Ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units

Abstract

This invention relates to a ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit, comprising a ballast pump, a flow meter, a ballast water treatment device for purifying ballast water, a sensor for measuring the concentration of residual oxidant in the ballast water, and a controller. The ballast water treatment device includes: a micro-cutting unit adapted to continuously apply mechanical rotational impact to the ballast water through the rotation of multiple stacked blades, thereby pulverizing or killing microorganisms contained in the ballast water; and a disinfection treatment unit for chemically or electro-disinfecting residual microorganisms in the ballast water. The controller controls the revolutions per minute of the blade rotor and the disinfection intensity of the disinfection treatment unit based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter and the residual oxidant concentration measured by the sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a ballast water treatment system, and more specifically, to a ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit that can mechanically pulverize microorganisms contained in ballast water filled into a ship's ballast tank, thereby meeting the environmental conditions for ballast water discharge. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, multiple ballast tanks are arranged in a ship to fill seawater supplied from the ship's sea valve box.

[0003] Ballast tanks are located at the bottom or on the port and starboard sides of the hull, so the amount of ballast water (seawater) they contain can be adjusted to lower the ship's center of gravity and control the ship's port and starboard balance according to the weight of the cargo inside the ship, thus enabling the ship to sail smoothly.

[0004] However, when a ship enters a port in another country, the ballast water (seawater) filling the ballast tanks must be discharged from the ship to the outside. In this case, harmful microorganisms, plankton, pathogens, bacteria and other substances contained in the ballast water will be discharged together with the ballast water, thereby disrupting the original ecosystem around the sea area and causing marine pollution.

[0005] Therefore, in order to prevent marine pollution caused by ballast water discharge, many countries around the world have put forward environmental regulations for ballast water discharge. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires the installation of ballast water treatment devices to remove harmful marine organisms from ballast water before it is discharged into ports and the high seas.

[0006] Therefore, ships are equipped with ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) to purify ballast water in order to meet ballast water discharge regulations.

[0007] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 1 This describes a conventional ballast water treatment system.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram used to represent a typical ballast water treatment system.

[0009] As shown in the figure, a typical ballast water treatment system is suitable for purifying seawater supplied from the sea valve box 100 to the ballast tank 200, and includes a ballast water treatment device 130.

[0010] Therefore, the seawater introduced from the sea valve box 100 by the ballast pump 110 is purified by the ballast water treatment device 130 and then filled into the ballast tank 200.

[0011] In this case, the ballast water treatment device 130 includes a filtration unit 131 for removing harmful microorganisms or plankton contained in the ballast water and a chemical treatment unit 135 for disinfecting the harmful microorganisms or plankton.

[0012] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the ballast water treatment system includes: a neutralization device 142 adapted to neutralize the ballast water when it is discharged from the ballast tank 200 to the outside of the ship; and a first sensor 140 and a second sensor 145 adapted to measure the concentration of oxidant in the ballast water when it is supplied and discharged to the outside of the ship.

[0013] In this case, the filtration unit 131 is used to remove harmful microorganisms or plankton contained in the ballast water using the filtration components, and the chemical treatment unit 135 is used to disinfect the harmful microorganisms or plankton using an oxidant with disinfecting effect, such as hypochlorite (NaClO).

[0014] In this case, the conventional filter section 131 uses a filter element with a mesh or disc structure having multiple pores or gaps to filter and remove microorganisms, the size of which is about 50 to 100 μm.

[0015] However, conventional ballast water treatment systems using filtration unit 131 and chemical treatment unit 135 have the following problems.

[0016] First, the pores or gaps in a conventional filter must be limited to a size of tens of micrometers to filter microorganisms. As a result, the filter will become clogged periodically, causing the system to stop operating and greatly increasing its maintenance costs.

[0017] Secondly, the ballast tanks of ships are filled with approximately 500-3000 tons of ballast water. The corresponding ballast water treatment system must be able to process hundreds to thousands of tons of seawater per hour, depending on the size of the ship. Therefore, in order to meet these requirements, the filtration unit must be very large, and the ballast water treatment system must be correspondingly large. This makes it difficult to ensure installation space and operability. It is also necessary to move the ship to a dry dock while it is stopped from sailing to carry out maintenance work such as the installation or replacement of the filtration unit, resulting in huge losses and a lot of wasted time due to the stoppage.

[0018] Third, the size of the pores or gaps in the filter section must be at least greater than 50 μm to ensure the flow rate of ballast water. This way, microorganisms or planktonic organisms will not pass through the filter section and will be filtered out, thus reducing the efficiency of the entire system.

[0019] Finally, conventional filtration units do not filter out microorganisms and allow them to pass through, so high concentrations of hypochlorite must be used in the chemical treatment unit, which inevitably requires hypochlorite generating units to ensure large quantities of hypochlorite and neutralization units to neutralize the hypochlorous acid remaining in the ballast water. Summary of the Invention

[0020] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0021] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit that allows the micro-cutting unit to mechanically crush microorganisms using a blade rotor with a relatively large gap than a conventional filter section, thereby preventing clogging in the ballast water supply.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units, which is compact in size to minimize installation space and allows maintenance work such as installation or replacement to be performed on the vessel itself without having to move to a dry dock.

[0023] Another object of the present invention is to provide a ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units, which can perfectly kill microorganisms using micro-cutting units, thereby allowing for minimal chemical or electro-sterilization in the disinfection treatment section, thereby improving the efficiency of the system.

[0024] Another object of the present invention is to provide a ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit that minimizes the amount of residual oxidant in ballast water, thereby meeting environmental regulations for ballast water discharge even when the ballast water is discharged outside the ship without any neutralization device.

