oil skimmer

Abstract

To provide an oil skimmer that can reduce the frequency of scraper cleaning.SOLUTION: An oil skimmer 1 includes: a rotating roller 20 installed outside a tank 2 that stores an oil-containing liquid, a belt 22 that is placed over the rotating roller 20 and is at least partially immersed in the liquid in the tank to recover oil, a scraper 40 that comes into contact with the belt 22 and scrapes off the oil adhering to the belt 22, a recovery section 30 that collects the oil scraped off by the scraper 40, and a control unit 52 that controls the drive of the rotating roller 20, wherein the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in a first direction to collect the oil and rotates the rotating roller 20 in a second direction opposite to the first direction to remove foreign matter attached to the scraper 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil skimmer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally used oil skimmers (machines for recovering floating oil) operate as follows: an oil-absorbent belt is immersed and rotated in a tank storing liquid containing floating oil, so that the belt recovers oil; then a scraper is pressed against the belt outside the tank to remove oil from the belt; and the belt from which oil has been removed is immersed in the liquid again to continuously recover oil (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when conventionally used oil skimmers are operated continuously, processing scraps and oil components contained in the liquid adhere to the scraper, reducing the force with which the scraper scrapes off oil. As a result, the oil recovery efficiency of the oil skimmer decreases, and eventually oil recovery becomes impossible, so the oil skimmer is operated while performing maintenance such as cleaning the scraper from time to time.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an oil skimmer capable of reducing the frequency of cleaning the scraper.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the oil skimmer of the present invention is an oil skimmer comprising: a rotating roller; and a belt wound around the rotating roller, at least a part of ButThe system comprises a belt immersed in the liquid inside the tank to collect oil, a scraper that contacts the belt to scrape off the oil adhering to it, a collection unit that collects the oil scraped off by the scraper, and a control unit that controls the drive of the rotating roller. The control unit collects the oil by rotating the rotating roller in a first direction, and removes foreign matter adhering to the scraper by rotating the rotating roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Furthermore, the scraper is formed in a V-shape with its center sloping downwards, and the oil collected in the recovery section flows along the V-shape. It is characterized by the following:

[0009] The oil skimmer of the present invention is an oil skimmer comprising: a rotating roller; a belt that is placed over the rotating roller and at least a portion of which is immersed in the liquid in the tank to recover oil; a scraper that contacts the belt and scrapes off oil adhering to the belt; a recovery unit that recovers the oil scraped off by the scraper; and a control unit that controls the drive of the rotating roller, wherein the control unit recovers the oil by rotating the rotating roller in a first direction, and removes foreign matter adhering to the scraper by rotating the rotating roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction, The control unit controls the rotating roller to rotate in a first direction to collect oil, and the rotating roller to rotate in a second direction to remove foreign matter adhering to the scraper, enabling switching between these modes. It is characterized by doing so.

[0010] In the oil skimmer described above, the control unit has a time management unit that manages the operating time of the oil recovery mode and the cleaning mode, and may control the execution and switching of the oil recovery mode and the cleaning mode according to the required time set in the time management unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This invention has the effect of reducing the frequency of cleaning the scraper. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a partial cross-sectional example of the configuration of an oil skimmer according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic front view showing a partial cross-section of an example configuration of the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the oil skimmer recovery section shown in Figure 1, viewed from the belt side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of the recovery section as seen from the direction of arrow IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5]Figure 5 is a perspective view of the recovery section showing a cross-section of the VV line in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the recovery section showing a cross-section of the line VI-VI in Figure 3. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic front view in partial cross-section showing the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1 in oil recovery mode, where the rotating roller rotates in a first direction. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic front view in partial cross-section showing the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1 in cleaning mode, where the rotating roller is rotated in a second direction. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the collection section showing the direction of oil flow on the underside of the scraper when the cleaning mode shown in Figure 8 is in place. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the operating times for the oil recovery mode and cleaning mode controlled by the time management unit of the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing a partial cross-sectional example of the configuration of an oil skimmer according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. In addition, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] An oil skimmer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a configuration example of the oil skimmer according to Embodiment 1 with a partial cross-section. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a configuration example of the oil skimmer shown in FIG. 1 with a partial cross-section. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a recovery unit of the oil skimmer shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the belt side. FIG. 4 is a side view of the recovery unit as viewed from the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the recovery unit showing a cross-section taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recovery unit showing a cross-section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3.

