments, one conveyor is curved in a semi-circle to receive floatable material from a multitude of mechanical pick up device. In the same embodiment, each mechanical pick up device is positioned in a transverse curve to the at least one receiving conveyor, which then conveys its load into the floatable material receiver. In some embodiments, the height of the mechanical pick-up device 120 is moved by a gear motor connected to a given swivel 135.
In another embodiment, a hydraulic device is used to raise and lower the mechanical pick-up device 120. In another embodiment (not illustrated), the mechanical pick-up device 120 is raised and lowered by cables connected to a winch, pivoting on the swivel 135 earlier described. In some embodiments, the mechanical pick-up devices are connected to elevators (not shown) that raise and lower the devices. In another embodiment, a conveyor belt that picks up floatable-material may be retractable and extendable in overall length. This may be accomplished by, e.g., sliding joints between the rows of tines. In the same embodiment, the slider joints may, for example, be controlled by hydraulic pressure. In some embodiments, the slider joints may by extended and compressed by springs.
The mechanical pick-up devise may also incorporate a plurality of pressure sensors, which may control the retraction or expansion of the mechanical picks up device 120, directly or through the decision of a microprocessor. It should be noted that material that does not float may still be picked up by this invention, including but not limited to rocks and sand. However, the intention of this invention is to efficiently pick up relatively light material, and ideally but not necessarily material that can be pierced or grabbed by tines or hooks.
A series of retractable wheels 132 or treads may be positioned on the floatable-material receiver or the conveyors 8 depicted in
Continuing with
In some embodiments, one or more cameras connected to a microprocessor 11 may be used to provide information so the microprocessor 11 may lift the mechanical pick-up device 120 over obstructions by an interpretation from the microprocessor 11 of the image provided by the cameras. In some embodiments, the camera system may use infrared such as a forward-looking infrared system (FLIR). The infrared system may further be configured to detect infrared signatures of pollutants and absorbent material, instead of or in addition to sensing the presence of obstacles such as rocks. In some embodiments, a Geiger counter or a device configured to receive and interpret particle radiation may be implemented. The object-detection system 122 may use passive energy such as daylight/radiation or may emit, e.g., active radar, sonar, or laser, with such emission of energy 121 reflecting back off of a given solid obstruction 123.
All of these devices are non-limiting examples of an electronic device that receives and interprets energy from an object. In some embodiments, the object-detection system 122 is mounted on a horizontal pole positioned between mechanical pick-up device 120, so that the object-detection system 122 is positioned slightly ahead of the mechanical pick-up device 120, as this may ensure a more accurate reflection without interference. An electronic device that receives and interprets energy from an object may have a transmitter as well as a receiver to transmit a signal, for example, in the form of sonar, radar, or laser, and also receive such a signal. This object-detection system 122 could, of course, be designed to emit/receive more than one such signal type.
The object-detection system 122 may control the height of at least one nozzle 58 that is positioned in the flow of the floatable material, as depicted in
In some embodiments, a rope culture system may be suspended in the ocean to allow seaweed to be cultivated in deep water. In some embodiments, the rope may be replaced or supplemented with a solid structure. The conveyor apparatus and transport hose 60 may need to be suspended above the rope or structure, so that the tines do not become tangled. The object-detection system 122 may, in some instances, have difficulty seeing/sensing the rope or structure, and therefore a material that allows better sight may be imbedded in the rope or structure. Such material may be comprised of upward-pointing, right-angled elements, to provide better reflection of sonar and radar. Other energy reflecting shapes may be used as well. Such material may be metal, ceramic, or any material known to be reflective of energy. Alternatively, light reflective material on the rope system or structure may be used with a lighting and camera system. Alternatively again, radioactive isotopes may be imbedded in the rope or structure. In some embodiments, transponders or energy emitting electronic devices may be attached to the rope. In some embodiments, a laser device may send and receive energy reflected from tiny mirrors imbedded in the rope or structure.
In some embodiments, a plurality of object-detection systems 122 are positioned along the transport hose 60. These devices may communicate information to the microprocessor 11, which may control propulsion thrusters along the transport hose. These thrusters are described within this document in several embodiments from fluid released from the transport hose 60, high pressure hose 28, or conventional bow thrusters which may operate electrically. As well, the microprocessor 11 may control valves that are fluidly connected to a pump. Nozzles pointed upwards, downwards, forward, reverse, and at angles may provide propulsion in a desired direction to steady and/or propel the mechanical pick-up device 120 and/or the conveyor apparatus. The microprocessor 11 may make these decisions, e.g., based on information received from one or more object-detection systems 122.
An AUV is an acronym for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and is well known in the art. AUV's are generally powered by an electric power plant, but may use other forms of energy as propulsion including diesel, gas, nuclear, or solar. In some embodiments, the AUV is comprised of cutting blades. In the same embodiment, the AUV may operate near the bottom of the body of water, severing macro algae growing on the bottom. This may cause the algae to float to the surface of the body of water, where the algae may be harvested by the floatable-material harvester. For efficiency of the operation, several AUV's may be deployed simultaneously. In some embodiments, the underwater vehicle may have an operator. In some embodiments, the AUV is instead controlled remotely. In some embodiments, an AUV may be configured to deploy seaweed spores/seedlings/cuttings along a rope, structure, or bottom of a body of water.
Returning to
High pressure water pump 29 draws water from the ocean or body of water and pressurizes high pressure water tank 30, then the water flows into high pressure hose 28 through spool 57. The high pressure hose may be pressurized to several thousand psi, as to provide a long hydraulic parallel to the transport hose 60, which may be an efficient means of transferring energy into a system. In some embodiments, the speed of the high pressure pump 29 may be controlled by pulsation or a wave of energy. In other embodiments, the high pressure pump 29 may be controlled by bursts of energy. The energy may be electrical, combustion, mechanical, chemical, or the expansion of a fluid such as steam into a turbine. In a variation of the fluid compression system, high pressure water pump 29 is replaced or supplemented by air compressor and motor, and the high pressure water tank 30 is replaced or supplemented by high pressure air tank.