[0025] Technical solution of the present invention

[0026] To achieve the above objectives, according to the present invention, a ballast water treatment system for purifying ballast water supplied to a ship's ballast tank may include: a ballast pump located on a ballast water supply pipe for supplying ballast water; a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of ballast water; a ballast water treatment device for purifying ballast water; a sensor for measuring the residual oxidant concentration in the ballast water; and a controller for controlling the supply and purification of ballast water. The ballast water treatment device includes a micro-cutting unit and a disinfection unit. The micro-cutting unit is adapted to continuously apply mechanical rotational impact to the ballast water through the rotation of multiple stacked blades, thereby crushing or killing microorganisms contained in the ballast water. The disinfection unit is used to chemically or electro-disinfect the residual microorganisms in the ballast water. The controller can control the revolutions per minute of the multiple stacked blades and the disinfection intensity of the disinfection unit based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter and the residual oxidant concentration measured by the sensor.

[0027] In this case, the micro-cutting unit may include a blade rotor on which multiple stacked blade sections are mounted. The multiple stacked blade sections have multiple gaps through which ballast water can pass, such that when the blade rotor rotates at high speed, the ballast water introduced into the blade rotor passes through the multiple gaps and is thus discharged radially.

[0028] Furthermore, ideally, the controller causes the cutting blade rotor of the micro-cutting unit to rotate at a speed of 850 to 1200 rpm.

[0029] In addition, the disinfection treatment unit may include at least one of the following units: a chemical supply unit for supplying chemicals to ballast water to disinfect residual microorganisms, a plasma unit using plasma, an ultraviolet (UV) unit using ultraviolet light, and an electrolysis unit for generating oxidants.

[0030] In this scenario, ideally, the chemical supply unit could supply chlorine dioxide as the chemical to the ballast water.

[0031] In addition, the ballast water supply pipe may include a first branch pipe that bypasses the ballast water treatment device, a second branch pipe that bypasses the ballast pump, and a bypass pipe located between the ballast pump and the flow meter. This bypass pipe discharges ballast water to the outside of the ship, so that the ballast water in the ballast tank is discharged to the outside of the ship without passing through the ballast water treatment device.

[0032] Beneficial effects

[0033] As described above, the ballast water treatment system of the present invention has the following advantages.

[0034] First, it can mechanically crush and kill the microorganisms contained in ballast water, thereby preventing blockages during ballast water supply, thus effectively operating the ballast water treatment system and significantly reducing its maintenance costs.

[0035] Secondly, the ballast water treatment system can be compact in size, allowing for efficient positioning of its associated equipment to improve space availability, thus enabling its application to a variety of ship structures.

[0036] Third, maintenance work such as installation or replacement of ballast water treatment systems can be carried out on the ship itself without having to move to a dry dock, thus significantly reducing the costs caused by ship downtime.

[0037] Finally, minimal chemical or electrical treatment can be carried out in the disinfection unit, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the entire system and meeting environmental regulations for ballast water discharge without the need for any neutralization device. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram used to represent a typical ballast water treatment system.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate the micro-cutting unit of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 It is used to represent Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the blade rotor of the micro-cutting unit.

[0042] Figure 5 It is used to represent Figure 4 A bottom view of the rotating blade.

[0043] Figure 6 It is used to represent Figure 4 A top view of the multiple stacked blade sections of the blade rotating body.

[0044] Figure 7 It is used to represent Figure 4 A perspective view of the second multi-stacked blade section of the blade rotating body.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the ballast mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the deballast mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the bypass mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0048] In the following description, the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, firstly, the ballast water treatment device 130 of a conventional ballast water treatment system includes a filtration unit 131 and a chemical treatment unit 135 for removing harmful microorganisms or plankton contained in ballast water (seawater).

[0050] Conventional filter units 131 must use filter elements with pores and gaps ranging in size from approximately 50 to 100 μm to continuously filter large amounts of seawater, resulting in periodic clogging of the filter elements and a number of problems.

[0051] Therefore, the ballast water treatment system of the present invention can be configured to replace the conventional filter section 131 with a micro-cutting unit 500 having multiple stacked blade sections, thereby effectively crushing and killing microorganisms contained in the ballast water and preventing clogging in the ballast water supply, and is configured to allow minimal chemical or electrical treatment in the disinfection treatment section 600, thereby utilizing low concentrations of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as an oxidant or improving energy efficiency.

[0052] Now, refer to Figures 2 to 10 This invention provides a detailed description of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit.

[0053] First, refer to Figure 2 The overall structure of the ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units of the present invention is described.

[0054] in this case, Figure 2 The overall structure of the ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units according to the present invention is shown.

[0055] As shown in the figure, the ballast water treatment system of the present invention using a micro-cutting unit is used to purify ballast water (seawater) supplied from the sea valve box 100 to the ballast tank 200, and includes a ballast pump 300, a flow meter 400, a ballast water treatment device 700, a sensor 800 and a controller 900.

[0056] The sea valve box 100 and the ballast tank 200 are connected to each other by a ballast water supply pipe 150, which serves as a pipe for supplying ballast water, and is equipped with a plurality of valves 155 to open and close its flow path when necessary.

[0057] The type, number, and location of valve 155 are not limited by the specific construction shown, and therefore can be appropriately determined according to the characteristics or arrangement of the components constituting the ballast water treatment system.

[0058] In addition, a ballast pump 300 is installed on the ballast water supply pipe 150 to deliver ballast water from the sea valve box 100 to the ballast tank 200. In this case, a flow meter 400 is used to measure the flow rate of the supplied ballast water.

[0059] Typically, ballast water of approximately 500 to 3,000 tons is filled in ballast tank 200 depending on the size or characteristics of the vessel, and taking into account the amount of ballast water filled in ballast tank 200, the capacity of ballast pump 300 and flow meter 400 is ideally and appropriately determined.

