Contaminant Collection Device

Abstract

To provide a pollutant recovery device which enables anyone to easily recover pollutants from polluted water at low cost and does not cause new environmental pollution. [Solution] The contaminated material recovery device 1 has a contaminated water intake port 13 that takes in contaminated water around the device into a container 15, a container 17 that stores the taken-in contaminated water, and a water discharge flow path 19 that sucks in and discharges water from the contaminated water that has separated into water and oil in the container. The water discharge flow path 19 is positioned in the container so that a suction port 31 at one end of the water discharge flow path 19 is located near the bottom of the container 17. This makes it possible to extract only the water located at the bottom from the oil layer and water layer that are separated into upper and lower layers in the container. Therefore, only the water can be efficiently drained from the contaminated water in the container, and accordingly, the amount of oil in the container (the ratio of the amount of oil to the amount of contaminated water in the container) increases relatively, so that the oil filled in the container can be recovered.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pollutant recovery device that is used while floating on contaminated water contaminated with oil or the like (for example, the sea surface or wastewater contaminated with oil or plastic), which takes in the surrounding contaminated water while floating on the water surface, drains only the water from the taken-in contaminated water, and recovers the remaining contaminants such as oil. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, marine pollution has become one of the major environmental issues. Oceans around the world are becoming polluted due to human waste and wastewater. The problem of marine pollution is not limited to simply dirtying the ocean; it has many effects, such as reducing the habitat of marine life and seafood contaminated by harmful substances entering the human body.

[0003] The main causes of marine pollution are oil and microplastics, which are contained in domestic and industrial wastewater and flow into rivers and waterways, and ultimately into the ocean, destroying the environment and disrupting the ecosystem. There have also been reports that fuel oil spills from ships and other sources are polluting the ocean.

[0004] Conventionally, methods of recovering oil using oil sorbents and absorbent sheets have been adopted as a countermeasure against environmental pollution caused by oil and other substances. However, the use of oil sorbents and absorbent sheets requires a large amount of resources and huge costs, and their recovery is time-consuming. In addition, it is difficult to respond to an oil spill accident from a ship using only oil sorbents and absorbent sheets. Furthermore, the use of large amounts of oil sorbents and absorbent sheets may cause secondary environmental pollution, and may also cause serious supply and logistical problems due to the recovery, storage, and disposal of the oil sorbents and absorbent sheets.

[0005] Therefore, there is a demand for proposals for new environmentally friendly solutions to combat environmental pollution caused by oil and other substances, as alternatives to oil adsorbents and adsorbent sheets. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the problems with the conventional technology described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a new pollutant recovery device that can be used repeatedly, allows anyone to easily and low-costly recover pollutants such as oil that causes marine pollution from contaminated water, and does not cause new environmental pollution, as an alternative to oil adsorbents and adsorbent sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a contaminant recovery device that is used in a floating state in a liquid to be treated, which is contaminated water contaminated with oil, takes in surrounding contaminated water, removes water from the contaminated water, and recovers the remaining oil, a contaminated water intake port for taking in contaminated water around the apparatus into the container; a container for storing the contaminated water taken in through the contaminated water intake port in a state in which the contaminated water can be separated into a water layer and an oil layer by natural settling without relying on centrifugal force, and for storing the contaminated water so that the water layer is located below the water-oil interface and the oil layer is located above the water-oil interface as a result of separation by natural settling; A water discharge flow path for sucking water located below the water-oil interface from the contaminated water in a state in which the water layer and the oil layer are separated by natural settling in the container and discharging it outside the container, The water discharge flow path is provided in the container such that a suction port at one end is located below the water-oil interface in the container and a discharge port at the other end is located outside the container. This is achieved by a pollutant recovery device characterized by:

[0008] In addition, the contaminated water (e.g., seawater or wastewater contaminated with oil or plastic), which is the liquid to be treated by the contaminant recovery device of the present invention, mainly contains water, but also contains substances that contaminate the water, such as oil and plastic.

[0009] In the above-mentioned pollutant recovery apparatus, the water discharge flow path is provided in the container so that a suction port at one end of the water discharge flow path is located near the bottom surface inside the container.

[0010] In the above-mentioned contaminant recovery device, the water discharge flow path is provided in the container so that the outlet at the other end is located outside the container and in the contaminated water that is the liquid to be treated. The contaminant recovery device floating on the contaminated water moves on the contaminated water using the water flow discharged from the outlet of the water discharge flow path as a propulsive force.

[0011] In the above-mentioned contaminated material recovery device, the contaminated water intake port is provided so as to take in contaminated water near the liquid surface around the device into the container.