Returning to
The implementation of a series of floatable-material thrusters 62 along the length of the transport hose 60 has a distinct advantages of transporting floatable material a greater overall distance and more efficiently than a single floatable-material thruster, with less wear on the transport hose 60, extending time between hose replacement. Wear may be especially excessive on the hose near the output of the floatable-material thruster 62. The release of high pressure fluid into a lower pressure environment may cause expansion and acceleration of the overall volume of the fluid or the space that it occupies, which in turn may cause acceleration of the material travelling through the hose and potential damage to that material.
The velocity of the material and wear of components due to frictional contact with that same material have a relationship that is often nearly exponential. That is, an increase in velocity has an often near exponential increase in wear due to friction and loss of energy as heat. Furthermore, hydraulics can offer an enormous transfer of energy that has the potential to cut through hose if that localized release of energy is too great, as well as damaging the product being transported thereby. Therefore, it is advantageous and more energy efficient to spread the overall release of energy over the entire distance of the transport hose 60, by using as many floatable-material thrusters 62 connected in series as possible and regulating the flow of fluid into each floatable-material thruster 62. Often the fluid is provided from a high pressure hose 28 that is deployed parallel to the transport hose 60. In some embodiments, the high pressure hose 28 may be flexible in composition and may float. It may be advantageous to use flexible hose to transport fluid through high pressure hose 28 to the floatable-material thruster 62, and as well the use of flexible hose for both the suction hose and the transport hose 60. In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 may be a rigid tube. In some embodiments, the high pressure hose 28 may be a rigid tube.
In one embodiment of the apparatus, the flexible hose is wound around the outer perimeter of the apparatus, so that the apparatus becomes, in essence, one very large spool. This allows for a gradual pending of the flexible hose, where the hose may be of a composition that makes it difficult to bend on a smaller conventional spool. Winding the hose on the outer perimeter also allows the vessel or apparatus to carry a relatively long length of hose and to deploy the apparatus rapidly without assembly.
Based on the pressure information from the pressure sensor 44, entrained air may be released out of the system through the mechanism of
Undercarriage 100 suspends the hoses between each amphibious vehicle 5 and the beach cleaner 7. The undercarriage 100 may be comprised of many horizontally positioned solid plates overlapping one another, so that the undercarriage 100 is horizontally flexible. They may be referred to as horizontally flexible joints 152. As seaweed reaches the vessel through transport hose 60, the seaweed is deposited into the collection area 2 through the large cavities of centrifugal pump 72. The seaweed then flows perpendicular down draining conveyor belt 17, so that extra water in the system is removed efficiently. Most of the water passes through small holes in the back of the collection area 12, and the water is directed to pass through a directional propulsion thruster 101. Directing the water in such a fashion provides thrust for the vessel in any direction the operator chooses, while dissipating the immense energy of the vacuum system. In some embodiments, the collection area may be a large net that collects material and allows water to project into the air.
At a reasonable distance down the hose (e.g., nearing the end thereof), most or all of the entrained gas is evacuated through the series gun silencer system shown in
Sorbents or absorbent material are insoluble materials or mixtures of materials used for the recovery of a fluid. In broadest terms, the sorbent or absorbent material needs to have an attraction for the fluid that is being used to recover and should have the ability to float on or near the surface of the body of water upon which it is employed. To be particularly useful in combatting petroleum and solvent spills, sorbents should, to at least some degree, be both oleophilic (oil attracting) and hydrophobic (water repelling). Suitable materials can be divided into three basic categories: natural organic, natural inorganic, and synthetic. Natural organics include peat moss, straw, hay, sawdust, and feathers. Natural inorganics include clay, perlite, vermiculite, glass wool, zeolite, and sand. Synthetics include plastics such as polyurethane, polyethylene, and polypropylene. For the purpose of this invention, the terms sorbent and absorbent material are used interchangeably.
Clay, perlite, zeolite, and vermiculite are also used to absorb radioactive material and heavy metals. They have the disadvantage of sometimes releasing the absorbed radioactive material if they are exposed to water. Nanofibres on the other hand have the benefit of permanently absorbing radiation and radioactive material such as heavy metals (e.g. cesium and cadmium), which may make their use in and near water ideal. In some embodiments, the nanofibres may be made from sodium titanate. In other embodiments, other titanate salts may be used. Radioactive iodine is also effectively absorbed by nanofibres. For the purpose of the invention, nanofibres may be mixed with and/or comprised of floatable material, pelletized, cubed, shredded, comprise of loops, or provided in such a manner that the nanofibre is easy to collect by the apparatus, where the absorbent material is composed or configured in such a manner that a tine can pick up the material easily.
In reference to
As seaweed is a sensitive and live organic that needs to be preserved, seaweed requires a chemical and physical treatment to ensure its preservation, often so that the seaweed has time to reach a drying facility. However, the pick up of waste solvents presents another process distinct from the processing of seaweed or radioactive material, where there is a desire, if at all possible, to simply combust the product to ensure its immediate disposal and to reduce or possibly eliminate the amount that might otherwise need to be land-filled or stored. Furthermore, some of the collected pollutant (e.g. petroleum, crude oil) may be recycled by pressing the absorbent material, centrifuging the material, or otherwise mechanically separating the pollutant from the absorbent material. The apparatus can serve as an ideal location to process the waste absorbent material since nominally little or no additional time or effort is used to dispose of the contamination. Further, the waste energy generated by combusting the waste material instead could be used directly to power the vessel or apparatus or otherwise stored or delivered to a local energy grid (depending, in part, on the amount of energy generated). Also it presents the safety of having contained the spreading of a fire, which is a concern when performing the combustion task within a body of water.
In the method, the absorbent material is ideally, although not necessarily, combustible as well, so materials such as wood chips or straw becomes more suitable for absorbing petroleum. The wet organic solvent and absorbent material is metered under the rate of feed decided by the central microprocessor 11 into an incinerator of sufficient size as to incinerate at a rate that is consistent with the rate of feed. This may in fact be a very large incinerator. The incinerator may have all of the emission controls that are relevant and known to the prior art, including but not limited to catalytic conversion, air intakes, sensors to monitor plume gas concentrations, and temperature control. In some embodiments, the collected floatable material is metered into the incinerator by an operator. In some embodiments, the collected organic material is metered into the incinerator by a variable speed controller and a conveyor.