[0060] The commonly used device can be used as ballast pump 300 and flow meter 400, therefore, detailed descriptions of ballast pump 300 and flow meter 400 will be avoided.

[0061] In addition, the ballast water supply pipe 150 includes a first branch pipe 160, a second branch pipe 170 and a bypass pipe 180 installed thereon.

[0062] The first branch pipe 160 is used to bypass the ballast water treatment device 700, so that the ballast water can bypass the ballast water treatment device 700 and thus move if necessary.

[0063] Therefore, when maintenance work is required on the ballast water treatment device 700, or when ballast water treatment is not required, the movement path of the ballast water can be adjusted.

[0064] In addition, the second branch pipe 170 is used to bypass the ballast pump 300, and the bypass pipe 180 is located between the ballast pump 300 and the flow meter 400.

[0065] Therefore, according to the present invention, seawater in the sea valve box 100 or ballast water in the ballast tank 200 is discharged to the outside of the ship by the ballast pump 300 without passing through the ballast water treatment device 700.

[0066] In addition, the ballast water treatment device 700 is used to purify the ballast water supplied to it, and includes a micro-cutting unit 500 and a disinfection treatment unit 600.

[0067] The micro-cutting unit 500 operates the multi-stacked insert section 540 (see...) Figure 4 The disinfection unit 600 is used to mechanically crush and kill microorganisms. It is used to disinfect microorganisms, plankton, pathogens or bacteria that were not treated in the micro-cutting unit 500 by using disinfectants such as oxidants or by using electro-disinfection.

[0068] In addition, sensor 800 measures the concentration of residual oxidant in the ballast water purified in ballast water treatment unit 700, and thus transmits the measured concentration to controller 900.

[0069] In this case, the controller 900 is used to control the operation of various components in the ballast water treatment system, thereby controlling the power supply and the entire operation process.

[0070] Therefore, the controller 900 controls the ballast pump 300 and multiple valves 155 installed on the ballast water supply pipe 150 to determine the supply and discharge paths of the ballast water, thereby allowing... Figures 8 to 10 Various operating modes are shown. Furthermore, the controller 900 determines the rotational speed of the micro-cutting unit 500 of the ballast water treatment device 700 and the disinfection intensity applied to the ballast water from the disinfection treatment unit 600 based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter 400 and the residual oxidant concentration measured by the sensor 800.

[0071] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 3 to 7The micro-cutting unit 500 installed in the ballast water treatment device 700 is described in detail.

[0072] First, refer to Figure 3 Explain the overall structure of the micro-cutting unit 500.

[0073] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate the micro-cutting unit 500 of the present invention.

[0074] As shown in the figure, the micro-cutting unit 500 includes a pipe connector 510, a cutting tool rotator 530, and a driver 580.

[0075] Pipe connector 510 has a pipe structure through which ballast water passes and is connected to ballast water supply pipe 150 (see...). Figure 2 Ballast water supply pipe 150 is used to supply seawater from sea valve box 100 to ballast tank 200.

[0076] In this case, the pipe connector 510 has an inlet pipe 511 and an outlet pipe 517, and the inlet pipe 511 and the outlet pipe 517 are connected to the ballast water supply pipe 150.

[0077] The inlet pipe 511 has an inlet 512 into which ballast water is introduced, and the outlet pipe 517 has an outlet 518 from which the introduced ballast water is discharged.

[0078] In this configuration, inlet 512 and outlet 518 have flanges, allowing pipe connector 510 to be connected to ballast water supply pipe 150, and as shown, they are formed on the same horizontal line at opposite positions to each other.

[0079] However, the locations of the inlet 512 and outlet 518 are not limited to this, and therefore they can be formed in various locations and directions depending on the location or shape of the ballast water supply pipe 150.

[0080] In addition, the inlet pipe 511 has a specified length in the horizontal direction, and as... Figure 3 As shown, a pulverizer 515 of a specified length is located at the top of the front side (outlet side) of the inlet pipe 511.

[0081] In this case, the front side of the water inlet pipe 511 facing the inlet 512 in the horizontal direction is blocked, and the partition wall 513 is provided on top of the water inlet pipe 511 connected to the pulverizer 515.

[0082] The partition wall 513 has a connecting hole 514 formed thereon to allow ballast water to pass through it, such that the internal region of the inlet pipe 511 and the internal region of the pulverizer 515 are connected to each other through the connecting hole 514.

[0083] Therefore, as Figure 3 As shown, the water inlet pipe 511 has an inverted "L" shaped structure that bends at a right angle.

[0084] Furthermore, the pulverizer 515 is the component into which the blade rotor 530, which will be discussed later, is inserted, and has a hollow cylindrical structure. The lower side of the pulverizer 515 is connected to the partition wall 513 of the water inlet pipe 511, and the top of the pulverizer 515 is connected to the lower side of the bushing 585 of the drive 580 via a flange.

[0085] In addition, the pulverizer 515 has an outlet hole 516 formed on one of its side walls (outlet side) and thus communicating with the outlet pipe 517, so that the internal region of the pulverizer 515 is in communication with the internal region of the outlet pipe 517.

[0086] In this case, the outlet hole 516 of the pulverizer 515 is formed above the outlet 518 of the water outlet pipe 517. Therefore, the water outlet pipe 517 extends obliquely downward from the outlet hole 516 and then bends in the horizontal direction to form the outlet 518.

[0087] Accordingly, the internal areas of the inlet pipe 511, the pulverizer 515, and the outlet pipe 517 are sequentially connected to each other through the connecting hole 514 and the outlet hole 516.

