Water surface floating matter recovery device and water surface floating matter recovery method

Abstract

To provide a water surface floating matter collection device and a water surface floating matter collection method capable of efficiently collecting a water surface floating matter.SOLUTION: A water surface floating matter collection device 1 includes a main body section 10, a float section 20, a water supply section 30, and a suction section 40. Pumice P introduced from an inlet 104 formed in the main body section 10 is collected into an internal space S1 of the main body section 10, and is further temporarily stored in an internal space S2 of a bucket 105. When high pressure water is jetted from a jet nozzle 304 to the bucket 105, a vertical circulating flow is formed within the bucket 105, and the pumice P repeats floating and sinking along the circulating flow. The pumice P that has sunk into water is sucked by a suction pump 401 and discharged to outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water surface floating matter recovery device and a water surface floating matter recovery method, and more particularly to a water surface floating matter recovery device and a water surface floating matter recovery method that can efficiently recover water surface floating matter. [Background technology]

[0002] Various types of pollution of the environment, especially the ocean, have long been seen as a negative legacy of industrial development. For example, there are problems such as oil spills from industrial complexes along the coast, or oil spills into the ocean due to accidents on ships carrying crude oil, which not only cause surface pollution but also affect the ecosystem of marine life.

[0003] Furthermore, environmental problems caused by discarded plastics have been brought into the spotlight, and it has become clear that large amounts of plastic are drifting in the oceans on a global scale, particularly after being dumped in the ocean or released into the sea via rivers, etc. This floating plastic waste maintains its shape for a long period of time, and if ingested by marine organisms, it can remain in the digestive tract and cause feeding disorders, and this has been pointed out as having an impact on the ecosystem.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, the underwater volcanic eruption of the Ogasawara Islands has caused a major problem by causing large amounts of pumice to wash up on the coasts of the Ryukyu Islands and coastal areas on the Pacific coast. Pumice is a porous material formed when lava containing water, carbon dioxide, and volcanic gases rapidly cools and decompresses, causing the dissolved water and carbon dioxide to solidify in the form of bubbles, similar to those in carbonated drinks. As a result, many pumice stones have an apparent specific gravity lighter than water, and they do not sink to the seabed until seawater penetrates the pores and their specific gravity increases. Therefore, leaving drifting pumice unattended poses a significant impact on maritime traffic and fishing, and urgent action is required.

[0005] Conventionally, a water surface floating matter recovery device for recovering oil, plastic, or pumice (hereinafter, these floating matters on the water surface will be referred to as "water surface floating matters") that floats on the sea surface has been known, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0006] In Patent Document 1, a water suction box equipped with a float and a weight is placed below the water surface, and this water suction box is connected to a suction pump via a floating matter separator. A dust collection tube equipped with a float is inserted into the water suction box so that it can slide up and down, and in a normal state, the top opening of this dust collection tube is positioned near the water surface and is engaged with the water suction box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 9-155340 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] According to the water surface floating matter recovery device disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, when the suction pump sucks up the floating matter on the water surface, a large amount of water is also sucked up along with the floating matter, which may result in a deterioration in the removal rate of the floating matter on the water surface. On the other hand, if the suction pump is raised to near the water surface in order to increase the removal rate of the floating matter on the water surface, there is a risk that the suction pump will suck in a large amount of air, which will also result in a deterioration in the removal rate of the floating matter on the water surface.

[0009] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a water surface floating matter recovery device and a water surface floating matter recovery method that can efficiently recover water surface floating matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the water surface floating matter recovery device of the present invention comprises a main body portion having an internal space formed therein and an inlet formed on the side thereof that communicates with the outside, and having a bucket for temporarily storing water surface floating matter introduced into the internal space from the inlet, a float portion having a floating device installed at a predetermined position on the side of the main body portion, a water supply portion having a jet nozzle that sprays high-pressure water toward the bucket and a jet pump that supplies high-pressure water from a water supply source to the jet nozzle, a suction pump formed with a suction port that sucks up the recovered matter accumulated in the bucket, and a suction portion having a discharge path connected to the suction pump and formed with a discharge port that discharges the recovered matter to the outside.

