Underwater artificial vortex generation system

Abstract

The present invention provides a system capable of generating an artificial vortex in a deep water body such as a lake, a dam, or a large water tank to effectively supply water in the upper layer portion, rich in dissolved oxygen, to the lower layer portion having a low oxygen concentration, thereby aerating the lower layer ecosystem to improve health of the aquatic ecosystem and purifying water quality through a self-cleaning action by a smoothly operating feed chain. The present invention described above comprises: a plurality of water flow generating devices; and a structure for arranging these water flow generating devices under the water surface so as to generate a water flow in a direction that complies with a water flow direction arbitrarily set in the water body.

Description

Underwater artificial vortex generation system

[0001] The present invention relates to a device used to improve the water quality of various water bodies such as lakes, dams, and large water tanks.

[0002] In stagnant water bodies such as lakes, dams, and large tanks, the concentration of dissolved oxygen often decreases with increasing water depth. This is because the oxygen already dissolved is consumed by the activities of aerobic organisms or the oxidation process of reducing substances in the water, and the stratified structure of cold water with a high proportion of oxygen formed at the bottom of the water body prevents additional oxygen from entering. If the amount of reducing substances such as organic matter entering the bottom of the water body increases, the range of anoxic and hypoxic layers at the bottom of the water body expands, which changes the aquatic ecosystem and disrupts the food chain, ultimately worsening water quality.

[0003] To address this problem, several methods have been proposed to expand the aerobic zone of benthic ecosystems and revitalize the entire water body ecosystem by blowing air into the lower part of water bodies such as polluted lakes to increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the middle and lower layers.

[0004] The most common attempt is to install an air supply pipe and a diffuser plate at the bottom of the water body and directly blow air into this to increase the oxygen concentration. However, in this case, the injected air bubbles form a thin stream underwater and quickly rise together with the water, so the air stays underwater for a short time, the contact surface area with the water is small, and the mixing effect between the water and the bubbles is limited. Therefore, not only is the oxygen transfer efficiency to the water body low, but it is also very inefficient in achieving the purpose of supplying air to the bottom layer where oxygen is actually needed. Furthermore, since compressed air must be blown in deep waters, there is the problem that it is very expensive in the case of large lakes.

[0005] In addition, Korean Patent Publication Nos. 10-1334446 (November 29, 2013) and 10-1453730 (October 22, 2014), and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 4,724,086 (February 9, 1988) and 5,755,976 (May 26, 1998) disclose a method of alleviating the hypoxic condition of the lower layer by installing a pipe passage between the lower and upper layers of a water system and forcibly drawing up water from one side using pressurized air or other power and supplying it to the opposite side. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0147289 (June 23, 2011) discloses a method of circulating water between the lower and upper layers by installing a twisted rotary blade (propeller) underwater instead of a pipe passage and using power to rotate it to create an upward or downward flow.

[0006] Here, the method of circulating water by installing a pipe passage, such as the former, may not be so costly for relatively small bodies of water. However, for large lakes or dams, the financial burden of installation and operation may be too great to be realized. The latter circulation method using a propeller has the problem that when the drive device rotates the propeller, a forward-facing parallel flow of water is formed, which moves straight toward the lower part of the water body and pushes only a corresponding amount of water from the upper layer. Therefore, the water delivery volume is limited and the rate of reaching the lower layer is not very high.

[0007] However, natural rivers exhibit repetitive rapids and tributaries. This is because the flow of water forms meanders due to various natural conditions. Meanwhile, each meander creates eddies throughout the riverbed, influenced by the flow of water. These eddies, depending on the velocity of the river water flowing into the meander during a flood, cause varying degrees of scouring of the riverbed. The scoured sediments are then deposited in areas with weaker eddies, forming tributaries. Thus, eddies are structurally always present in natural river basins. Even in very deep waters, these eddies, appropriately sized for the location, generate water flow and directly transport surface water, rich in dissolved oxygen and organic matter, to the bottom of the tributaries. Consequently, a flowing river maintains a healthy aerobic ecosystem anywhere on the riverbed, supporting the survival of large fish, which require abundant oxygen, as well as shellfish and benthic insects. For reference, the reason the upper layer of the lake is rich in oxygen is because photosynthetic phytoplankton are more active in the surface and upper layers of the lake, providing an abundant amount of pure oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. As a result, the water in the upper layer of the lake sometimes reaches a state of supersaturation in oxygen concentration. Meanwhile, the water in the lower layer of the lake, which was previously low in oxygen, flows upward and receives oxygen from the atmosphere. As it is exposed to additional sunlight, it receives oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis from phytoplankton, and becomes rich in oxygen again.