[0088] Meanwhile, via ballast pump 300 (see...) Figure 2 Ballast water supplied from the sea valve box 100 moves to the micro-cutting unit 500, and in this case, the ballast water enters the inlet pipe 511 through the inlet 512, as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0089] Ballast water entering the inlet pipe 511 collides with the front side wall surface opposite the inlet 512, moves upward, and then enters the interior of the pulverizer 515 through the connecting hole 514.

[0090] Ballast water entering the pulverizer 515 passes through the blade rotor 530, the outlet hole 516 and the water outlet pipe 517, and is thus discharged through the outlet 518.

[0091] In this case, as referenced Figure 2 As explained, the discharged ballast water moves to the disinfection treatment unit 600.

[0092] In addition, various shaped guide members are provided in the internal areas of the inlet pipe 511, the pulverizer 515 and the outlet pipe 517 to smoothly form the flow path of the ballast water, so that the ballast water can move easily.

[0093] Meanwhile, for ease of description, the inlet pipe 511, the pulverizer 515, and the outlet pipe 517 are arranged separately from each other, but they can be integrally formed together. Alternatively, they can be detachably connected to each other.

[0094] The following section will provide a description of driver 580.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, the driver 580 includes a drive motor 581, a drive shaft 582, and a bushing 585.

[0096] The drive motor 581 applies a rotational force to the rotating blade body 530 and is connected to the rotating blade body 530 via the drive shaft 582, thereby rotating the entire rotating blade body 530.

[0097] In this case, the drive motor 581 is connected to the bushing 585, which is connected to the crusher 515 of the pipe connector 510.

[0098] The bushing 585 has a cylindrical structure with a hollow interior, through which the drive shaft 582 passes coupled, and the lower side of the bushing 585 is connected to the top of the crusher 515.

[0099] In this configuration, the drive shaft 582 rotatably passes through the underside of the bushing 585 and the top of the crusher 515, and is thus connected to the blade rotor 530.

[0100] Therefore, the underside of the bushing 585 through which the drive shaft 582 passes and the top of the crusher 515 have a sealing structure to prevent ballast water leakage.

[0101] In addition, bearing 586 is located on the underside of bushing 585 to smoothly rotate drive shaft 582. The underside of bushing 585 through which drive shaft 582 passes and the top of crusher 515 are sealed by common methods to prevent ballast water leakage.

[0102] In this case, considering the size or dimensions of the unit, the drive shaft 582 may be extended via a shaft connector and thus connected to the blade rotor 530 if necessary.

[0103] Now, refer to Figures 4 to 7 Detailed description of blade rotating body 530.

[0104] in this case, Figure 4 It is used to represent Figure 3 A perspective view of the insert rotor 530 of the micro-cutting unit 500. Figure 5 It is used to represent Figure 4 A bottom view of the blade rotor 530, and Figure 6 It is used to represent Figure 4 A top view of the multiple stacked blade section 540 of the blade rotating body 530.

[0105] also, Figure 7 It is used to represent Figure 4 A perspective view of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 of the blade rotating body 530.

[0106] in this case, Figure 6 The structure of a layer of a multi-stacked blade section 540, in which the blades 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the blades 561 of the six second multi-stacked blade sections 560 form a blade rotor 530, is shown for ease of description.

[0107] like Figure 3 As shown, the blade rotor 530 is connected to the communication hole 514 of the water inlet pipe 511, thus being located on the flow path along which the ballast water flows. As the blade rotor 530 rotates at high speed, the ballast water introduced therein is discharged to the outside (radially) through multiple gaps G1, G2, thereby crushing and killing the microorganisms contained in the ballast water by applying mechanical rotational impact.

[0108] In this case, such as Figure 4 As shown, the blade rotor 530 has a multi-stacked blade section 540 with multiple gaps G1 and G2 repeatedly formed, and the multi-stacked blade section 540 is cylindrical, allowing ballast water to enter its center.

[0109] Therefore, the ballast water flows along the rotation center axis (drive shaft) S of the blade rotor 530 (see... Figure 5 The direction of the blade is introduced into the interior of the blade rotor 530 through the connecting hole 514 of the tube connector 510, and passes through the rotation area A of the multiple stacked blade section 540 by means of the rotation of the blade rotor 530 by the driver 580 (see Figure 6 The blades pass through multiple gaps G1 and G2 formed in the multi-stacked blade section 540 and are discharged radially.

[0110] like Figure 4 As shown, the blade rotating body 530 includes an upper plate 531, a lower plate 535, and a multi-stacked blade section 540.

[0111] In this case, the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535 have the shape of circular plates and each has a specified area and thickness, and are spaced apart from each other facing each other in the direction of the rotation center axis S.

[0112] In this configuration, the lower periphery of the drive shaft 582 is connected to the central portion of the upper plate 531.

[0113] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, the lower plate 535 has an inlet hole 536 passing through its central portion to introduce ballast water into it.

[0114] The inlet hole 536 is formed to correspond to the connecting hole 514 of the water inlet pipe 511.

[0115] The blade rotor 530 is coupled to the drive shaft 582 and thus rotates at high speed. Therefore, the lower plate 535 is configured to be spaced apart from the top of the partition wall 513 formed on the inlet pipe 511. In this case, it is ideal to provide a cylindrical guide member along the inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole 514 to allow ballast water to effectively enter the interior of the inlet hole 536.

[0116] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, the multi-stacked blade section 540 is disposed between the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535.

[0117] The multi-stacked blade section 540 is used to rotate to apply mechanical rotational impact to the ballast water, thereby crushing and killing microorganisms contained in the ballast water. The multi-stacked blade section 540 is arranged between the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535 to repeatedly form multiple gaps G1 and G2 in the direction of the rotation center axis S, so that the ballast water introduced into the central part of the blade rotating body 530 is discharged to the outside (radially) through the multiple gaps G1 and G2.