The incinerator produces a great deal of waste heat, which also produces steam from the wet organic material. Water from the body of water may be added to the exhaust of the incinerator to create more steam, or a heat exchanger may be used in some embodiments. The steam can be used to power a turbine or any similar device that converts steam into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy can used to power the apparatus through direct drive of the hydraulic or vacuum pumps and/or to turn generators for electrical power, electrical power which could be used onsite or delivered to a power grid. Organic material for the purpose of this document may include material which is inorganic or synthetic that has absorbed organic material, since the chemical it absorbs is sometimes organic in nature.
During the vacuuming process, there may be times oil may separate back into the body of water. It is, of course, desirable to separate the oil and water and to not allow petroleum or solvent to return to the body of water from which it was drawn. This may be done by passing the fluid draining as part of the vacuum process through more wood chips or other sorbent material. If need be, the oil may be separated by allowing it to float on the surface of the water and skimming the oil from the water. All that said, the present process is designed to limit the amount of oil or other solvents that might return to the water, given the capabilities of the sorbents being employed. Such additional processing steps are provided simply to increase the percentage of oil/solvent that is to be captured. The use of nanofibres in the cleanup of radioactive material has the benefit of retaining the material and radiation, so that the radioactive material/isotopes has the benefit of not separating back into water. Zeolite is also a useful material for absorbing and purifying both salt and fresh water from radiation and other chemicals.
The cavitation detector 400 may transmit such information to microprocessor 11, so that the flow of water through the floatable-material thruster may be reduced by controlling flow valve 69 or the speed/thrust of the high pressure pump 29. A cavitation detector 400 may be positioned anywhere along the transport hose 60. A cavitation detector 400 may be passive or active. A cavitation detector may signal an indicator light, so that an operator may vary the speed or thrust of the pump, or adjust the flow of a valve to lessen or correct the cavitation. A cavitation detector 400 may be a hydrophone (or another device capable of receiving acoustics) configured to receive the harmonics of a cavitation, which identifies cavitation events by sensing acoustic emissions generated by the collapse of bubbles. A cavitation detector may be an electronic camera that visually detects a cavitation from a nozzle 58. A pressure sensor or a high speed pressure transducer may also be used to detect a cavitation. An accelerometer may be used to detect a cavitation. Vibration monitoring may detect a cavitation. Using electrodes as known in the prior art may detect a cavitation. The pressure sensor 44 may also be configured to detect a cavitation.
The seaweed flows through the center of floatable-material thrusters 62 or conventional air conveyors, where additional forward moving energy is released into the system by expansion of high pressure fluid. That additional forward moving energy pushes the material in the direction of flow at a higher velocity and minimizes the resistance on vacuum unit 66, where the effect may allow vacuum unit 66 to run at higher velocity. This high velocity is achieved through, e.g., a higher gear ratio from motor-to-fan and/or a larger fan size-to-motor size ratio. Microprocessor control 11 (not shown in this context) receives flow and pressure information from ultrasonic/radio 2-way transmitter 65, calculates ideal conditions from a set table, and relays commands back to flow valves 69, vacuum unit 66, high pressure water pump 29, and the belt conveyor 8, and buoyancy control through bilge pumps 9 located on the floating conveyor belt apparatus of
When seaweed and water fills the collection area 12 of vacuum unit 66, the vacuum unit shuts off, and the collection area 12 is opened. The floatable material is dumped into dump box 18, which is equipped with adequate draining, where seaweed is then metered into trommel washer 64 by a conveyor belt 8. The trommel washer 64 is equipped with a refrigeration unit 48 and sterilizer injector 79, as depicted in
Transport hose spool 56 was bypassed after deployment of the hose, so that transport hose 60 could guide the floatable material directly into the collection area 12 as straight as possible. Such a substantially straight alignment limits the centripetal force and resistance that would have occurred by having such a large mass coil around at a high speed inside the spool, which may cause energy loss and add resistance to the system. Also, the propulsion thrusters 63 of
An anemometer is a device used for measuring wind speed and is a common weather station instrument. An anemometer may also be coupled with a wind vane, and such a combination is often referred to as an aerovane. An aerovane may operate within a body of water with proper seals and protection from leakage. Anemometers may operate on the measurement of pressure and/or velocity of the surrounding air, and such detection apparatuses may employ wind-catching cups mounted about a pivot (likely most common anemometer), a windmill or propeller that may generate a pulse rate, a hot-wire system (relying on rate of heat transfer to determine wind speed), sonar (using two ultrasonic transducers to measure time of flight to determine air velocity), Doppler Laser (Using a transmitter and receiver to detect a Doppler shift based on air velocity), ping-pong ball tied to a string to measure velocity by lift, a flat plate that is moved by air velocity, and/or pressure-tube (using wind-generated pressure to determine air speed) arrangement. In some embodiments, an aerovane may operate on the apparatus to determine wind speed and direction.
For this invention, an anemometer analog with a vane configured to operate in water may be referred to as a hydrovane, given that such a device is structured and arranged to measure water speed and direction. This instrument named a hydrovane should not be confused with a hydrovane compressor, as it is rather the water measuring equivalent of an aerovane. In some embodiments, a hydrovane 401 may be encased in a filter shaped as a globe, so as to allow laminar water flow and minimize interference by solids in the water, by preventing the solids from contacting the hydrovane 401. In some embodiments, a hydrovane may also be configured to measure vertical angle of water flow, as well as horizontal direction of flow.