[0011] Here, by providing a main body portion in which an internal space is formed and in which an inlet opening communicating with the outside is formed on the side, it is possible to introduce floating matter on the water surface into the inside of the main body portion through the inlet opening.

[0012] In addition, the main body has a bucket that temporarily stores floating matter on the water surface that is introduced into the internal space from the inlet, so that the floating matter on the water surface that is introduced from the inlet is temporarily stored in the bucket and prevented from flowing out of the main body.

[0013] Furthermore, by providing a float unit installed at a predetermined position on the side of the main body, the main body can be made to float on the water surface, and while the main body floats on the water surface, it can collect floating matter from the inlet.

[0014] Furthermore, by providing a water supply unit with a jet nozzle that sprays high-pressure water toward the bucket and a jet pump that supplies high-pressure water from a water supply source to the jet nozzle, water pumped up by the jet pump can be sprayed as high-pressure water from the jet nozzle toward the bucket. At this time, vertical vortices are formed within the bucket, and the circulating flow caused by these vertical vortices can cause floating objects on the water surface of the bucket to convect in the water.

[0015] Furthermore, by providing a suction pump with a suction port for sucking in the collected material accumulated in the bucket and a suction unit having a discharge path connected to the suction pump and with a discharge port for discharging the collected material to the outside, the floating material on the water surface that is convecting vertically inside the bucket can be sucked in through the suction port located underwater and discharged to the outside through the discharge path. In this case, by providing a collecting device near the discharge port for collecting the floating material on the water surface discharged from the discharge port, the floating material introduced into the floating material recovery device can be collected by the collecting device.

[0016] Furthermore, if a damper capable of adjusting the aperture ratio of the inlet is provided, the damper can be driven to variably control the aperture ratio of the inlet depending on the thickness of the floating matter below the water surface. This allows the floating matter to be collected to be reliably introduced into the main body from the inlet. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent large floating matter that is not to be collected from being introduced into the main body.

[0017] Furthermore, if a filter with a specified mesh size is provided in front of the inlet, when collecting floating matter on the water surface from the inlet, floating matter on the water surface with a particle size larger than the floating matter to be collected can be captured by the filter and prevented from being introduced into the main body.

[0018] Furthermore, when multiple jet nozzles are installed at predetermined intervals on a substantially annular supply pipe located directly above the bucket and the jet nozzles are attached at an angle of approximately 40 to 60 degrees to the vertical axis, vertical vortices formed within the bucket create a uniform circulating flow within the bucket. This circulating flow causes floating matter on the water surface to convect vertically, allowing the floating matter to be efficiently sucked in from the suction part located underwater.

[0019] If the jet nozzle is attached at an angle of less than 40 degrees to the vertical axis, high-pressure water is sprayed toward the center of the bucket, preventing a uniform circulation within the bucket. As a result, not all of the floating matter accumulated in the bucket will circulate within the bucket, which may reduce the suction efficiency of the suction unit.

[0020] On the other hand, if the jet nozzle is attached at an angle greater than approximately 60 degrees relative to the vertical axis, the longitudinal vortex generated in the bucket weakens, and the circulating flow in the bucket also weakens. Therefore, even in this case, not all of the floating matter accumulated in the bucket is convected within the bucket, and there is a risk that the suction efficiency of the suction part will decrease.

[0021] In addition, the bucket has an approximately frustum-shaped accumulation space formed vertically downward from the floor of the main body, and when the accumulation space and the internal space of the main body are connected via a through hole, all of the floating matter on the water surface introduced into the internal space of the main body from the inlet can be accumulated in the bucket through the through hole.