[0118] In this case, the multi-stacked blade section 540 includes a first multi-stacked blade section 550 and a second multi-stacked blade section 560, and as... Figure 5 and 6 As shown, they are configured to form a rotating region A (a circular band of a predetermined width around the rotation center axis S) along the periphery of the blade rotating body 530.

[0119] The first multi-stacked blade section 550 has a plurality of circular strip blades 551, which are sequentially stacked on top of each other while being mounted along the periphery of the inner surfaces (facing surfaces) of the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535 to repeatedly form a plurality of gaps G1 in the direction of the rotational central axis S.

[0120] As a result, Figure 4 As shown, the gap G1 is arranged in a ring around the rotation center axis S along the periphery of the blade rotating body 530, and thus is repeatedly stacked in the direction of the rotation center axis S to form a cylinder.

[0121] In this case, ideally, the outer diameter of the entire blade 551 of each first multi-stacked blade section 550 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535, thereby ensuring damage resistance and stability.

[0122] like Figure 6 As shown, each of the first multi-stacked blade portions 550 has through holes 553 formed at predetermined intervals, and fixing bolts 750 are connected to the through holes 553 through the holes.

[0123] The fixing bolt 570 is penetratedly connected to the connecting hole 537 formed radially along the periphery of the lower plate 535, thereby allowing the lower plate 535 and the first multi-stacked blade portion 550 to be fixed to the upper plate 531.

[0124] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, each second multi-stacked blade section 560 includes a pair of retainers 562 and a plurality of blades 561 disposed between the pair of retainers 562.

[0125] Second multi-stacked blade section 560 Figure 7 As shown, a portion of the blade 561 is removed, and the blade 561 is configured to form a stacked portion in which the same gap G2 is repeatedly formed.

[0126] In this case, the blade 561 has strips stacked on top of each other to form a gap G2.

[0127] Each second multi-stacked blade section 560 is configured such that the front end of the blade 561 is coupled into the gap G1 of each first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the rear end of the blade 561 extends to a predetermined length and is thus adjacent to the rotation center axis S of the blade rotor 530.

[0128] In this case, such as Figure 6 and 7 As shown, each of the second multi-stacked blade portions 560 has an arched shape of a specified length, and the six second multi-stacked blade portions 560 are arranged radially around the rotation center axis S along the blades 551 of each first multi-stacked blade portion 550.

[0129] In this case, such as Figure 6 As shown, each blade 561 has an arched shape that is inclined in its rotational direction.

[0130] In addition, such as Figure 5 and 6 As shown, the rear ends of the six blades 561 extending in the direction of the rotation center axis S are located on an imaginary circle C with a specified diameter.

[0131] In this case, the diameter of the imaginary circle C is slightly smaller than the diameter of the inlet hole 536 for introducing ballast water, so that when viewed from the underside of the blade rotor 530, the rear end of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 is exposed to the outside.

[0132] As a result, ballast water introduced from the inlet hole 536 of the lower plate 535 enters the rotating area A of the multi-stacked blade section 540, rotates together with the multi-stacked blade section 540, and is discharged radially.

[0133] In this case, such as Figure 6As shown, the tip of blade 561 is ideally connected to the corresponding blade 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 so as to protrude outward from blade 551, but as Figure 4 As shown, they do not protrude outward from the periphery of the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535, thus ensuring the protection and stability of the blade 561 from damage.

[0134] In addition, the retainer 562 and the blade 561 have through holes 567 and 568 formed at their two ends in the same straight line in the vertical direction, and an inclined surface 563 formed at their front end.

[0135] In this configuration, the fixing bolt 570 is connected through the through holes 567 and 568, thus the second multi-stacked blade section 560 is fixed to the upper plate 531 by means of the fixing bolt 570 and the nut.

[0136] Specifically, fixing bolts 570 for connecting the lower plate 535 and the first multi-stacked blade portion 550 to the upper plate 531 are connected to through holes 568 formed on the front end of the blade 561, and fixing bolts 570 for connecting the second multi-stacked blade portion 560 to the upper plate 531 are connected to through holes 567 formed on the rear end of the blade 561.

[0137] Therefore, when the driver 580 rotates, the first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the second multi-stacked blade section 560 rotate together with the upper plate 531 and the lower plate 535.

[0138] Furthermore, the front end of the retainer 562 and the blade 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 are coupledly inserted into the gap G1 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550, such that the second multi-stacked blade section 560 provides a gap G2 corresponding to the thickness of the blade 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550.

[0139] Therefore, the spacer 565 corresponding to the gap G1 is fitted into the through hole 567 formed on the rear end of the second multi-stacked blade portion 560.

[0140] Spacer 565 is a common washer that can be fitted to fixing bolt 570, but they can be freely used as spacers 565 as long as the specified components can maintain the gap G2.

[0141] As a result, the blades 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 are stacked on top of each other while maintaining a gap G2 corresponding to the thickness of the spacer 565.

[0142] Furthermore, the tips of the blades 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 are alternately stacked with the blades 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550. Therefore, the blades 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 maintain the gap G1 fitted to the first multi-stacked blade section 550, and thus, the gap G1 formed by the first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the gap G2 formed by the second multi-stacked blade section 560 do not have any equal height and are therefore positioned to intersect each other.

[0143] Specifically, when viewed in the horizontal direction of the blade rotator 530, the blade 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 is located at the same height as the gap G2 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560, and the blade 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 is located at the same height as the gap G1 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550.

[0144] Furthermore, if the blade 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 has the same thickness as the blade 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560, then the gaps G1 and G2 have the same thickness.

[0145] As a result, the ballast water passing through the gap G2 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 collides with the blades 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 while having centrifugal force applied to it, making it possible to more effectively crush and kill microorganisms.