In some embodiments, hydrovanes 401 may be attached to a given transport hose 60, as depicted in
In some embodiments, a hydrovane 401 may be positioned in a vertical position to provide vertical water currents in addition to horizontal. The hydrovane 401 may be coupled directly to the flow valves 3, flow meters 23, and the motorized swivel 35, which are all depicted in
In some embodiments, the fluid escape mechanism (gas or water) of
In related embodiments, the snorkel 54 and reversible bilge pumps 9 may be fluidly connected to the transport hose 60, so that the transport hose may be evacuated of water. The bilge pumps 9 may be fluidly connected to the bottom of the transport hose 60, so that they may pump out water from the transport hose while the snorkel provides a flow of air. Coupled to microprocessor 11, the transport hose may have buoyancy control, which can be controlled by the microprocessor. The floatation devices 43 of
Handles 25 are located in all four corners of the detachable plate allow ease of movement by personnel. The watercraft is stabilized by two pontoons 43, where the reversible propulsion system 49 is located in the center of the craft, between and parallel to the two pontoons 43. Steering of the vessel is performed with a rudder system 50. Mesh filters 33 may be placed over the intake and exhaust of the propulsion systems to keep windrow and loose seaweed and floatable material out of the propulsion system. Outside of the perimeter of the funnel is a snorkel 54, which connects by tubing to bilge pumps 9 which have the ability to pump air or water in either direction of flow into the air cavities of pontoons 43, thereby raising or lowering the apparatus in the surf. Additional bilge pumps 9 are connected to the bottom outside of the craft and to the inside of the pontoons, so that water or air can be pumped in either direction. An automatic anchoring system 6 may also be deployed to help stabilize the floating funnel in the surf. In some embodiments, bilge pumps 9, anchoring system 6, rudders 50, propulsion system 49, and agitator 108 are controlled by microprocessor control 11.
In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 is an air-impeller evacuated device, such as that commonly available under the tradename “Hydrovac”. In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 includes a vacuum chamber evacuated by an air impeller (not shown). In some embodiments, the vacuum source is a large fan connected to a motor. In some embodiments, the vacuum source is a large fan connected to a turbine powered by steam. In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 is a vacuum excavator system, which combines a Hydrovac vacuum device a high-pressure water pump connected to a high pressure hose and a wand that allows a worker to loosen substrates with the jet so that the Hydrovac vacuum can consume the resulting slurry. In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 draws the contents of the transport hose into a collection area 12. The vacuum source 66 may be mounted on a transporter. The transporter may include a watercraft. In some embodiments, the watercraft is a boat. In other embodiments, the watercraft is a barge. In still other embodiments, the watercraft is a raft. The watercraft may be a flotation device. The transporter may include a terrestrial vehicle. In some embodiments, the transporter is a motorized wheeled vehicle. In other embodiments the transporter is a trailer. In other embodiments, the transporter is a sledge. The vacuum source 66 may be mounted on skids to permit it to be pulled over sand and debris. The vacuum source 66 may have an on/off switch. The vacuum source 66 may have controls that vary its power. An operator may operate the controls. An “operator,” as used in this document, is a person operating the floatable-material harvester of
In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 includes a canister, defined as a chamber in which the vacuum source collects the seaweed and other floatable materials it receives via the transport hose 60. The canister may be the collection area 12. In some embodiments, the vacuum source may be connected to at least one storage container. The at least one storage container may be refrigerated. The at least one storage container may be detachable from the vacuum source 66 for transport. The vacuum source 66 may have a dump box into which the canister may rapidly be emptied, for instance, by opening a connecting door between the canister and the dump box so that the force of gravity causes the contents of the canister to fall into the dump box. In some embodiments, the vacuum source 66 includes at least one conveyor to move seaweed and other floatable materials from one container to another. The least one conveyor may be a conveyor belt. The least one conveyor may be a conveyor screw. The conveyor may be least one controlled by an operator. The conveyor may be controlled by a microprocessor configured to control the conveyor. In some embodiments, the conveyor is a drainage conveyor; for instance, it may be a conveyor belt made of mesh, which allows water to run out of the materials it is transporting.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the water passes through a heat exchanger 26 prior to being sprayed on the seaweed by the spray nozzle 58 and then again passes through the same heat exchanger as the water exits. In some embodiments, the water that drains from the washer drum is ejected from the trommel washer 64 via a water outlet 80. In some embodiments, the water passes through the heat exchanger 26 prior to being ejected through the water outlet 80. The trommel washer 64 may have controls by means of which its operation may be regulated. An operator may operate the controls. The controls may be operated remotely or locally. A microprocessor configured to operate the controls, as set forth more fully below, may operate the controls.
The suction tube or, more broadly, transport hose 60 of any of the embodiments may be made from any combination of materials that permit the tube to be sufficiently airtight to maintain the pressure differentials with the outside atmosphere that is necessary for suction or pressure thrusting. The transport hose 60 should also be sufficiently watertight to transport wet materials and be capable of withstanding the suction force without collapsing or the thrust pressure force without exploding or rupturing. In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 may be reinforced with a metal mesh to withstand high pressure. In some embodiments, the transport hose/suction tube 60 is a flexible hose or other conduit. For the purposes used herein, an object is “composed at least in part” of a substance if any non-zero proportion of the object is composed of that substance. Of course, an object is “composed at least in part” of a substance if the object is composed entirely of that substance.
In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of a polymer material. In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of polyvinyl chloride. In other embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of polyurethane. In additional embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of a fluoropolymer also known as Teflon. In additional embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of polyethylene. In still other embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of nylon. The transport hose 60 may be composed at least in part of a natural rubber. In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of a synthetic rubber. The transport hose 60 may be composed at least in part of a textile material. The transport hose 60 is composed at least in part of metal. The transport hose 60 may be composed at least in part of a rigid plastic.
In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 is composed of a combination of the above materials. For instance, the transport hose 60 may be composed of a flexible substance reinforced with cross-sectional hoops of a rigid substance. The transport hose 60 may be composed of a polymer substance reinforced with textile material. The transport hose 60 may be composed of cylindrical sections of rigid material such as metal concatenated with cylindrical sections of flexible material, such as flexible polyvinyl chloride. The rigid cylindrical sections may form watertight joints for connecting together two sections of flexible hose. In some embodiments, each hose section connects to the watertight joints via a threaded connection, requiring the hose section to be screwed together with the watertight joint. Some embodiments of the transport hose 60 are composed of a flexible material corrugated to form cross-sectional circular ribs for greater strength. In some embodiments, the inner diameter of transport hose 60 may be between 4 and 17 inches. In some embodiments, the transport hose may be at least 500 feet long. Where the transport hose 60 is a flexible hose, it may be stored on a spool; for instance, it may be wound on a spool attached to the vacuum source 66.