[0022] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the method for recovering water surface floating matter of the present invention comprises the steps of: introducing water surface floating matter into the internal space of the main body part from an inlet formed on the side of the main body part that floats on the water surface; spraying high-pressure water toward a bucket that is connected to the internal space of the main body part and filled with a predetermined amount of water, thereby forming a vertical circulating flow within the bucket; collecting the water surface floating matter introduced into the internal space of the main body part in the bucket; and sucking up the water surface floating matter that has collected in the bucket and is convecting within the bucket along the circulating flow and discharging it to the outside.

[0023] Here, by providing a process for introducing water surface floating matter into the internal space of the main body from an inlet formed on the side of the main body floating on the water surface, the water surface floating matter can be introduced from the inlet into the inside of the main body and recovered.

[0024] In addition, by including a process of spraying high-pressure water toward a bucket that is connected to the internal space of the main body and filled with a predetermined amount of water, and forming a vertical circulating flow within the bucket, it is possible to guide floating matter on the water surface that has been introduced into the internal space of the main body to the bucket.

[0025] Furthermore, by including a process of collecting the floating matter on the water surface introduced into the internal space of the main body in a bucket, the floating matter on the water surface introduced into the internal space can be guided into the bucket by the vertical vortex formed in the bucket, as described above.

[0026] Furthermore, by providing a step of sucking up and discharging to the outside the floating matter that has accumulated in the bucket and is convecting within the bucket along the circulating flow, the floating matter that is convecting in the vertical direction within the bucket along the circulating flow caused by the vertical vortex generated within the bucket can be sucked up and discharged to the outside. The floating matter that has been discharged to the outside can then be collected in a collecting device installed nearby. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] The water surface floating matter recovery device and water surface floating matter recovery method according to the present invention are capable of efficiently recovering water surface floating matter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a water surface floating matter recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the water surface floating matter recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the water surface floating matter recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along the line BB in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a circulating flow formed in a bucket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The following describes in detail an apparatus for collecting floating matter on the water surface and a method for collecting floating matter on the water surface according to an embodiment of the present invention, using drawings and the like, to facilitate understanding of the present invention. In the following description, the floating matter on the water surface is assumed to be pumice (a type of pyroclastic material, a type of volcanic ejecta primarily emitted from undersea volcanoes, which is a porous material with numerous voids and an apparent specific gravity lower than that of water in a dry state), but the object to be collected is not limited to pumice. For example, the present invention can be applied to the collection of any floating matter on the water surface, such as oil spilled on the water surface or waste floating on the water surface.

[0030] 1 to 3 are diagrams showing the appearance of a water surface floating matter recovery device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The water surface floating matter recovery device 1 is mainly composed of a main body 10, a float unit 20, a water supply unit 30, and a suction unit 40. In the following description, when the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 is floating on the water surface, the direction facing upward is defined as "up," the direction opposite to "up" is defined as "down," the axial direction represented by "up" and "down" is defined as the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is defined as the horizontal direction. The side of an inlet 104 formed in the main body 10 is defined as the front, and the opposite side is defined as the rear.

[0031] [Main body] The main body 10 is roughly U-shaped in plan view, with an open front side and a hood 101 that opens half-horn-shaped from top to bottom at the rear side. In the open space at the front, a scaffolding 103 is installed at a predetermined height from the floor 102 as a work space for workers, and workers can board this scaffolding 103 to perform predetermined work.

[0032] An inlet 104 is formed on the front side of the main body 10 for collecting pumice P floating on the water surface and introducing it into the inside of the main body 10. The pumice P introduced from the inlet 104 is introduced into an internal space S1 surrounded by the hood 101, floor 102, and scaffolding 103. In addition, below the floor 102 is a bucket 105 in which is formed an accumulation space S2 that is approximately truncated cone-shaped and narrows vertically downward. The accumulation space S2 of the bucket 105 and the internal space S1 of the main body 10 are in communication via a through-hole 106, and the pumice P introduced into the internal space S1 is led to this bucket 105 and temporarily stored therein.

[0033] Here, the main body 10 is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned shape, but may have any shape as long as it has a predetermined internal space S1 and an inlet 104 for introducing the pumice P to be collected into the internal space S1.