[0146] In this case, taking into account the thickness of the blade 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550, the second multi-stacked blade section 560 has a spacer 565 of appropriate thickness, thereby appropriately adjusting the gaps G1 and G2.

[0147] Specifically, spacers 565 are not required on the overlapping portions of the first multi-stacked blade portion 550 and the second multi-stacked blade portion 560. However, if it is necessary to adjust the gaps G1 and G2, spacers 565 may be located on the overlapping portions of the first multi-stacked blade portion 550 and the second multi-stacked blade portion 560.

[0148] According to the invention, the gap between the first multi-stacked blade portion 550 and the second multi-stacked blade portion 560 is ideally maintained at about 2 to 5 mm, but is not limited thereto, and can be appropriately determined taking into account the flow rate or availability of ballast water.

[0149] If the gaps G1 and G2 are too small, they can effectively remove microorganisms, but cannot guarantee an appropriate ballast water volume. Conversely, if the gaps G1 and G2 are too large, although a larger ballast water volume can be guaranteed, the removal effect of microorganisms will be worse.

[0150] Therefore, the sizes of gaps G1 and G2 should be appropriately determined, taking into account the flow rate of ballast water, the size or nature of the microorganisms to be removed, etc.

[0151] Furthermore, even the paired retainers 562 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 are inserted into the gap G1 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550, and therefore they have a suitable thickness determined with reference to the gap G1 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550.

[0152] Next, the disinfection treatment unit 600 of the ballast water treatment device 700 will be described.

[0153] The disinfection treatment unit 600 is used to perform secondary disinfection of microorganisms, pathogens and bacteria contained in the ballast water supplied through the ballast water supply pipe 150 by chemical or electrical treatment.

[0154] The disinfection treatment unit 600 includes at least one of the following: a chemical supply unit for supplying a chemical product as a prescribed disinfectant to ballast water to disinfect residual microorganisms; a plasma unit using plasma; a UV unit using ultraviolet light (UV); and an electrolysis unit for generating an oxidant.

[0155] First, the chemical supply unit of the disinfection treatment unit 600 will be explained.

[0156] The chemical supply unit uses chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as an oxidant and includes a chemical tank for storing chlorine dioxide and a supply pump for supplying the chlorine dioxide stored in the chemical tank to the ballast water.

[0157] Therefore, the chemical supply unit is used to supply an appropriate amount of chlorine dioxide to the ballast water using a supply pump, according to the control of the controller 900.

[0158] In the conventional chemical processing section 135 (see...) Figure 1 In the case of ), the number of microorganisms that can be filtered in the filter section 131 is limited, which causes many microorganisms that are not filtered out by the filter section 131 to enter the chemical treatment section 135. In order to kill all microorganisms through the chemical treatment section 135, a high concentration of hypochlorite (NaClO) of at least 6 ppm must be supplied to the ballast water.

[0159] Hypochlorite is produced during seawater electrolysis. In conventional practice, hypochlorite generating devices are additionally installed on ships to ensure the production of large quantities of hypochlorite, resulting in additional equipment installation and high power consumption. In addition, a neutralization device 142 must be installed to neutralize the residual hypochlorous acid in the ballast water in order to discharge the ballast water.

[0160] However, according to the present invention, the mechanical rotational impact is continuously applied to the ballast water through the micro-cutting unit 500, thereby killing almost all microorganisms, and therefore, the chemical supply unit for secondary treatment of microorganisms supplies only a minimum amount of chlorine dioxide to the ballast water.

[0161] Specifically, the chemical supply unit of the disinfection treatment section 600 ideally supplies the ballast water with a low concentration of chlorine dioxide of about 1 ppm.

[0162] According to the present invention, the ballast water treatment system uses a relatively small amount of chlorine dioxide, so the chlorine dioxide is stored in a chemical tank and therefore no additional chlorine dioxide generating device is required when it is used.

[0163] In this case, chlorine dioxide is supplied to the ballast water while maintaining a low concentration of about 1 ppm. Since the low concentration of chlorine dioxide dissociates naturally, the ballast water treatment system of the present invention does not require any additional neutralization device 142 to neutralize the residual hypochlorous acid in the ballast water, and thus does not require any additional sensors.

[0164] In addition, a supply pump is connected to the chemical tank, thus supplying chemicals to the ballast water supply pipe 150 under the control of the controller 900. A metering pump or air compressor, which is commonly used, can be used as the supply pump to supply chlorine dioxide to the ballast water.

[0165] In addition to the chemical supply unit, a plasma unit, a UV unit, or an electrolysis unit can be used as the disinfection treatment unit 600.

[0166] The plasma unit and the UV unit are configured to connect a plasma chamber for generating plasma and a UV chamber for generating UV lines to a ballast water supply pipe 150, such that plasma or UV lines are added to the ballast water as it moves through the plasma chamber or UV chamber to disinfect residual microorganisms in the ballast water.

[0167] Devices typically used as plasma or UV generators can be used as plasma units or UV units, and detailed descriptions of such devices will be avoided.

[0168] In addition, the electrolysis unit can be used as a disinfection treatment unit 600.

[0169] If you want to electrolyze seawater, you can generate hypochlorous acid, which is one of the oxidants, and thus disinfect the microorganisms remaining in the ballast water.

[0170] Therefore, a conventional electrolysis device is used as the electrolysis unit, and the electrolysis device is connected to the ballast water supply pipe 150 to electrolyze the ballast water (seawater). In this case, hypochlorous acid is used as an oxidant generated in the ballast water to disinfect any remaining microorganisms.