In some embodiments, the transport hose 60 has at least one flotation device 105. In some embodiments the flotation device 105 is a buoy. The buoy may be composed of any combination of materials known in the art to be suitable for manufacturing buoys. The buoy 105 may be composed at least in part of foam. The buoy 105 may be composed least in part of natural polymer foam, such as latex foam. The buoy 105 may be composed least in part of synthetic polymer foam such as polyethylene foam. The foam may be closed-celled. The foam may be open-celled. Open-celled foam may be combined with a waterproof skin to prevent incursion of water and resultant loss of buoyancy.
The high pressure hose 28 may share similar characteristics to the transport hose 60. High pressure hose 28 may have much higher pressure ratings than transport hose 60 and may be comprised of thicker material. High pressure hose 28 may be flexible or rigid in composition. High pressure hose 28 may be reinforced with a mesh designed to withstand very high pressures. High pressure hose 28 may float from its composition or may require an additional floatation device.
In some embodiments, the flotation device 105 is a cylindrical ‘O’ type buoy that is designed to be attached to the transport hose 60, comprised of two C halves connected by hinges. On the opposite end of the hinges there may be locking clamp to secure the buoy 105 to the transport hose 60. The inside diameter of the locked ‘O’ type buoy may be equivalent to the outside diameter of the transport hose 60, so that the buoy firmly grips the transport hose 60.
In some embodiments, the flotation device 43 is a part of the air inductor, as set forth below in reference to
As illustrated by
In some embodiments, the at least one air inductor also includes at least one air control valve 3, regulating the flow of air through the at least one inductor. The air control valve 3 may be located at the opening 106. In embodiments in which the air inductor includes an air cavity 1, the air control valve 3 may regulate the entry of the air into the air cavity 1. In one embodiment, the air control valve 3 is a check valve. For instance, the air control valve 3 could be a check valve with a bias that causes it to close if the pressure within the transport hose 60 interior relative to the source of the air outside the opening 106 falls below a certain threshold. In some embodiments, the air control valve 3 is a ball valve. In some embodiments, the air control valve 3 is a pressure regulator valve. In other embodiments, the air control valve 3 is a globe valve. In still other embodiments, the air control valve 3 is a gate valve. The air control valve 3 may be a butterfly valve. The air control valve 3 may be actuated mechanically. The air control valve 3 may be actuated hydraulically. The air control valve 3 may be actuated pneumatically. The air control valve 3 may be actuated by means of an electrical motor. In some embodiments, any of the air inductors described within this document may function in reverse direction as a gas escape mechanism that may be for a floatable-material thruster, such as is depicted in
Some embodiments include a microprocessor 11 coupled to the at least one air control valve or water control valve and configured to control the at least one air control valve 3 or water control valve 69. The microprocessor 11 may control the air control valve 3 or water control valve 69 via any actuator controls listed herein or by any conventional means. The microprocessor 11 may be coupled to the air control valve 3 or water control valve 69 with actuator control by a wired connection. The microprocessor 11 may be coupled to the air control valve 3 actuator via a wireless connection 65. The microprocessor 11 may be any processor known in the art. The microprocessor 11 may be a special purpose or a general-purpose processor device. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art, the microprocessor 11 may also be a single processor in a multi-core/multiprocessor system, such system operating alone, or in a cluster of computing devices operating in a cluster. The air flow valve 3 and water flow valve 69 may be controlled by an analog circuit coupled to the flow meter
In some embodiments, the at least one air inductor also includes an airflow meter 23. The airflow meter 23 may measure the rate of flow of the air through the air inductor. In some embodiments, the air flow meter is an anemometer. An anemometer may obtain an air flow reading through Doppler laser, sonic, windmill, cup, hot hire, acoustic resonance, ping-pong ball, pressure, plate, tube, and air density. The airflow meter 3 in some embodiments controls the airflow through the air control valve 3 by means of the air control valve 3 actuator, responsive to that measurement. In some embodiments, the airflow meter 23 is coupled to the microprocessor 11. In some embodiments, the microprocessor 11 controls the air control valve 3 in response to a measurement of airflow received from the airflow meter 23. In some embodiments, the air inductor includes an anchor 6. In some embodiments, the anchoring system is automated. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment using a floatable-material thruster, the airflow meter 23 is replaced or supplemented by a flow meter designed to measure the flow of pressurized fluid such as air or water. The flow of water may be measured by turbine, displacement, velocity, compound, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, and impeller.
In some embodiments, the at least one air inductor includes a snorkel 54. The air inductor in some embodiments receives air through the snorkel 54. The snorkel may be of sufficient height to prevent or at least minimize entry of water from waves. The air may enter the air inductor via the snorkel by passive induction/negative pressure. In some embodiments, watertight connectors 4 allow the snorkel apparatus to be detached when not in use, so that the transport hose 60 rolls up easily onto a spool 56. In some embodiments, the at least one air inductor includes two snorkels 54. In some embodiments, the air inductor includes a counterweight 13, such as in
As shown in
The swivel may allow the vehicle or watercraft carrying the floatable-material receiver to turn while it is collecting floatable material, which may have the advantage of a more maneuverable and efficient apparatus on both the beach and operating in the water. The swivel may allow a watercraft containing the mechanical picks-up device 120 to turn into the surf to collect floatable material, navigate up to or near the beach, and then turn to collect floatable material in an optimal direction. In some embodiments, the double jack apparatus depicted in
In this embodiment, top conveyor belt 130 is positioned above the swivel joint 61. As top conveyor belt 130 moves its load forward, the force of gravity causes the floatable material to drop to the lower conveyor belt 131. The swivel 61 ensures that whatever direction a conveyor belt 130 is facing, it is able to transfer its load to the lower conveyor belt 131.
This arrangement may present a flow problem however, where the top conveyor belt may transfer its load faster than gravity may cause the material to fall. This load-rate differential may cause plugging and/or a low rate of flow. This problem can be minimized by further employing a downward pointing spray nozzle 58, which may provide fluid from a high pressure hose 28 or an independent source. The high pressure fluid released from nozzle 58 forces the material in a downward direction much faster rate than what gravity alone can provide, thereby producing a faster rate of transfer from one conveyor to the next.
