System And Method For Hydraulic Displacement

Abstract

A system and method for hydraulic displacement is described which can provide an improved method for raising or lowering a fluid level. The system and method has direct application to inland waterway transport and in particular to canal locks where canal boats traverse inclines through a series of locks. In addition, the invention can provide the access to a marina, which may be raised up above sea level or behind a sea wall defence. The method enables the formation of an improved hydraulic displacement lock capable of a greater vertical displacement with greatly reduced flow of fluid through the lock. The hydraulic displacement lock comprises an enclosed central channel, having sequential fluid storage tanks connected to the central channel. When the central channel is closed at its lower end, opening and closing connecting channels to the sequential storage tanks allows fluid to flow under the force of gravity into or out of the central channel, thereby raising or lowering the level of fluid.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to a system and method for hydraulic displacement. More particularly, it relates to a system and method for raising or lowering a fluid level in a central cavity, which can work using active pumping or under gravity without requiring any power. In particular, the invention has direct application to inland waterway transport wherein this system and method for hydraulic displacement can be used to create a highly efficient and effective way to raise or lower a boat between different water levels. In addition, the invention can provide sea or lake-going boats with an improved access to a marina, which may be raised up above sea level and or behind a sea wall defence.[0002]Generally, inland waterway networks have been well established over many hundreds of years and methods to raise boats over inclines using standard locks are known. In fact, conventional locks work so effectively that other solutions have not been sought. Neverthel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for hydraulic displacement which can raise or lower a fluid level such that it can be applied directly to improvements for the movement of any floating means between different elevations.

[0023]It is a further object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for hydraulic displacement which can raise or lower a fluid level in a section of a fluid transport network such that it can be applied directly to improvements for the movement of boats along canals travelling over undulating terrain and which can serve to replace flights of conventional canal locks in an efficient and effective way.

[0024]It is a further object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a system and method for hydraulic displacement which comprises a tube which may be sloped at the angle of the terrain which comprises a central cavity for containing fluid and which further comprises one or more fluid storage tanks connected to the central cavity which can exchange fluid with the central cavity and thereby change the level of the fluid in the central cavity.

Problems solved by technology

In fact, conventional locks work so effectively that other solutions have not been sought.

Nevertheless, canal locks are not efficient.

Increasingly, the method of achieving vertical lift via sequential canal locks, which comprise canal sections of approximately 25 metres long having paddle gates at either end, is creating bottlenecks in the inland waterway transport network as the network becomes more popular and more boats use the canals.

Standard canal locks comprise several key challenges, not only for those sailing the boats, but also for the environment.

This is a substantial amount of water which is lost each time a boat passes through a lock.

Generally, there are other environmental problems associated with canal locks relating to the silting up of the locks due to the stagnation of water.

Insufficient or irregular water flow causes silting of the canal channel.

Generally, flights of locks take a relatively long time to transit due to the limitations in vertical height that each lock can provide as well as the duration of the transit which involves opening and closing paddle gates against the water in the locks themselves.

The cost of building the boat lift and completing the connecting canal infrastructure at Strepy-Thieu in Belgium was reported as costing in excess of 647 million euros.

In fact, the boat lift system is extremely complicated to operate and to maintain which greatly limits it to high water traffic environments.

Clearly, these systems for connecting canals at different elevations are very complex and expensive to construct and any cost effective alternative which is more effective and efficient to implement will be very attractive to the inland waterways transport industry.

In addition to these problems of connecting canals at different heights or for systems to enable canals to traverse undulating terrain, substantial excavations must take place.

Canal bridges are extremely expensive and substantial foundations must be built to support such structures.

Building marinas is extremely expensive because marinas must have open access to the sea or reservoir or lake to which they will be connected.

Consequently, the designated site of the marina must be sealed off and drained at great expense before construction may begin.

Often marinas simply cannot be built due to the problems of water drainage, site excavation, vehicle access to the site and tidal fluctuations.

Dry dock facilities are simply not available for small water craft.

Wherever water channels can be used for transporting freight or boats or water-transport personnel carriers, there are challenges involved with raising or lowering the said freight or boats or personnel carriers.

This can cause injury to the passengers when the pod plunges into the sea.

In other application areas which involve boat mooring, the reduced number of mooring spaces and increased congestion on inland waterways is greatly increasing the prices of moorings due to standard supply and demand market forces.

In other parts of the world such as in South America, the mass production of the Soya bean for global export poses engineers some challenges.

Further to these limitations of existing technologies, and so far as is known, no system and method for hydraulic displacement is presently available which is directed towards the specific needs of this problem area as outlined.

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