[0034] Furthermore, the bucket 105 does not necessarily have to be substantially truncated cone-shaped, and may have any shape as long as it has an accumulation space S2 large enough to temporarily store the pumice P.

[0035] A ballast tank 107 is installed along the outer periphery of the floor surface 102 on the side of the main body 10. The ballast tank 107 is formed by, for example, connecting a plurality of cylindrical pipes to form compartments, and an inlet and an air vent (neither of which are shown) are drilled at the top and bottom of the cylindrical pipes, and the submersion and surfacing of the main body 10 are adjusted by filling and discharging water into and from the ballast tank 107. In addition, the front end of the ballast tank 107 (near the inlet 104) is tapered toward approximately the center of the main body 10 in a plan view.

[0036] Here, it is not necessary to form the front end of the ballast tank 107 in a tapered shape. However, by forming the front end of the ballast tank 107 in a tapered shape, the introduction of the pumice P floating on the water surface from the inlet 104 into the internal space S1 is promoted, and the recovery rate of the pumice P can be increased.

[0037] A rib 108 for lifting the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 with a crane or the like is installed at a predetermined position of the ballast tank 107. When the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 is to be moved from land to the water surface, for example, the hook of a lifting device (not shown) such as a crane is engaged with the rib 108 to lift it up, and after moving it above the water surface, the lifting device is operated to lower it above the water surface, whereby the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 can be installed and moved above the water surface.

[0038] A damper 109 is installed behind the inlet 104, which can arbitrarily adjust the opening ratio of the inlet 104. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the damper 109 is pivotally supported on the floor 102 by a fixing means such as a hinge, and can rotate upward with this lower end as a base end. In addition, one end of a wire rope 111 of a winch 110 installed on the scaffolding 103 is connected to the upper end of the damper 109, and by driving the winch 110 and fixing the damper 109 at a predetermined angle position, the opening ratio of the inlet 104 can be variably controlled.

[0039] Here, it is not necessary to install the damper 109. However, by installing the damper 109, the opening ratio of the inlet 104 can be changed according to the subsurface thickness of the pumice P floating on the water surface. This prevents water surface floating matter that is larger than the particle size of the pumice P to be collected and is not to be collected from being introduced into the main body 10, and ensures that only the pumice P that is to be collected is collected.

[0040] A filter 112 having a predetermined mesh size is installed in front of the damper 109 so as to cover the front surface of the inlet 104. The filter 112 is intended to prevent large foreign objects floating on the water surface other than the pumice P to be collected from being introduced into the internal space S1 through the inlet 104.

[0041] Here, it is not necessary to install the filter 112. However, by installing the filter 112, as described above, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of large foreign matter, and to prevent problems such as breakdowns caused by the suction pump 401 (described later) sucking up these large foreign matter.

[0042] [Float part] The float unit 20 is composed of a hollow float 201 for floating the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 on the water surface, and a float guide 202 that protrudes outward from the floor 102 of the main body 10 and supports the float 201. There are three floats 201, one pair in the width direction on the front side of the main body 10 and one on the rear side, but this is not limited to this, and the mounting positions and number of the floats 201 can be changed as appropriate depending on the shape and size of the main body 10, etc.

[0043] [Water supply section] The water supply unit 30 has the function of sucking water from a water source and spraying it as high-pressure water toward the bucket 105, thereby generating a vertical vortex in the water stored in the bucket 105, thereby generating a circulating flow in the water depth direction within the bucket 105 and supplying a constant amount of water into the bucket 105, and is composed of a jet pump 301, a transfer pipe 302, a circular pipe 303, and a jet nozzle 304.

[0044] The jet pump 301 is installed on the rear side of the main body 10, submerged in the water from the space formed between the ballast tank 107 and the float unit 20 toward the water source. A transfer pipe 302 is connected to the jet pump 301, extending from the top of the hood 101 toward the internal space S1 of the main body 10, while running along the side of the hood 101. Furthermore, the tip of the transfer pipe 302 is connected to an annular pipe 303 installed in the internal space S1 of the main body 10, and the water pumped up by the jet pump 301 is converted into high-pressure water and supplied to the annular pipe 303 through the transfer pipe 302. A jet nozzle 304 directed vertically downward is provided on the annular pipe 303, and the high-pressure water supplied to the annular pipe 303 is sprayed from the jet nozzle 304 toward the bucket 105.