In some embodiments, screw augers are used to substitute or augment the conveyor belts. In some embodiments, two screw conveyors are positioned to replace conveyor belts 130 and 131, with a nozzle pointed in the direction of flow of the seaweed in the same manner as
The embodiment of
Vertical jack 608 may be employed to provide a vertical lift from an amphibious vehicle 5. Floatation devices 607 may provide weight stability for the apparatus, and relieve unnecessary strain on the universal joints 604. Floatation devices 607 may be connected to a source of compressed air, so that the microprocessor 11 may either flood them with air or water, to adjust the weight on the arm. Motors 606 may provide power for the screw conveyors 605, or the power may be provided by a hydraulic line containing high pressure water turning a paddle or a turbine. This high pressure water may be provided from the body of water in which the apparatus resides. Flexible shields 603 provide covers for the bends, and each may be comprised of one or more layers of curved sheets.
Returning to
The floatable-material receiver may include a nozzle 58. The nozzle 58 may have handles (not shown), allowing an operator to direct the nozzle at floatable material on a shore or in water. The nozzle may have two or more sections connected by joints, allowing the operator to direct the nozzle opening to various angles relative to the position of the transport hose 60. The nozzle may have a valve that allows the operator to stop airflow or water flow through the nozzle into the transport hose 60. An operator may operate the valve directly or via remote control. A microprocessor 11 may operate the valve.
In some embodiments, as shown in
The platform-based floatable-material receiver may include a conveyor belt 8 or a screw auger 52 to convey the seaweed from the platform to the transport hose 60. As a non-limiting example, the feeder mechanism may be a conveyor belt 8. The conveyor belt 8 may be powered by any conventional means, including the force of the vacuum itself. In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 8 has a variable speed control. In some embodiments, the feeder may have a funneling element 45 that forces floatable material into the hose by narrowing the path the material can follow as the conveyor belt 8 moves forward. The variable speed control may be able to cause the conveyor belt to move faster or slower. The variable speed control 75 may be controlled by an operator. The variable speed control 75 may be controlled by a microprocessor configured to control the variable speed control (not shown). The microprocessor may be a microprocessor 11.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the receptacle-based floatable material receiver includes a funnel 24. In some embodiments, the funnel 24 is angled so that it opens directly into the transport hose 60. In other embodiments, as shown in
In one embodiment, the hopper 84 includes an agitator 108. The agitator 108 may be an element that agitates the seaweed or floatable material in the hopper or funnel; this may have the effect of loosening clumps of seaweed/floatable material and may act as a feeder mechanism to the transport hose 60. In some embodiments, the agitator 108 vibrates. In some embodiments, the nozzle 58 may assist or replace a feeder mechanism for the transport hose 60. An operator may operate the agitator 108 directly or via remote control. A microprocessor configured to operate the agitator 108 may operate the agitator. In some embodiments, the floatable-material receiver includes a vegetation shredder 67. An operator may operate the vegetation shredder 67 directly or via remote control. A microprocessor configured to operate the vegetation shredder 67 may operate the vegetation shredder 67. In some embodiments, the floatable-material receiver includes a trommel washer 64. The trommel washer may be a trommel washer 64 as described above in reference to
Returning to
In some embodiments, the floatable-material receiver transporter includes a flotation device 43 supporting the floatable-material receiver. The flotation device may be a raft. The flotation device 43 may be a boat. The flotation device 43 may include at least one pontoon. The flotation device 43 may be constructed using any combination of materials known in the art to produce a buoyant object. In some embodiments, the flotation device 43 is composed at least in part of polymer foam, as described above in reference to
As shown in
In some embodiments, the at least one bilge pump 9 pumps water from the cavity into the body of water through a water conduit. In an embodiment, the at least one bilge pump 9 is capable of pumping air into the cavity. In another embodiment, the at least one bilge pump 9 is capable of pumping air out of the cavity. In an additional embodiment, the at least one bilge pump 9 is capable of both of pumping air into the cavity and of pumping air out of the cavity. In some embodiments, the at least one bilge pump 9 pumps air from the atmosphere using a snorkel 54. In some embodiments, the bilge pump 9 pumps air back into the atmosphere using a snorkel 54. In some embodiments, the at least one bilge pump 9 can pump either air or water in or out of the cavity, as needed to adjust the buoyancy of the flotation device 43. In some embodiments, the buoyancy control is controlled by an operator. In some embodiments, the operator controls the buoyancy control remotely by means of a wired or wireless signal. In some embodiments, the buoyancy control is controlled by a microprocessor configured to control the buoyancy control (not shown). The microprocessor may be a microprocessor 11.
As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
A team of operators provide a floatable-material harvester as described above in reference to
In an embodiment, the operators attach the floatable-material receiver to the transport hose 60. In another embodiment, the operators attach the floatable-material receiver to the flotation device 43; for instance, the operators may attach the floatable-material receiver to the flotation device 43 via the swivel 61 as described above. The operators may couple the microprocessor 11 to the at least one valve 3. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the propulsion system 49. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the buoyancy control. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the automated anchoring system 6. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the conveyor belt 8. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the agitator 108. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the vacuum source 66. The operators may couple the microprocessor to the air flow meters 23. In some embodiments, the floatable-material receiver is comprised of a floatable-material thruster 62 such as depicted in
In some embodiments, for instance when the floatable-material receiver is platform-based or receptacle-based as described above in reference to
In some embodiments, the transport hose and floatable-material thruster are comprised of a pressure sensor. Pressure sensors can alternatively be called pressure transducers, pressure transmitters, pressure senders, pressure indicators and piezometers, manometers, among other names. Pressure may be measured by piezo resistive strain gauge, capacitive, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, optical, potentiometric, resonant, thermal, and ionization. In another embodiment, a pressure sensor is connected to the high pressure hose and the high pressure tank. The pressure sensor may transmit pressure information to the microprocessor 11. The microprocessor 11 may use such pressure information to control the speed and generated thrust of the high pressure pump, the water pump connected to the transport hose, and the flow valves 69 or 3. In some embodiments, the microprocessor may be replaced or supplemented by an analog circuit, configured to control the valves and the pumps.