[0012] In addition, in the above-mentioned contaminant recovery device, a float is provided in the contaminated water intake port so as to maintain a state in which contaminated water near the liquid level around the device is taken into the container.

[0013] In addition, in the above-mentioned contaminated material recovery apparatus, the contaminated water intake port is formed so as to form an opening having an inverted triangle shape when viewed from the front.

[0014] In addition, in the above-mentioned pollutant recovery device, a water discharge port for discharging water from the contaminated water that has separated into a water layer and an oil layer within the container, and a valve body for opening and closing the water discharge port are provided at the bottom of the container.

[0015] The container of the pollutant recovery device may be, for example, a recyclable plastic bottle.

[0016] The contaminant collection device also has a handle (grab bar) that extends toward the top of the device. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The pollutant recovery device of the present invention is a wastewater tank or purification tank that stores polluted water (e.g., water contaminated with oil or microplastics) that is the liquid to be treated. tank It can be used by simply floating it on the surface of the sea, rivers, waterways, oceans, lakes, etc. contaminated with oil and microplastics, so it is hassle-free and easy for anyone to use. In addition, it can be used repeatedly, so it does not cause new environmental pollution like disposable oil absorbents and absorbent sheets.

[0018] In addition, in the contaminant recovery device of the present invention, the water discharge flow passage is positioned in the container so that the suction port at one end of the water discharge flow passage is located near the bottom of the container. This makes it possible to reliably extract only the water located at the bottom from the oil layer (top) and water layer (bottom) separated into upper and lower parts in the container. As a result, only the water can be efficiently drained from the contaminated water (the oil layer and water layer separated into upper and lower parts) in the container, and accordingly, the amount of oil in the container (the ratio of the amount of oil to the amount of contaminated water in the container) increases relatively. This state is shown in order in Figures 2(a) to (c). Therefore, by using the contaminant recovery device of the present invention, it is possible to finally recover oil that is filled to the brim of the container.

[0019] In addition, in the pollutant recovery device of the present invention, the water discharge flow path is provided in the container so that the outlet at the other end is located outside the container (below the bottom of the container) and under the contaminated water, which is the liquid to be treated. With this configuration, the pollutant recovery device floating on the contaminated water can move on the contaminated water using the water flow discharged from the outlet of the water discharge flow path as a propulsive force. As a result, it is possible to continue (without hassle) the recovery work of pollutants such as oil over a wide area, rather than remaining in the same position. For example, in the event of an oil spill accident from a ship, a large amount of fuel oil that has spilled over a wide area can be efficiently recovered by the pollutant recovery device that continues to move on the water.

[0020] In the contaminated material recovery device of the present invention, the contaminated water intake port is provided so as to take in the contaminated water near the liquid surface around the device into the container. tank In ponds, rivers, oceans, etc., oil and plastic, which have low specific gravity, float to the surface (or near the surface). Therefore, by concentrating on taking in contaminated water near the surface of the liquid to be treated (i.e., near the surface that contains a large amount of contaminants), the oil and plastic contaminants can be efficiently collected inside the container.

[0021] The contaminant recovery device of the present invention is also provided with a float, which allows the contaminated water intake port to maintain a state in which it continues to take in contaminated water near the liquid level around the device (e.g., near the sea surface) into the container.

[0022] In addition, in the contaminated material recovery device of the present invention, the contaminated water intake is formed to have an inverted triangular opening when viewed from the front. By forming the contaminated water intake in an inverted triangular shape in this manner, the amount of contaminated water taken in can be changed according to the liquid level (water surface position) relative to the contaminated water intake. For example, when the upper part of the inverted triangular contaminated water intake is below the liquid level (water surface position), contaminated water can be taken into the container at a relatively large flow rate, while when the lower part of the contaminated water intake is at approximately the same position as the liquid level (water surface position), contaminated water can be taken into the container at a minimum flow rate.

[0023] In addition, the pollutant recovery device of the present invention is provided with a water outlet at the bottom of the container and a switch-type valve body for opening and closing the outlet. This allows only the lower water of the oil layer (upper) and water layer (lower) separated into upper and lower layers in the container to be reliably drained through the water outlet. In addition, by operating the switch-type valve body at the bottom of the container, only the water (separated water portion) can be drained from the container at any time.

[0024] Furthermore, the pollutant recovery device of the present invention can use recyclable plastic bottles as containers, which allows for more efficient use of resources and further protection of the global environment.