[0171] According to the present invention, mechanical rotational impact is continuously applied to ballast water through the micro-cutting unit 500, thereby killing almost all microorganisms. Therefore, the plasma unit or UV unit used to assist in the treatment of microorganisms can minimize the plasma or UV intensity, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0172] Even in the case of an electrolysis unit, the electrolysis intensity can be further reduced to minimize the generation of hypochlorous acid as an oxidant, thereby improving energy efficiency and meeting ballast water discharge regulations without the need for any additional neutralization unit to neutralize the generated hypochlorous acid.

[0173] Meanwhile, sensor 800 is used to measure the concentration of residual oxidant contained in the ballast water passing through ballast water treatment device 700. Therefore, controller 900 determines whether the ballast water meets environmental regulations in response to the residual oxidant concentration measured by sensor 800.

[0174] In this context, a typical total residual oxidant (TRO) sensor can be used as sensor 800 to measure the concentration of oxidants such as NO2, NO3, PO4, etc.

[0175] The sensor 800 ideally includes a display unit for numerically displaying the concentration of residual oxidant, so as to allow the concentration value to be viewed from the outside, thereby enabling real-time monitoring of the residual oxidant concentration from the outside.

[0176] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 8 to 10 The operation process of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention is described in detail.

[0177] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the ballast mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the deballasting mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the bypass mode of the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit according to the present invention.

[0178] In the ballast water treatment system using a micro-cutting unit of the present invention, the ballast water supply pipe 150 includes a first branch pipe 160, a second branch pipe 170 and a bypass pipe 180 installed thereon.

[0179] Therefore, since the movement path of the ballast water is controlled through the first branch pipe 160, the second branch pipe 170, and the bypass pipe 180, as... Figures 8 to 10 As shown, flow paths are selectively used based on ballast mode, deballast mode, and bypass mode.

[0180] First, regarding Figure 8 The ballast pattern shown is explained below.

[0181] In ballast mode, the ballast water (seawater) in the sea valve box 100 is purified by the ballast water treatment device 700 and then filled into the ballast tank 200.

[0182] First, the ballast pump 300 operates under the control of the controller 900 to force seawater from the sea valve box 100 to the ballast tank 200 through the ballast water supply pipe 150.

[0183] In this case, a flow meter 400 located near the ballast pump 300 measures the flow rate of the ballast water passing through it and transmits the measured value to the controller 900.

[0184] Then, the ballast water passing through the flow meter 400 enters the micro-cutting unit 500 of the ballast water treatment device 700, as shown by the arrow in the figure.

[0185] Therefore, as Figure 3 As shown, ballast water enters the interior of the blade rotor 530 through the pipe connector 510.

[0186] In this case, the blade rotor 530 rotates at a speed of approximately 850 to 1200 rpm under the control of the controller 900 based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter 400, but the speed can be appropriately determined according to various conditions such as the size of the gaps G1 and G2.

[0187] In this configuration, ballast water enters the inlet pipe 511 through the inlet 512 of the pipe connector 510, moves upward, passes through the connecting hole 514 of the partition wall 513 and the inlet hole 536 formed on the lower plate 535 of the blade rotor 530, and enters the rotation area A of the blade rotor 530 (see...). Figure 6 ).

[0188] Furthermore, since the blade rotor 530 and the multi-stacked blade section 540 rotate at high speed due to the rotation of the driver 580, the ballast water entering the rotation area A of the multi-stacked blade section 540 rotates together with the multi-stacked blade section 540.

[0189] In this case, the ballast water receives the flow pressure from the ballast pump 300 and the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the multi-stacked blade section 540, passes through the gap G2 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560 and the gap G1 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550, and is discharged to the outside of the blade rotor 530 (in the radial direction).

[0190] Furthermore, the blades 551 and 561 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the second multi-stacked blade section 560 apply rotational force while allowing ballast water to pass through them, and as the ballast water passes through gaps G1 and G2 and is pushed outward, the blades 551 and 561 continuously apply mechanical rotational impact to the ballast water.

[0191] In this case, the ballast water generates complex eddies during the collision with or being cut by the blades 551 and 561, and is thus discharged radially along the blade rotating body 530.

[0192] As a result, the microorganisms contained in the ballast water repeatedly collide with or are cut by the blades 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 and the blades 561 of the second multi-stacked blade section 560, causing them to be crushed and killed.

[0193] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, the ballast water moves obliquely downward through the blade rotating body 530, passes through the outlet pipe 517 and the ballast water supply pipe 150 in sequence, and enters the disinfection treatment section 600.

[0194] After being initially crushed and killed by the micro-cutting unit 500, the microorganisms in the ballast water are moved to the disinfection treatment unit 600. In this case, the disinfection treatment unit 600 performs secondary disinfection on the microorganisms, pathogens and bacteria that were not killed by the micro-cutting unit 500 by means of chemical or electrochemical treatment.

[0195] Therefore, ballast water in which harmful microorganisms are completely removed by the ballast water treatment unit 700 is obtained.

[0196] In addition, the ballast water treated by the ballast water treatment unit 700 moves along the ballast water supply pipe 150, as shown by the arrow in the figure. In this case, the sensor 800 uses a TRO sensor to measure the residual oxidant concentration of the ballast water and transmits the measured value to the controller 900, while displaying the residual oxidant concentration in real time to allow external personnel to identify the concentration value.

[0197] The controller 900 appropriately controls the oxidant supply, plasma or UV intensity, and electrolysis intensity in the disinfection treatment unit 600 based on the flow rate of the supplied ballast water and the measurement values ​​in the sensor 800.

[0198] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 9 This indicates the deballasting mode.

[0199] In the deballast mode, the ballast water filling the ballast tank 200 is discharged to the outside of the ship. As shown in the figure, the ballast water moves from the ballast tank 200 to the sea valve box 100 along the ballast water supply pipe 150 in the opposite direction to the flow path in the ballast mode.