The pressure sensor 301 may be a pressure switch or any of the pressure sensors discussed in this document. When a certain amount of pressure is applied to the tine 304, the microprocessor 11 may control the drum 305 to move, e.g., by a connected hydraulic jack or slider joint (motion shown with arrows but device not specifically shown) to retracted position 308, while drum 306 simultaneously moves to elevated position 303, thereby maintaining the overall length and tension of flexible belt 307, but shortening the length of the mechanical pick-up device. This ability to retract and shorten the overall length of the mechanical pick-up device 120 may allow the invention to operate in a continuous manner, without having to stop and back up.
The entire mechanical picks-up device 120 may rotate on a swivel connection (shown in
A method is disclosed of an additional benefit to the floatable-material harvester, where the floatable-material harvester is used to remove other types of floatable substrate from the body of water that the floatable-material receiver floats on. This substrate can, for example, be material used to absorb chemical spills, such as in a spill of petroleum. These substrates have an affinity for absorbing petroleum over water, such as but not limited to wood chips, peat moss, or sphagnum moss. The substrate may be comprised of nanofibres, to absorb nuclear waste. Nanofibres may be chosen to be of a particular composition/size/shape/etc. so as to have a particular ability to aid in the neutralization of radiation and/or to permanently absorb some heavy metals. Large amounts of the substrate are placed into the body of water or on the beach and are allowed enough time for the chemical to absorb into the substrate, which for the purpose of this document are referred to as sorbent or absorbent material. The spilled chemical and/or radioactive material may be referred to as pollutants. A similar apparatus may be used to deploy the sorbent material to the beach and shore. In some embodiments, the sorbent material deploying apparatus is comprised of a storage area containing absorbent material, which is metered by a conveyor into a floatable-material receiver which, is fluidly connected to a transport hose, the transport hose having at least one floatable-material thruster along its length. The floatable-material thruster is fluidly connected to at least one pump. The apparatus may have a small vessel which directs the output end of the transport hose to deploy absorbent material to the beach and shore.
In some embodiments, seaweed comprised of alginates are harvested, so that the alginate may be converted to ethanol fuel for use in internal combustion engines or provide power in some form. A method and apparatus for ethanol fuel production is disclosed, where the algae, in one variation, may be farmed. High production ethanol fuel from complex carbohydrates such as alginates is now possible through genetically modified microbes, such as yeasts and bacteria. The basic problem with ethanol production is the ability to lower costs to where it is able to compete with gasoline. Trucking corn to a fermenter and distillery is energy inefficient, and corn is a viable food for humans and animals. Seaweed to ethanol has the advantage of not taking feedstock (e.g., corn) from the human and domestic animal food chain, except possibly a small percentage of the seaweed that might go into foodstuffs, as discussed elsewhere in this application. Rather, seaweed grown for ethanol is able to make use of underwater real estate that is currently unused.
Although rope cultures may be used to secure the algae, it may be more cost effective to simply use the natural bottom substrate of ocean near the shore. The apparatus may be further configured to then distribute cuttings or spores of the desired species in order to replenish a harvested portion (e.g., similar to that done with farmland planting). The use of underwater real estate near the shore has an advantage of a higher nitrate level than the open ocean, which may lead to faster overall growth, especially if light levels are sufficient.
In some embodiments, an artificial substrate such as waste concrete may be dropped to provide means for which the algae to attach itself. In the method disclosed, the apparatus described within this document is used to harvest the algae. Once on board the apparatus deployed on the body of water, the seaweed is metered into a fermenter 801, as depicted in
The fermenter 801 may, in one variation, be a stirred tank fermenter. Stirred tank fermenters are a type of bioreactor and are well known in the prior art. The stirred tank fermenter 801 may be provided fresh water by passing ocean water through a reverse osmosis filter. In some embodiments, carbon filtration, microporous filtration, ultrafiltration, ultraviolet oxidation, and/or electrodialysis, and deionization may be used to purify the water drawn from the body of water in which the apparatus floats. In some embodiments, the fresh water purified through the water filter may be used to wash the seaweed before the seaweed enters the fermenter, in order to remove salt and/or debris. Of course, if fresh water seaweed/algae is being grown, the need for desalinization is obviated.
The washing of material however, brings on a new problem of diluting the fermentation mix and washing away mannitol and other water soluble components. This may lower the yield, as well require more energy to distill, since the overall alcohol content within the broth will be more dilute. Centrifuging the material may also have the effect of losing valuable dissolved solids. The solution to this problem may be the use of a semi-permeable membrane 800 depicted in
The stirred tank fermenter 801 may be inoculated with a genetically-modified yeast or bacteria to begin fermentation. After a complete fermentation, the stirred tank fermenter 801 may transfer the fermented seaweed broth contents by inline pump or another conveyance mechanism to a distillation apparatus. In some embodiments, a series of stirred tank fermenters 801 in a continuous batch process may be more efficient. In some embodiments, the waste heat 803 from the motors that stir the fermenters and/or from the other motors/drives associated with other portions of the seaweed harvester may be directed into the boiling tank 802 of the distillation apparatus. The distillation apparatus may be comprised of a boiling tank 802 of the broth, where the ethanol/azeotrope vapor may flow to a distillation tower or fractional column 805, and the ethanol distillate may then flow to a collection tank 808, passing through a molecular sieve 806.
A distillation apparatus may, in one embodiment, be comprised of a heat pump 804, where the condenser component of the heat pump is used to heat the fermented broth to a boil in boiling tank 802. The evaporator coils of the heat pump 804 may be used to absorb the energy from the vaporized ethanol and condense the high purity ethanol to drain to a collection tank 808. Heat pumps that utilize a vapor compression cycle are well known and are generally comprised of a condenser, an evaporator, a thermal expansion valve, and a pump/compressor. A carbon dioxide supercritical heat pump may be ideal to provide the 70 C to 100 C temperatures needed to evaporate ethanol, although many different types of refrigerants may be used in a heat pump. The heat pump compressor may, in one variant, be powered by an internal combustion engine that burns ethanol provided by the collection tank 808. Heat pump distillation may also be based on recompression, resorption, absorption, thermo-acoustic, and/or heat-integrated-distillation-column principles.