[0015] The oil skimmer 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 1 recovers oil content 3 from a liquid 4 containing the oil content 3 (also referred to simply as oil) stored in a tank 2. The liquid 4 is, for example, a waste liquid containing water produced by various types of processing, the oil content 3, processing scraps (also referred to as sludge), and the like. The tank 2 stores the liquid 4 containing the oil content 3, and in Embodiment 1, the tank 2 is a container with an open upper portion.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the oil skimmer 1 includes a connecting portion 10, a rotating roller 20, a pulley 21, a belt 22, a recovery unit 30 (shown in FIG. 2), a scraper 40 (shown in FIG. 2), and a drive control unit 50. In Embodiment 1, the connecting portion 10 is formed in the shape of a linearly extending strip plate. The connecting portion 10 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction, an upper end portion 11 thereof is positioned above the liquid level 5 of the liquid 4 stored in the tank 2, and a lower end portion 12 thereof is immersed in the liquid 4 stored in the tank 2.

[0017] In Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 10 is arranged such that a magnet 7 attached to the lower surface of a lateral standing piece 6 erected from the longitudinal center portion of the connecting portion 10 is attracted to a desk 8 for metal fixation adjacent to the tank 2. The magnet 7 is constituted by, for example, a permanent magnet.

[0018] The rotating roller 20 is formed in a disk shape and is rotatably supported about the axis by the upper end 11 of the connecting portion 10. By being rotatably supported by the upper end 11 of the connecting portion 10, the rotating roller 20 is installed outside the tank 2 that stores the liquid 4 containing oil 3.

[0019] The pulley 21 is formed in a disk shape and is rotatably supported about the axis by the lower end 12 of the connecting portion 10. The axis of the pulley 21 is parallel to the axis of the rotating roller 20. By being rotatably supported by the lower end 12 of the connecting portion 10, the pulley 21 is immersed in the liquid 4 containing oil 3 stored in the tank 2.

[0020] The belt 22 is formed in an endless shape (also referred to as an annular shape), is wound around at least the rotating roller 20, has at least a portion immersed in the liquid 4 in the tank 2, and is configured to recover the oil 3. In Embodiment 1, the belt 22 is wound around the rotating roller 20 and the pulley 21, and a portion thereof is immersed in the liquid 4 in the tank 2. Further, as the rotating roller 20 and the pulley 21 rotate about their axes, the belt 22 circulates (also referred to as endless traveling) around the rotating roller 20 and the pulley 21. The belt 22 is, for example, a belt made of fiber such as felt that allows oil 3 to adhere to its surface, or a metal mesh belt made of stainless steel or the like that can take oil into the mesh spaces.

[0021] The recovery unit 30 is configured to recover the oil 3 adhering to the belt 22. The recovery unit 30 is disposed on the side of the belt 22 wound around the rotating roller 20 and the pulley 21 at the upper end 11 or the like of the connecting portion 10, and is in contact with the belt 22. The recovery unit 30 includes a recovery unit main body 31 for recovering the oil 3.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the recovery unit body 31 is formed in a box shape with a bottom wall 32 and a plurality of peripheral walls 33 erected from the outer edge of the bottom wall 32, and openings 34 and 35 on the top and sides that contact the belt 22. The openings 35 on the sides face the belt 22. The recovery unit body 31 has a through hole 37 in the center of the bottom wall 32 to which a cylindrical pipe 36 is connected. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the bottom wall 32 of the recovery unit body 31 is inclined horizontally and vertically so as it approaches the through hole 37, gradually going downwards. The pipe 36 is connected around the through hole 37 and is connected to a waste unit (not shown) to guide the oil 3 recovered by the recovery unit body 31 to the waste unit. In Embodiment 1, the pipe 36 is formed integrally with the bottom wall 32 at the connection point with the area around the through hole 37, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Alternatively, the pipe 36 may be inserted into the through hole 37, and the gap may be sealed with a sealing member.