[0025] In addition, the contaminant recovery device of the present invention has a handle extending upward. As a result, even in cases where the liquid surface of the contaminated water to be treated is difficult to reach, the contaminant recovery device has a handle, making it possible to easily install and remove the device using the handle relative to the contaminated water to be treated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view (perspective view) that shows a schematic configuration of a pollutant recovery device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view (perspective view) showing a schematic diagram of the contaminant recovery device according to the first embodiment when in use (when recovering contaminants such as oil). FIG. 2(a) shows the initial state of contaminated water being taken into the container of the contaminant recovery device. FIG. 2(b) shows the state where further contaminated water has been taken in from the state shown in FIG. 2(a). FIG. 2(c) shows the state where further contaminated water has been taken in from the state shown in FIG. 2(b). In FIGS. 2(a) to (c), the contaminated water in the container is separated into a water layer and an oil layer due to the difference in specific gravity. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a side view (see-through view) that shows a schematic diagram of a modified example of the pollutant recovery device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a side view (perspective view) that shows a schematic configuration of a pollutant recovery device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a side view (perspective view) that shows a schematic view of the contaminant recovery device according to the second embodiment when in use (when recovering contaminants such as oil). [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side view (perspective view) that shows a schematic view of the contaminant recovery device according to the second embodiment when in use (when recovering contaminants such as oil). [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a side view (see-through view) that shows a schematic configuration of a pollutant recovery device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] (First embodiment of pollutant recovery device / large device) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a pollutant recovery device will be described with reference to FIG. This pollutant collection system is an example of a large pollutant collection system.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the pollutant recovery device 1 is used in a floating state on contaminated water contaminated with oil or the like (for example, the sea surface contaminated with oil or plastic), and takes in the surrounding contaminated water into a container 17, drains only the water from the taken-in contaminated water, and recovers the remaining contaminants such as oil.

[0029] The contaminated water, which is the liquid to be treated by the contaminant recovery device 1, mainly contains water, and also contains oil and plastic as substances that contaminate the water. Specific examples of contaminated water referred to here include drainage tanks and purification tanks that store water contaminated with oil and microplastics. tank In addition, these include rivers, waterways, oceans and lakes contaminated with oil and microplastics.

[0030] Representative examples of contaminated water that can be treated using the present invention include seawater contaminated with fuel oil, edible oil, microplastics, etc. In other words, the contaminant recovery device of this embodiment is used by floating it on the sea surface contaminated with oil, etc. The place of use is not limited to the sea, and it can be used in drainage tanks that store household and business wastewater, purification tanks, etc. tank It can also be used in rivers, waterways, lakes, etc. It can also be used by filling a household sink with water contaminated with oil, etc. and floating it on the sink.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the pollutant recovery device 1 has the following features. A contaminated water intake 13 for drawing in contaminated water around the floating device 1 into a container 17. A container 17 for storing contaminated water taken in through the contaminated water intake port 13. A water discharge flow path 19 that draws in and discharges water from the contaminated water that has separated into water and oil within the container 17. A motor 21 for providing suction and discharge action to the water discharge passage 19. A float 23 for floating the pollutant recovery device 1 on the polluted water, which is the liquid to be treated.

[0032] The contaminated water intake port 13 serves to take in the contaminated water around the apparatus 1 that is floating on the liquid to be treated (e.g., seawater contaminated with oil) into the container. The contaminated water intake port 13 is provided so as to take in the contaminated water near the liquid level around the apparatus 1 (particularly concentrating the contaminated water near the water surface around the apparatus) into the container 17. In other words, the contaminated water intake port 13 is provided in the container 17 so as to be located at approximately the same height as the liquid level of the liquid to be treated around the apparatus (e.g., seawater contaminated with oil) or slightly below the liquid level.

[0033] Container 17 is a container that looks like a drum. Container 17 stores the contaminated water taken in through contaminated water intake port 13 in a state in which it can be separated into a water layer and an oil layer by natural settling. Hereinafter, the contaminated water taken in container 17 (the contaminated water in the container) will be referred to as "taken contaminated water."

[0034] Immediately after being taken into the container 17, the taken-in contaminated water is in a state where water and oil are mixed, but after being taken into the container, they separate into a water layer and an oil layer by natural settling due to the difference in specific gravity. In other words, the oil with a lighter specific gravity (specific gravity: about 0.9) is located above the taken-in contaminated water in the container 17, and the water with a heavier specific gravity (specific gravity: 1) is located below the taken-in contaminated water in the container 17. Between the oil layer and the water layer separated into upper and lower parts, there is a water-oil interface (horizontal surface), which is the interface between them. After separation, the oil layer is located above the water-oil interface (horizontal surface), and the water layer is located below the water-oil interface (horizontal surface). If the taken-in contaminated water contains minute plastics such as microplastics or plastic fragments, the lighter plastics will be contained in the oil layer above the water layer.