Alternatively to distillation, a pervaporation module that consists of a molecularly porous membrane permeable for ethanol can be used instead. The pervaporation produces ethanol vapour on the vacuum side of the semi-permeable membrane, which may be subsequently condensed and re-distilled to achieve a 95% ethanol. A heat pump may be used on the pervaporation module as well, configured in a similar manner as the distillation apparatus.
There may be several internal combustion engines on the vessel, which can be used for operating pumps, stirring tank reactors 801, and/or operating the heat pump 804. These engines may, in the embodiment, all operate from ethanol fuel produced by the apparatus. Of course, alternatively, another fuel source could be used, or the engines could be replaced with electric motors, presuming a source of electricity (e.g., solar panels or grid-access) is available. Waste heat 803 from the internal combustion engine's exhaust may be directed into the boiling tank 802, or an air-to-water heat exchanger may be positioned in the boiling tank 802 with the exhaust going to outside, so as to maximize thermal efficiency of the heat pump distillation apparatus. In some embodiments, water from the body of water in which the vessel floats may be used to cool the ethanol vapor and condense the ethanol into a liquid. The evaporator coils of the heat pump 804 may be positioned in the water stream exit, to recover heat energy absorbed by the water from the ethanol vapor. The ethanol azeotrope may be passed through a molecular sieve 806 such as a dessicant, to absorb the roughly 4% water that is expected from distillation. An alternate vessel may transfer the high purity ethanol to its own holding tank by a pump, where the alternate vessel transports fuel to a port or dock. The fuel vessel may provide fuel directly to other watercraft.
The ability to employ localized fermentation may lower or eliminate the transportation costs of the raw materials, and because only high-purity ethanol is transported any significant distance, the method has the basics of the most energy efficient means of converting seaweed to high-purity ethanol delivered to a consumer. The use of a heat pump distillation setup to recycle the thermal energy within the distillation apparatus may be more energy efficient than a conventional distillation apparatus. Transporting the high-purity ethanol fuel by barge instead of truck may be six times more energy efficient than trucking the fuel. Eliminating the transportation costs of the raw seaweed material to a fermenter and/or distillery may allow seaweed to ethanol to be price competitive with gasoline and presents a distinct advantage over corn.
The apparatus may further be comprised of an incinerator 809. The incinerator may rapidly consume the ethanol on board in the event of an emergency, rather than spill the ethanol fuel into the body of water. The incinerator 809 may project the flame up into the air, as to avoid a fire risk to surrounding inhabitants. Alternatively, the heat/energy of that combustion could be used/directed to power any of the various elements of the system such as a gas turbine 810, thereby limiting the amount going to waste energy. In the event the apparatus is deployed to pick up absorbent material, the material may be metered directly from draining conveyor belt 17 into a centrifuge 812 to separate and recover petroleum. Afterwards, the material then metered into the incinerator 809.
The elongated disbursement apparatus 20 depicted in
Alternatively, a secondary submersible may distribute cuttings/sprouts/spores behind the conveyor apparatus. In some embodiments, the disbursement apparatus 20 may disburse cuttings/sprouts/spores of a carrageenan-type seaweed. In some embodiments, a side-to-side oscillating tube may distribute cuttings, spores, or seedlings behind the apparatus.
Kelp forest configurations may be the most efficient type and manner of seaweed to be grown over other forms of seaweed cultivation. However, kelp forests may be consumed by out of control sea urchin populations. Sea urchins thrive unchecked in kelp forests as a result of the sea otter being driven to near extinction. In the method, a sea otter breeding program may be implemented, where the program may take place upon the vessel on which the seaweed is harvested, and/or the vessel may provide dock/safe-haven areas for the sea otters, such as in storage area 811. The sea otters may be released within the cultivated kelp forests, especially in areas where high urchin population has been observed, as to keep the urchin population in check and to allow the kelp forests to thrive.
Alternatively, a breeding and introduction program may be implemented for star fish, wolf eels, triggerfish, crabs, and/or any other known natural predator 813 of the sea urchins or other pests. The program involves breeding and introducing a natural predator of the sea urchin or other pest. This predator, such as starfish, may be provided down the suction hose 60 with the cuttings from storage area 811 to the elongated disbursement apparatus 20, as to provide biological protection from the cuttings being consumed by a pest. Carnivorous starfish may be specifically bred and distributed over omnivorous starfish, as to ensure they do not consume the algae cuttings or spores that were provided in the method. In some embodiments, fresh water algae may be grown in a lake or inland body of water instead of kelp. The higher nitrate levels inland may provide faster growth of biomass than in the ocean. The pest to which the natural predator 813 consumes may be an animal, plant, fungi, or bacteria.
For a global seaweed industry to function, there may only be certain times of year that certain areas are suitable for seaweed cultivation. This would likely be due to a storm season. Storms and disease/pests are perhaps the biggest destroyers of seaweed crops. Seaweed rope structures may, in one variation, be left unused during storm season, as planting of crops may be pointless during such times. The fleet of vessels that produce ethanol may transit between the northern and southern hemisphere to better be utilized during seasons that are suitable for algae growth. The movement of the fleet by ethanol power has an essentially zero-carbon footprint and is relatively efficient.
The floatable-material receiver depicted in
Essentially, the same features that facilitate the collection of seaweed are generally able to be employed for collection of chemical/radioactive-spill absorption substrate, whether the absorption substrate is organic or inorganic in nature. That is, while many of the elements are described in relation to “floating-organics” harvesting, those same elements could, within the scope of the present device, also be used to collect floating sorbents (both organic and inorganic varieties). That said, certain features may not necessarily be employed with the clean up of the absorption substrate, such as the cleaning/oxygenating/refrigeration system and/or the vegetation shredder. Also, the water displacement apparatus and the trommel washer may be excluded from the apparatus. In the method of harvesting material used to absorb a chemical/radioactive spill, a floatable-material thruster may be referred to as a material thruster or vise-versa, and an organics receiver may be referred to as a floatable-material receiver or vise-versa, since the material used to absorb the chemical spill may be inorganic or synthetic in composition.
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2014/000515 | 6/23/2014 | WO | 00 |