[0045] The jet nozzles 304 installed on the circular pipe 303 are installed at multiple locations (three locations in this embodiment of the present invention) at equal intervals, and their installation angle can be appropriately changed within a range of approximately 40 to 60 degrees (45 degrees in this embodiment) downward from the vertical axis.

[0046] When high-pressure water is sprayed from jet nozzle 304 toward bucket 105, vertical vortices (vertical vortices) are generated in the water stored in bucket 105. The continuous generation of these vertical vortices induces a circulating flow in the water depth direction within bucket 105, as shown in Figure 4. Pumice P floating on the water surface of bucket 105 is guided by this circulating flow and repeatedly rises and sinks in the water depth direction, making it possible for the pumice P in the water to be sucked out by suction pump 401, which will be described later and is installed in the water.

[0047] Here, the jet nozzles 304 do not need to be installed in three locations, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the bucket 105, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, the mounting angle of the jet nozzle 304 does not need to be in the range of approximately 40 to 60 degrees as described above. However, if the mounting angle is less than 40 degrees, the high-pressure water is sprayed toward approximately the center of the bucket 105, preventing the formation of a uniform circulating flow within the bucket 105. As a result, not all of the pumice P floating on the water surface of the bucket 105 sinks into the stored water, which may reduce the suction efficiency of the suction unit 40, which will be described later.

[0049] On the other hand, if the installation angle of the jet nozzle 304 is greater than approximately 60 degrees with respect to the vertical axis, the vertical vortex generated in the bucket 105 will be weaker, and the circulating flow in the bucket 105 will also be weaker. Therefore, even in this case, not all of the pumice P floating on the water surface of the bucket 105 will sink into the stored water, and there is a risk that the suction efficiency of the suction part 40 will decrease.

[0050] [Suction part] The suction section 40 has the function of sucking up the pumice P accumulated in the bucket 105 and discharging it to the outside, and is composed of a suction pump 401 and a discharge pipe 402 formed with a discharge port that discharges the pumice P sucked up by the suction pump 401 to the outside.

[0051] The suction pump 401 is an underwater sand pump that incorporates an impeller and a motor that drives the impeller, and is driven by the rotation of the impeller. The suction pump 401 is formed with multiple suction ports, through which pumice P circulating in the water is sucked as the impeller rotates. The pumice P sucked through the suction ports passes through the discharge pipe 402 and is discharged toward land from a discharge port formed at the tip of the discharge pipe 402. At this time, by installing a collecting device (e.g., a container, truck bed, etc.) near the discharge port to collect the discharged pumice P on land, the pumice P discharged from the discharge pipe 402 can be collected by the collecting device and disposed of appropriately.

[0052] Next, a procedure for a method for recovering pumice P using the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The method for recovering pumice P is composed of the following steps.

[0053] [Step 1: Introducing the pumice into the main body] Once the installation of the water surface floating matter recovery device 1 on the water surface is complete, the winch 110 is operated to fix the damper 109 at a predetermined angle position and open the inlet 104. The angle at which the damper 109 is fixed is determined, for example, by visually determining the sinking position from the water surface of the pumice P floating on the water surface, and the damper 109 is fixed at a position where the opening rate of the inlet 104 is appropriate based on the visual inspection results.

[0054] When the inlet 104 is opened, the pumice P floating on the water surface toward the inlet 104 flows together with seawater into the internal space S1 of the main body 10. When the amount of pumice P flowing into the inlet 104 is small, it is also possible to introduce the pumice P through the inlet 104 while moving the water surface floating matter recovery device 1.