[0035] In this embodiment, no water flow for generating centrifugal force, such as a vortex flow or a swirling flow, is generated in the contaminated water taken into the vessel 17. That is, in this embodiment, the contaminated water taken into the vessel 17 is separated into a water layer and an oil layer using only natural sedimentation without relying on centrifugal sedimentation. Therefore, in this embodiment, a motor or blades for generating centrifugal force, such as a vortex flow or a swirling flow, is not required, and the operating noise is accordingly quieter.

[0036] The water discharge flow path 19 is provided in the container 17 such that the suction port 31 at one end is located below the water-oil boundary surface (horizontal surface) in the container 17, and the discharge port 33 at the other end is located outside the container 17. The water discharge flow path 19 is also provided in the container 17 such that the suction port 31 at one end is located near the bottom surface of the container 17. In other words, the water discharge flow path 19 is provided in the container 17 with a small gap between the suction port 31 and the bottom surface of the container 17. The water discharge flow path 19 sucks water (the water portion in the oil layer and water layer separated into upper and lower layers) from the contaminated water separated into an aqueous layer and an oil layer in the container 17 through the suction port 31, and discharges it outside the container 17.

[0037] As described above, in the contaminant recovery device 1 of this embodiment, the water discharge flow passage 19 is positioned in the container 17 so that the suction port 31 at one end of the water discharge flow passage 19 is located near the bottom of the container 17. This makes it possible to reliably extract only the water portion located at the bottom from the oil layer (upper) and water layer (lower) separated into upper and lower parts in the container 17. As a result, only the water can be efficiently drained from the contaminated water (the oil layer and water layer separated into upper and lower parts) in the container 17, and accordingly, the amount of oil in the container 17 (the ratio of oil to the contaminated water in the container 17) increases relatively. This state is shown in order in Figures 2(a) to (c). Therefore, by using the contaminant recovery device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to finally recover oil that is filled to the brim of the container.

[0038] The mounting position of the water discharge flow path 19 shown in Fig. 1 is one example, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the water discharge flow path 19 may be provided in the container 17 so that the outlet 33 at the other end is outside the container 17 (outside the bottom surface of the container) and is located in the contaminated water that is the liquid to be treated. In this case, the contaminant recovery device 1 floating on the contaminated water can move on the contaminated water using the water flow discharged from the outlet 33 of the water discharge flow path 19 as a propulsive force.

[0039] The motor 21 serves to provide suction and discharge action to the water discharge flow path 19 to move the water to be discharged. Although not shown, an ON / OFF switch for the motor 21 and a battery for driving the motor are provided on the upper surface of the container 17. Instead of this motor, a pump such as an air lift pump can also be used.

[0040] The float 23 not only floats the contaminated material recovery device 1 on the contaminated water to be treated, but also plays a role in positioning the contaminated water intake port 13 near the liquid level around the device (near the sea level). This allows the contaminated water intake port 13 to maintain a state in which it takes in contaminated water near the liquid level around the device into the container.

[0041] (Second embodiment of pollutant recovery device / medium-sized device) Next, a second embodiment of the pollutant recovery device will be described with reference to FIGS. This pollutant collection device is an example of a medium-sized pollutant collection device.

[0042] In addition, the same reference numerals are used in the accompanying drawings for the same features as those in the first embodiment described above, and the explanation in the first embodiment is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the explanation in the first embodiment is incorporated herein by reference for the principle of water-oil separation in the container.

[0043] The following describes features that differ from the first embodiment described above.

[0044] 4, in the contaminated material recovery device 2 according to the second embodiment, the contaminated water intake port 13 is formed to have an opening shaped like an inverted triangle when viewed from the front. By making the contaminated water intake port 13 shaped like an inverted triangle in this manner, the amount of contaminated water taken in can be changed according to the liquid level (water surface position) relative to the contaminated water intake port. For example, as shown on the left side of Figure 5, when the "top" of the inverted triangular contaminated water intake 13 is approximately at the same position as the liquid level (water surface position) or even lower, contaminated water can be taken into the container 17 at a relatively large flow rate. On the other hand, for example, as shown on the right side of Figure 5, when the "bottom" of the inverted triangular contaminated water intake 13 is at a position approximately the same as the liquid level (water surface position), contaminated water can be taken into the container 17 at a minimum flow rate.