[0023] The scraper 40 contacts the belt 22 and scrapes off the oil 3 adhering to the belt 22. In Embodiment 1, the scraper 40 is formed in a plate shape integrally with the opposing peripheral walls 33 of the recovery unit body 31. The scraper 40 is provided along the entire width of the opening 35 provided on the side of the recovery unit body 31, and its outer edge contacts the belt 22 opposite the opening 35. The scraper 40 scrapes off the oil 3 adhering to the belt 22 by contacting the belt 22 with its outer edge. For this reason, the recovery unit body 31 of the recovery unit 30 recovers the oil 3 scraped off by the scraper 40.

[0024] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6, the scraper 40 is formed in a plate shape where both the upper surface 41 and the lower surface 42 are gradually inclined downward with respect to the vertical and horizontal directions as they move from both ends 411, 421 in the width direction of the opening 35 toward the center 412, 422 in the width direction of the opening 35. The scraper 40 is formed in a V shape when viewed from the front of the opening 35, with both the upper surface 41 and the lower surface 42 being inclined downward as they move from both ends 411, 421 toward the center 412, 422. As a result, the oil 3 scraped from the belt 22 by the scraper 40 and collected in the collection unit body 31 of the collection unit 30 flows along the V-shaped upper surface 41 and lower surface 42.

[0025] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 5, the scraper 40 has an upper surface 41 and a lower surface 42 that are both parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the width direction of the opening 35, and are inclined with respect to the vertical and horizontal directions so as they approach the through hole 37. As a result, the oil 3 scraped from the belt 22 by the scraper 40 and collected in the collection unit body 31 of the collection unit 30 flows along the V-shaped upper surface 41 and lower surface 42 from the opening 35 towards the through hole 37. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the collection unit 30 has a receiving surface 38 located below the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40, which receives the oil 3 scraped from the belt 22 and falling when the belt 22 comes into contact with the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40. This receiving surface is formed on at least a part of the upper surface of the bottom wall 32 of the collection unit body 31.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the drive control unit 50 comprises a motor 51, a control unit 52, and a housing 53. The housing 53 is box-shaped and houses the motor 51 and the control unit 52.

[0027] Motor 51 rotates the rotating roller 20 in a first direction 23, indicated by an arrow in Figure 2, around the axis, and in a second direction 24, also indicated by an arrow in Figure 2, around the axis and opposite to the first direction 23. The rotation direction of motor 51 is controlled by control unit 52. The first direction 23 is the rotation direction of the rotating roller 20 in which the same part of the belt 22 first contacts the upper surface 41 of the scraper 40. The second direction 24 is the rotation direction of the rotating roller 20 in which the same part of the belt 22 first contacts the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40.

[0028] Next, the control unit 52 will be described. Figure 7 is a schematic front view in partial cross-section showing the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1 in oil recovery mode, where the rotating roller rotates in a first direction. Figure 8 is a schematic front view in partial cross-section showing the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1 in cleaning mode, where the rotating roller rotates in a second direction. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the recovery section showing the direction of oil flow on the underside of the scraper in cleaning mode, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the operating times for the oil recovery mode and cleaning mode controlled by the time management unit of the control unit of the oil skimmer shown in Figure 1.

[0029] The control unit 52 controls the drive of the motor 51, or rotating roller 20, of the oil skimmer 1, causing the oil skimmer 1 to perform the oil recovery operation 3. The control unit 52 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the control unit 52 performs calculations according to the computer program stored in the storage device and outputs control signals for controlling the oil skimmer 1 to the aforementioned components of the oil skimmer 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0030] Furthermore, the control unit 52 is connected to a display unit (not shown) which consists of a liquid crystal display device that displays the status of the retrieval operation and images, and an input unit (not shown) which is used by the operator to register retrieval conditions, etc. The input unit consists of at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit and an external input device such as a keyboard.

[0031] In Embodiment 1, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the first direction 23, so that, as shown in Figure 7, the upper surface 41 of the scraper 40's upper and lower surfaces 42 come into contact with the belt 22 first, scraping the oil 3 from the belt 22. The scraped oil 3 flows toward the center of the upper surface 41 of the scraper 40, as indicated by the arrow 391 in Figure 3, and then flows through the through-hole 37 and piping 36 of the recovery unit body 31 before being discharged to the waste unit. In this way, the control unit 52 recovers the oil 3 by rotating the rotating roller 20 in the first direction 23.