[0055] [Step 2: Injecting high-pressure water into the bucket] Once a certain amount of pumice P has been introduced into the main body 10 in step 1, the jet pump 301 is driven to spray high-pressure water from the jet nozzle 304 toward the bucket 105. When the high-pressure water is sprayed toward the bucket 105, vertical vortices are generated in the water stored in the bucket 105 in the water depth direction. As these vertical vortices are continuously generated, a vertical circulating flow occurs in the water stored in the bucket 105.

[0056] Here, step 2 does not necessarily have to be performed after a certain amount of pumice P has been introduced into the main body 10, and the jet pump 301 may be driven simultaneously with step 1.

[0057] [Step 3: Accumulating pumice in a bucket] In step 2, when a vertical circulating flow is generated in the bucket 105, the pumice P floating in the internal space S1 is guided by the flow and accumulates toward the bucket 105. Then, the pumice P accumulated in the bucket 105 convects by repeatedly sinking and floating in the water depth direction due to the circulating flow in the bucket 105.

[0058] [Step 4: Suction and discharge of pumice] The suction pump 401 is driven to suck up the pumice P circulating inside the bucket 105. The sucked up pumice P is then discharged to the outside from the discharge port through the discharge pipe 402. At this time, the suction port of the suction pump 401 is always located underwater, so the pumice P can be efficiently sucked up together with seawater without sucking in air from the suction port of the suction pump 401.

[0059] The pumice stone P discharged to the outside is accumulated in a pre-prepared accumulation device, and is then transported to a disposal site or a processing site for disposal or processing.

[0060] As described above, the water surface floating matter recovery device and water surface floating matter recovery method to which the present invention is applied can efficiently recover water surface floating matter. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Water surface floating matter recovery device 10 Main body 101 Food 102 Floor 103 Scaffolding 104 entrance 105 Bucket 106 Through hole 107 Ballast Tank 108 Ribs 109 Damper 110 Winch 111 Wire Rope 112 filters 20 Float section 201 Floating device 202 Float Guide 30 Water supply section 301 Jet Pump 302 Transfer Pipe 303 Circular Pipe 304 Jet Nozzle 40 Suction part 401 Suction pump 402 Exhaust pipe Pumice S1 interior space S2 Accumulation Space

Claims

1. a main body having an internal space and an inlet on a side thereof communicating with the outside, the main body having a bucket for temporarily storing water surface floating matter introduced into the internal space through the inlet; a float unit having a float installed at a predetermined position on the side surface of the main body unit; a water supply unit including a jet nozzle that sprays high-pressure water toward the bucket and a jet pump that supplies high-pressure water from a water supply source to the jet nozzle; a suction pump having a suction port formed therein for sucking the collected material accumulated in the bucket, and a suction unit having a discharge path connected to the suction pump and having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the collected material to the outside. A device for collecting floating matter on the water surface.

2. A damper capable of adjusting the opening ratio of the inlet is provided. The water surface floating matter recovery device according to claim 1.

3. A filter with a predetermined mesh size is provided in front of the inlet.

3. The apparatus for recovering floating matter on the water surface according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A plurality of the jet nozzles are installed at predetermined intervals on a substantially annular supply pipe, The jet nozzle is attached at an angle of 40 to 60 degrees relative to the vertical axis. The apparatus for recovering floating matter on the water surface according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The bucket is A roughly frustum-shaped accumulation space is formed vertically downward from the floor surface of the main body, and the accumulation space and the internal space of the main body are in communication with each other via a through-hole. The apparatus for recovering floating matter on the water surface according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a step of introducing water surface floating objects into an internal space of the main body through an inlet formed on a side surface of the main body floating on the water surface; a step of spraying high-pressure water toward a bucket that is in communication with the internal space of the main body and filled with a predetermined amount of water, thereby forming a vertical circulating flow within the bucket; a step of collecting the water surface floating matter introduced into the internal space of the main body in the bucket; and a step of sucking up the floating matter on the water surface that has accumulated in the bucket and is convecting within the bucket along the circulating flow and discharging it to the outside. Method for collecting floating matter on the water surface.

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