[0045] The container 17 is made from a recycled plastic bottle, which allows for more efficient use of resources and helps protect the global environment.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 4, the bottom of the container 17 is provided with a water outlet 41 (drain hole) for discharging the water portion (layer below the contaminated water) from the contaminated water that has been separated into a water layer and an oil layer inside the container 17, and a switch-type valve body 43 for opening and closing the water outlet 41. This makes it possible to reliably drain only the water portion located at the bottom of the oil layer (top) and water layer (bottom) that have been separated into upper and lower layers inside the container 17 through the water outlet 41 at the bottom of the container. Also, by operating the switch-type valve body 43 at the bottom of the container, only the water can be drained from inside the container 17 at any time.

[0047] 4, in this embodiment, a handle 51 extending toward the top of the contaminant recovery device 2 is provided on the upper part of the container 17. An ON / OFF switch 53 for the motor 21 is provided at the handle 51.

[0048] For example, as illustrated in Figure 6, even if the contaminated water to be treated is in a location that is out of reach (or difficult to reach), the contaminant recovery device 1 is equipped with a handle 51, so that the device 2 can be easily installed and removed from the contaminated water to be treated using the handle 51.

[0049] (Third embodiment of pollutant recovery device / small device) Next, a third embodiment of the pollutant recovery device will be described with reference to FIG. This pollutant collection device is an example of a small pollutant collection device.

[0050] In addition, the same reference numerals are used in the accompanying drawings for the same features as those in the first embodiment described above, and the explanation in the first embodiment is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the explanation in the first embodiment is incorporated herein by reference for the principle of water-oil separation in the container.

[0051] Hereinafter, features different from the first and second embodiments will be described.

[0052] In the contaminant recovery device 3 of this embodiment, the container 17 is configured as a pot-shaped container used for cooking. The bottom of the pot-shaped container 17 is provided with a water outlet 41 (drain hole) for discharging water (the layer below the contaminated water) from the contaminated water that has been separated into an aqueous layer and an oil layer in the container, and a switch-type valve body 43 for opening and closing the water outlet 41. This allows only the water located at the bottom of the oil layer (upper) and the aqueous layer (lower) that are separated into upper and lower layers in the container 17 to be reliably drained through the water outlet 41 at the bottom of the container. In addition, by operating the switch-type valve body 43 at the bottom of the container, only the water can be drained from inside the container 17 at any time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. Pollutant recovery equipment (oil recovery equipment) 2. Pollutant recovery equipment (oil recovery equipment) 3. Pollutant recovery equipment (oil recovery equipment) 13 Contaminated water intake 17 Container 19 Water discharge flow path 21 Motor 23 Float 31 Suction port 33 Outlet 41 Water outlet (drain hole) 43 Switch type valve body 51 Handle 53 ON / OFF switch

Claims

1. A contaminant recovery device that is used in a floating state in a drainage tank or a septic tank that stores contaminated water contaminated with oil, takes in surrounding contaminated water, removes water from the contaminated water, and recovers oil, a contaminated water intake port for taking in contaminated water around the apparatus into the container; a container made of a plastic bottle for storing the contaminated water taken in through the contaminated water intake port in a state in which the contaminated water can be separated into an aqueous layer and an oil layer by natural settling without relying on centrifugal force, and for storing the contaminated water so that the aqueous layer is located below the water-oil interface and the oil layer is located above the water-oil interface as a result of separation by natural settling; A water discharge flow path for sucking water located below the water-oil interface from the contaminated water in a state in which the water layer and the oil layer are separated by natural settling in the container and discharging it outside the container, The water discharge flow path is provided in the container such that a suction port at one end is located below the water-oil interface in the container and a discharge port at the other end is located outside the container. A pollutant recovery device.

2. A motor for applying a suction and discharge action to the water discharge flow path to move the water to be discharged; and a gripping rod extending upwardly of the container made of a plastic bottle, An ON / OFF switch for the motor is provided at the handle of the gripping bar.

2. The pollutant recovery device according to claim 1.

3. the water discharge flow path is provided in the container such that a suction port at one end of the water discharge flow path is located near a bottom surface inside the container; The contaminated water intake port is provided to take in contaminated water near the water surface around the apparatus into the container.

2. The pollutant recovery device according to claim 1.

4. At the bottom of the container, a water outlet for discharging water from the contaminated water in the container in a state where the water layer and the oil layer are separated; A valve body for opening and closing the water outlet; 2. The pollutant recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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