[0032] Since the liquid 4 contains processing debris, when the oil skimmer 1 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the first direction 23, foreign matter 9 (shown in Figure 8), such as processing debris, may adhere to the scraper 40 and get stuck between the scraper 40 and the belt 22. For this reason, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the second direction 24, so that, as shown in Figure 8, the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40 (of the upper surface 41 and lower surface 42) comes into contact with the belt 22 first, scraping the oil 3 from the belt 22, removing the foreign matter 9 stuck between the scraper 40 and the belt 22, and removing the foreign matter 9 attached to the scraper 40.

[0033] Furthermore, the oil 3 scraped off by the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40 flows toward the center 422 of the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40, as shown by arrow 392 in Figure 9, then drips from the center 422 of the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40, is caught by the receiving surface 38 of the bottom wall 32 located below the scraper 40, flows through the through hole 37 and piping 36 of the recovery unit body 31 and is discharged toward the waste unit. In this way, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the second direction 24, opposite to the first direction 23, to remove the foreign matter 9 adhering to the scraper 40.

[0034] Thus, the scraper 40 has an upper surface 41 that contacts the belt 22 first when the belt 22 rotates along the first direction 23, and a lower surface 42 that contacts the belt 22 first when the belt 22 rotates in the second direction 24. The collection unit 30 also has a receiving surface 38 on its bottom wall 32 below the lower surface 42 of the scraper 40 to receive the oil 3 that is scraped off and falls after contacting the upper surface 41 of the scraper 40.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 52 has a time management unit 54 that manages the driving time of the oil recovery mode 55 and the cleaning mode 56 shown in Figure 10, and controls the rotating roller 20 so that it can switch between the oil recovery mode 55 and the cleaning mode 56. The oil recovery mode 55 is a mode in which the rotating roller 20 is rotated in a first direction 23 to recover oil 3. The cleaning mode 56 is a mode in which the rotating roller 20 is rotated in a second direction 24 to remove foreign matter 9 adhering to the scraper 40.

[0036] In Embodiment 1, the time management unit 54 of the control unit 52 performs the oil recovery mode 55 for a first predetermined time (for example, 1 hour), then performs the cleaning mode 56 for a second predetermined time shorter than the first predetermined time (for example, 40 seconds), and after performing the cleaning mode 56, performs the oil recovery mode 55 again for the first predetermined time. In Embodiment 1, in the oil recovery mode 55, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in a first direction 23 at a first predetermined rotation speed (for example, 30 rpm). In Embodiment 1, in the cleaning mode 56, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in a second direction 24 at a second predetermined rotation speed faster than the first predetermined rotation speed (for example, 60 rpm) for a third predetermined time shorter than the second predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds). Subsequently, the rotating roller 20 is rotated in the first direction 23 at a second predetermined rotational speed for a fourth predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) that is shorter than the third predetermined time. In this invention, in cleaning mode 56, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the second direction 24 at a first predetermined rotational speed for a third predetermined time. Subsequently, the rotating roller 20 may be rotated in the second direction 24 at a second predetermined rotational speed for a fourth predetermined time.

[0037] The first, second, third, and fourth predetermined times mentioned above are the required times. The control unit 52 controls the execution and switching between the oil recovery mode 55 and the cleaning mode 56 according to the required times set in the time management unit 54, by having the time management unit 54 manage the operating time of the oil recovery mode 55 and the cleaning mode 56.

[0038] In Embodiment 1, the function of the time management unit 54 of the control unit 52 is realized by the arithmetic processing unit performing calculations according to a computer program stored in the memory device.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the oil skimmer 1 can remove foreign matter 9 adhering to the scraper 40 by rotating the belt 22 in the second direction 24 during cleaning mode 56. As a result, the first embodiment of the oil skimmer 1 has the effect of reducing the frequency of cleaning the scraper 40.

[0040] Furthermore, the oil skimmer 1 is designed to recover floating oil 3 that floats on the liquid 4, and recovering oil that has settled or melted in the tank 2 could negatively affect the treatment of the liquid 4. Therefore, in the oil skimmer 1 according to Embodiment 1, in oil recovery mode 55, the control unit 52 rotates the rotating roller 20 in the first direction 23 at a first predetermined rotation speed that is lower than the second predetermined rotation speed. If the oil skimmer 1 is rotated at high speed even in oil recovery mode 55, it will also recover oil other than floating oil 3, such as oil that has settled or melted in the tank 2, so it is preferable to rotate it at a low speed in oil recovery mode 55. As a result, the oil skimmer 1 according to Embodiment 1 can suppress the recovery of oil other than floating oil 3, such as oil that has settled or melted in the tank 2.

