Wastewater collection device and method of implementation

Abstract

The invention relates to a wastewater collection device and method of implementation. Figure for abstract: Fig 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Wastewater collection device and method of implementation

[0001] The Automatic AquaCollect with possible disconnection is a solution for the collection of wastewater with a proprietary automation. This solution applies to constrained environments where the connection may not be permanent, such as boats.

[0002] The installation takes place in sea and river ports.

[0003] It could be considered for camper van areas if the deployment cost is not too high for this target. The important thing to understand is that the connection / disconnection maneuver must be easily achievable by the occupant of the boat / camper van.

[0004] Once connected, the collection can be managed automatically or manually. Prior art

[0005] Today the collection of wastewater from pleasure boats in ports is carried out: • or in a collective collection installation at the quayside for several boats, which involves a docking maneuver and manual connection for each emptying, the manual opening and closing of the connecting valves. There are currently networks installed in port areas using so-called “under vacuum” technology. These already old and efficient under vacuum networks also have many disadvantages: • they do not have an automatic operating management system • they do not have an advanced alert and monitoring system • their processing capacities are defined by the manufacturer and cannot evolve without modifying or changing the performance of the vacuum pumps • they are sensitive to variations in hourly flows and can quickly be limited in capacity by the number of simultaneous triggers leading to the temporary shutdown of the network. • either by emptying into a boat chartered by the port;

[0006] It may also happen that no collection is planned, the regulations allowing emptying at sea beyond 3 nautical miles.

[0007] The main disadvantages associated with these operating modes are: • the number of maneuvers carried out manually by port agents and by the user; • a very low wastewater recovery rate; • the risk of uncontrolled drainage on the coast (non-regulatory zone). The problems to be addressed

[0008] The collection installation must therefore make it possible to: • collect all wastewater with a collection point by boat over areas of several km2 in a constrained environment (quayside, floating pontoon); • transfer this wastewater into an urban network which leads to a collective or non-collective wastewater treatment plant; • limit the number of manual login / logout operations for users and technicians from ports; • benefit from 24 / 7 operation, possibly automatically, with possible management of time slots of use; • be easily expandable. Description of the invention

[0009] The collection network integrates supplies which allow automatic piloting: • One or more motorized valves; • Electronic control elements.

[0010] The computer program allows data to be collected, analyzed and the pumping cabinet and motorized valves to be controlled. The object of the invention

[0011] The general principle is to create a collection network which includes the following elements: • A master network intended to receive each secondary network and connected to the pumping station; • A secondary network connects the master network and the collection points specific to each of the boats; • Collection points ensuring the connection of the hose to the boat; • A motorized opening / closing valve; • A terminal containing the electronic management of the system located nearby from this collection point. It checks the proper functioning of the motorized valve. As well as the one-off request to empty a boat's tank; • A pumping station composed of lobe, peristaltic or vacuum pumps which ensure the transfer of wastewater to the network which goes to the treatment station; • A pumping station located between the pumping station and the wastewater network. This can be equipped with a lifting pump and sensors (i.e. hydrocarbons) and it allows part of the flow to be isolated for maintenance intervention.

[0012] It is also appropriate to ensure the general operation of the assembly by an electronic management unit.

[0013] The electronic management unit makes it possible to control the emptying of each of the boats sequentially at predefined and modifiable regular intervals without human intervention and / or to take into account emptying commands triggered manually.

[0014] It is composed of electronic boxes and a low voltage connection with the electrical control cabinet of the pumping station and its annexes.

[0015] It is therefore necessary to manage distances to have an electronic box near each motorized valve. In general, this box is installed in the electrical cabinet which allows each of the boats to be supplied with electricity. This cabinet generally supplies two boats. We adapt to this principle.

[0016] Each of these control boxes, called a “control box,” is connected to the electronic management unit located next to the pumping station’s electrical cabinet. This cabinet is connected to the Internet by a connection method specific to the port.

[0017] It allows you to control the following actions: • For automatic pumping: identification of motorized valves and therefore of the connected boats; • For manual pumping: user identification and connection to the network. This can be done using an RFID card. The maximum range being less than 5cm, there is no risk of interference between connected boats. • Other means of recognition are possible via a mobile application. The option of assigning a QR code is also possible, but seems less secure; • Monitoring of the entire collection network; • Sequential programming of boat tank emptying; • Monitoring the operation of pumps and related installations in order to optimize the installation's electrical consumption. • Sending an alert in the event of a network failure, indicating the collection point concerned, or even the shutdown of the pumping plant to warn maintenance personnel, • Management of operating time slots if the port wishes to limit them.

[0018] The processing of the observed data is transmitted to one or more servers to feed a data enhancement tool, in order to optimize the performance of the network and thus allowing the port manager to have a real management tool to act on the boater and the commitment to an environmental protection approach. Technical characteristics

[0019] The collection network

[0020] The network is in 3 parts: • Master network: this is the pipe that is connected to the pumping station and which extends over the surface to be equipped. It is interrupted by connection tees for the connection of secondary networks; • Secondary network: this is the pipe that extends between the master network and the collection point; • Boat network: this is the pipe between the boat and the collection point

[0021] The network is made up of PVC, HDPE, PU or any other polymer pipes having similar physicochemical characteristics (resistance to constrained environments, such as marine atmospheres).

[0022] The number of collection points and the length of the network depend on the characteristics of the pumps and the hydraulic network.