[0200] In this case, the controller 900 opens the valve 155 installed in the path passing through the first branch pipe 160, the second branch pipe 170 and the bypass pipe 180, and closes the remaining valves 155.

[0201] Therefore, if the ballast pump 300 is running, the ballast water filling the ballast tank 200 moves through the first branch pipe 160 and thus through the ballast water treatment device 700.

[0202] In this case, sensor 800 and flow meter 400 measure the residual oxidant concentration and flow rate of the ballast water.

[0203] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the ballast water passing through the first branch pipe 160 passes through the second branch pipe 170, enters the ballast water supply pipe 150 through the ballast pump 300, and is then discharged from the ship to the outside through the bypass pipe 180, as indicated by the arrow in the figure.

[0204] Therefore, by controlling the movement path, ballast water can be discharged to the outside of the ship using ballast pump 300 without any additional discharge pumps.

[0205] In bypass mode, such as Figure 10 As shown, if necessary, seawater in the sea valve box 100 can be discharged directly to the outside of the ship instead of being supplied to the ballast tank 200. To this end, with both valve 155 located between the sea valve box 100 and the ballast pump 300 and valve 155 installed on the bypass pipe 180 open, the ballast pump 300 operates to discharge seawater directly to the outside of the ship.

[0206] According to the present invention, the flow path of ballast water is controlled by using ballast water supply pipe 150, first branch pipe 160, second branch pipe 170 and bypass pipe 180, thereby effectively regulating the discharge of seawater from the sea valve box 100, the treatment and supply of ballast water and the discharge of ballast water to the outside of the ship.

[0207] According to the present invention, by using the micro-cutting unit 500 to mechanically remove microorganisms, blockages in the seawater supply caused by the use of the filtration unit are prevented, and the ballast water treatment system is compact in size. Furthermore, during maintenance work such as installation or replacement of the ballast water treatment system, the work can be completed on the vessel itself without moving it to a dry dock, significantly reducing costs caused by downtime. Moreover, microorganisms are perfectly eliminated, effectively meeting environmental regulations for ballast water discharge.

[0208] As described above, a preferred embodiment of the ballast water treatment system using micro-cutting units of the present invention has been explained, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various other embodiments may be adopted.

[0209] In the case of the micro-cutting unit 500, the blades 551 of each first multi-stacked blade section 550 are connected to each other to have an integral structure in the form of a single ring, but for example, six blades 551 can be individually connected to each other to form a circular blade 551 in the same way as the second multi-stacked blade section 560.

[0210] In this case, if some blades 551 of the first multi-stacked blade section 550 are damaged, only the damaged blades 551 are replaced with new ones, making it easy to maintain them.

[0211] In addition, the position, number or connection structure of the ballast water supply pipe 150, the first branch pipe 160, the second branch pipe 170, the bypass pipe 180 and the multiple valves 155 can be appropriately adjusted according to changes in the design.

[0212] Industrial utilization

[0213] As described above, the ballast water treatment system of the present invention using micro-cutting units can effectively kill harmful microorganisms or plankton contained in seawater, thus making it suitable for various ballast water treatment systems to meet environmental regulations for ballast water discharge and for various seawater supply pipelines that require the elimination of microorganisms.

Claims

1. A ballast water treatment system for purifying ballast water supplied to a ship's ballast tanks, comprising: Ballast pump, which is located on the ballast water supply pipe used to supply ballast water; Flow meter, used to measure the flow rate of ballast water; Ballast water treatment equipment, used to purify ballast water; Sensors used to measure the concentration of residual oxidant in ballast water; and The controller is used to control the supply and purification of ballast water. The ballast water treatment system is characterized in that... The ballast water treatment device includes a micro-cutting unit and a disinfection unit. The micro-cutting unit is adapted to continuously apply mechanical rotational impact to the ballast water through the rotation of multiple stacked blades, thereby crushing or killing microorganisms contained in the ballast water. The disinfection unit is used to chemically or electro-disinfect residual microorganisms in the ballast water. The micro-cutting unit includes a pipe connector connected to a ballast water supply pipe, a blade rotator disposed in the pipe connector and on which the multiple stacked blade portions are mounted, and a driver for rotating the blade rotator. The blade rotor includes an upper plate and a lower plate. The upper plate is mounted on the drive shaft of the driver. The lower plate is spaced from the upper plate facing the ground in the direction of the rotation center axis and has an inlet hole formed in its central portion for introducing ballast water. The multiple stacked blade portions are mounted between the upper and lower plates and have multiple gaps formed therein, such that ballast water is introduced through the inlet hole in the direction of the rotation center axis and thus discharged radially through the multiple gaps. The controller controls the number of revolutions per minute of the blade rotor and the disinfection intensity of the disinfection treatment section based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter and the residual oxidant concentration measured by the sensor.

2. The ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller causes the blade rotor of the micro-cutting unit to rotate at a speed of 850 to 1200 rpm.

3. The ballast water treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disinfection unit comprises at least one of the following units: a chemical supply unit for supplying chemicals to ballast water to disinfect residual microorganisms, a plasma unit using plasma, an ultraviolet (UV) unit using ultraviolet light, and an electrolysis unit for generating an oxidant.

4. The ballast water treatment system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The chemical supply unit supplies chlorine dioxide as the chemical product to the ballast water.

5. The ballast water treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The ballast water supply pipe includes a first branch pipe that bypasses the ballast water treatment device, a second branch pipe that bypasses the ballast pump, and a bypass pipe located between the ballast pump and the flow meter. The bypass pipe discharges ballast water to the outside of the ship, so that the ballast water in the ballast tank is discharged to the outside of the ship without passing through the ballast water treatment device.

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