[0041] Furthermore, in cleaning mode 56, the oil skimmer 1 rotates the belt 22 in a second direction 24 at a second predetermined rotation speed or a first predetermined rotation speed, thereby removing foreign matter 9 stuck in the gap between the belt 22 and the scraper 40.

[0042] Furthermore, in cleaning mode 56, the oil skimmer 1 rotates the belt 22 in a second direction 24 at a second predetermined rotation speed or a first predetermined rotation speed, and then rotates the belt 22 in a first direction 23 at a second predetermined rotation speed. This allows foreign matter 9 adhering to the upper surface 41 of the scraper 40 to be dropped and removed by high-speed rotation. Thus, in the present invention, in cleaning mode 56, the oil skimmer 1 can enhance the removal effect of foreign matter 9 by rotating the belt 22 in a second direction 24 at a second predetermined rotation speed or a first predetermined rotation speed, and then rotating the belt 22 at high speed in a first direction 23.

[0043] (modified version) An oil skimmer according to a modified example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing a configuration example of an oil skimmer according to a modified example of Embodiment 1 in a partial cross-section. Note that in Figure 11, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in Embodiment 1, and their description is omitted.

[0044] The modified oil skimmer 1 is the same as in Embodiment 1, except that it is made of a magnetic material and is installed above the tank 2 by being attracted to a top plate 14 which has a through hole 13 through which the connecting part 10 and pulley 21 pass, and which closes the opening at the top of the tank 2.

[0045] In the modified oil skimmer 1, in cleaning mode 56, foreign matter 9 adhering to the scraper 40 can be removed by rotating the belt 22 in the second direction 24, and, similar to embodiment 1, the frequency of cleaning the scraper 40 can be reduced.

[0046] Furthermore, the modified oil skimmer 1 can be installed above the tank 2 to recover the oil 3, thus saving space during installation.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core principles of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1. Oil skimmer 2 tanks 3. Oil 4 liquid 9 Foreign object 20-rotation roller 22 belts 23 First Direction 24 Second direction 30. Recovery Section 38 Receiving surface 40 Scrapers 41 Top side 42 Bottom surface 52 Control Unit 54 Time Management Department 55 Oil recovery mode 56 Cleaning Mode 412,422 center

Claims

1. It is an oil skimmer, Rotating rollers and A belt that is placed over the rotating roller and at least a portion of it is immersed in the liquid in the tank to recover oil, A scraper that comes into contact with the belt and scrapes off the oil adhering to the belt, A recovery unit for collecting the oil scraped off by the scraper, A control unit that controls the drive of the rotating roller, Equipped with, The control unit is, By rotating the rotating roller in the first direction, the oil is recovered. By rotating the rotating roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction, foreign matter adhering to the scraper is removed, The oil skimmer is characterized in that the scraper is formed in a V-shape with its center sloping downward, and the oil collected flows into the recovery section along the V-shape.

2. It is an oil skimmer, Rotating rollers and A belt that is placed over the rotating roller and at least a portion of it is immersed in the liquid in the tank to recover oil, A scraper that comes into contact with the belt and scrapes off the oil adhering to the belt, A recovery unit for collecting the oil scraped off by the scraper, A control unit that controls the drive of the rotating roller, Equipped with, The control unit is, By rotating the rotating roller in the first direction, the oil is recovered. By rotating the rotating roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction, foreign matter adhering to the scraper is removed, The control unit is, The rotating roller is rotated in the first direction to recover oil in an oil recovery mode, A cleaning mode in which the rotating roller is rotated in the second direction to remove foreign matter adhering to the scraper, An oil skimmer characterized by its ability to control and switch between modes.

3. The control unit is, It has a time management unit that manages the operating time of the oil recovery mode and the cleaning mode, The system is characterized by controlling the execution and switching between the oil recovery mode and the cleaning mode according to the required time set in the time management unit. The oil skimmer according to claim 2.

Images