[0023] The pumping station consists of one or more vacuum machines whose function is to generate by suction a vacuum equivalent to - 0.6 / 0.8 Pa.

[0024] It allows the emptying of a waste water tank in a preferably short time, advantageously in less than ten minutes.

[0025] The pumping flow rates can be modified with the installation of a speed variator.

[0026] Electronic management

[0027] The control command is provided by an electronic management unit which includes an electronic control card (Arduino or equivalent), the RFID reception card, a 24v power supply which controls the opening / closing of the solenoid valve allowing the emptying of the tank of a boat. It is also connected to the pumping station, as well as to the instrumentation of the discharge tank via Ethemet / RJ45 cable.

[0028] The miniaturization of the assembly is taken into account to be compatible with the installation constraints given by the general configuration defined by the port.

[0029] The control command of the installation is compatible with distances of several kilometers between the pump start-up command and the opening / closing valve of the most distant boat thanks to the installation of relay switches.

[0030] The protection of electronic cards against marine atmospheres is ensured by the use of an insulating gel.

[0031] The characteristic of the invention is to be able to manage the network flows in real time from the automation, calculation, control and transmission elements defined according to the installation.

[0032] The invention also consists of having solenoid valves controlled by the electronic management unit which ensures the proper functioning and monitoring of the installation.

[0033] The data on flow rates, pressures and operating time of the pumping station are transmitted via the electronic management unit to one or more servers and are subject to scientific analysis in order to optimize operation, particularly for electricity consumption. The emptying history also makes it possible to check the loads by zone and modify the emptying sequences accordingly. Data valuation

[0034] The events observed at each collection point and at the pumping station are transmitted to the server and analyzed for: • optimize operation; • anticipate breakdowns; • upload data to raise user awareness; • empower the operator with its user interface. Features of the invention

[0035] The present invention relates to the significant improvement of the technique for emptying waste water from boats moored in a port area by implementing automated management of the entire installation.

[0036] The invention is applicable to networks enabling a large number of boats to be connected, with network lengths that are also very long. The specifications enable the pumps to be sized to ensure the operation of the network.

[0037] The data evaluation tool allows this automaton to self-learn the actual operating conditions of the network and allows it to adapt as closely as possible to the optimal operating conditions. A transmission modem and / or a Wifi system, and / or an Ethernet link with the local network associated with this automaton supports the transmission of data, alerts and access to the regulation program in real time. Use cases

[0038] Case No. 1: normal operation (sequential)

[0039] A significant part of the fleet is installed at the quayside, the automatic triggering of the collection system can be carried out in sequence to allow the emptying of each of the boats. Manual triggering by the occupant of the boat is possible, possibly within the time slots defined by the port. In this case, the sequence is suspended then resumed after the boat concerned has been emptied.

[0040] Another option is to program the order of collections according to the discharge habits of the boats, in particular according to the level of the tanks of each (evolving collection order): boat x, then boat a, then boat m, etc.

[0041] A pause mode is provided when the boat is unoccupied so that its tank is not emptied. This pause mode can be activated manually or automatically, for example when no water has been collected after X collection attempts.

[0042] Collection times and frequencies can be predefined.

[0043] Pausing at certain time slots can be defined to avoid noise pollution.

[0044] Case No. 2: the boat is not at the quay.

[0045] The pleasure boat must go out to sea and, in this case, it disconnects from the collection network. The electronic management unit prohibits the opening of the connection of the boat concerned with the network until its return.

[0046] Note that the absence of a boat can be advantageously detected by appropriate detection means on the terminal of the collection point. Thus, these detection means can be in the form of a sensor for the presence or absence of a cap on the mouth provided for connecting a boat to this terminal of a collection point. In the absence of a boat and more particularly when unhooking the boat from the connection mouth of the terminal, this mouth must be closed using the cap. If the latter is not installed, there is a risk of suction for any person approaching the collection point. To limit this risk, the cap is permanently chained to the collection pipe. Furthermore, it could be provided that through the aforementioned detection means the motorized valve of this collection point cannot open, avoiding this risk of suction.

[0047] Case No. 3: Part of the network is blocked.

[0048] The risk of blockage is limited by the power of the pumping station and by the diameter of the network, it is rather located at the level of the solenoid valve which allows emptying.

[0049] This incident is detected by a user who notices that his tank is no longer emptying. The pumping station must be stopped either locally or remotely via the electronic management unit.

[0050] To determine the exact area of ​​the blockage, a sequential suction is triggered in order to determine from which boat the collection is no longer carried out and to isolate it for a maintenance intervention.

[0051] Case No. 4: manual triggering (Overpopulation / return to port with full tank).

[0052] The population on the boat is larger and causes a greater amplitude of wastewater. The electronic management unit detects the drain call. The sequential drain is paused to meet this demand.

[0053] Case No. 5: detection of hydrocarbons in the discharge tank at the outlet of the pumping station.

[0054] The electronic management unit triggers an immediate shutdown and an alert message.

[0055] The stop can also be carried out using the punch of the pumping station cabinet.

[0056] Case No. 6: simultaneous request from several boats,

[0057] The general rule can be summarized as follows: first come / first served (FiFo).

[0058] Case No. 7: request at the end of the network

[0059] The pumping station is sized for the entire collection network. The option of a specific flow sensor can be considered at the collection point furthest from the pumping station.

Claims

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