[0008] Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that natural rivers repeatedly feature meandering topography, rapids (11) and pools (12). As illustrated in Figure 2, the water flow around a pool (see drawing symbol 12 in Figure 1) forms a vortex (22) when a straight stream (21) collides with the curved portion. As shown in Figure 3, the vortex thus formed transports and widely distributes surface water rich in dissolved oxygen to the riverbed, thereby activating the benthic ecosystem.

[0009] When a vortex phenomenon like this is artificially created in a stagnant water body such as a lake, dissolved oxygen-rich surface water is supplied to the bottom layer of the water body by oxygen produced as a byproduct of photosynthesis of phytoplankton and oxygen supplied from the atmosphere, alleviating the hypoxic condition in the bottom layer of the water body, revitalizing the ecosystem, and controlling the total amount of phytoplankton by actively feeding on phytoplankton by shellfish and microscopic animals living in the benthic layer. In this process, water quality is improved through the self-purification process that operates the food chain in which aquatic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are accumulated and stored in animals through plants.

[0010] To achieve this goal, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0145285 (December 20, 2016) and U.S. Patent Publication No. 10,532,331 (January 14, 2020) disclose a method of generating an artificial vortex by installing a cylindrical artificial vortex generating member having a water inlet and outlet underwater. However, this method entails an economic burden because a relatively large cylinder must be installed underwater. In addition, if a large amount of water flows into the target lake due to a flood, etc., the artificial vortex generating member, which is a structure with a relatively large surface area, may be damaged by being pushed by the flood current, etc., making the installation of the device risky. Therefore, there is a need for a device that is more economical and safer.

[0011] As mentioned above, in deep water bodies such as lakes, the extent of the hypoxic and anoxic layers in the lower part of the water body expands and the amount of anaerobic decomposition products increases, accelerating the collapse of self-purification capacity. To address this issue, the current attempts to improve the dissolved oxygen concentration in the lower and middle layers of the water body generally have the following problems.

[0012] The method of increasing oxygen concentration by installing an air supply pipe and a diffuser plate at the bottom of the water body and directly blowing air into this pipe has low oxygen transfer efficiency in the water body due to the injected air bubbles forming a thin stream underwater and rapidly rising together with the water, resulting in a short underwater residence time for the air, a small surface area in contact with the water, and limited contact and mixing effect between the water and the bubbles. In addition, it is difficult to expect that this will be effective in achieving the goal of supplying oxygen to the bottom layer that actually needs oxygen. Furthermore, since pressurized air must be blown in deep areas of the target area, there is the problem that this method is very expensive in the case of large lakes.

[0013] Another method is to install a pipe passage between the lower and upper parts of the water system and use pressurized air or other power to forcibly draw water from one side and supply it to the opposite side to circulate the water to relieve the low-oxygen condition in the lower part. The cost burden of installing the device may not be that great for relatively small water bodies, but the economic burden of installation and operation may be too great to apply for large lakes or dams.

[0014] And, if a method is applied to circulate the water between the lower and upper layers by installing a twisted rotary blade (propeller) underwater instead of a pipe passage and using power to rotate it to create an upward or downward flow, as explained above, a parallel flow of water is formed when the device operates, and accordingly, the resistance received by the fluid increases greatly, so when applied to a deep body of water with a depth of several tens of meters, there is a problem that it is difficult to expect a great effect because the transport efficiency is relatively low.

[0015] In addition, as already mentioned, the method of creating an artificial whirlpool by installing a cylindrical artificial whirlpool generating member with a water inlet and outlet underwater has the economic burden of installing a relatively large cylinder underwater, and when a large amount of water flows into and out of a lake due to a flood or the like, a relatively fast water current is formed, and there is a risk of accidents due to the installation of the device, as the artificial whirlpool generating member, which is a structure with a relatively large surface area, may be pushed down by the flood current.

[0016] The purpose of the embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater artificial vortex generation system that can solve the above problems and supply water from the upper layer rich in dissolved oxygen and organic substances to the lower layer of a water body where water quality is polluted and needs to be improved, while having relatively low production and installation costs, being safer, and being applicable to large-scale water bodies.

[0017] The problems to be solved are not limited to these, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of water flow generating devices (a plurality of forced water flow generating means) (see drawing symbols 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) of FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) for generating water flow (see drawing symbols 3 (3a, 3b) of FIGS. 4 and 5) in a water body such as a lake; In order to generate an artificial vortex (see reference numeral 22A of FIGS. 4 to 6) in the water body, a plurality of water current generating devices are arranged under the water surface of the water body to be spaced apart from each other so that the water current from the discharge ends of the plurality of water current generating devices faces a direction of a virtual water current arbitrarily set in the water body (one direction along the periphery of an arbitrary set area in which the artificial vortex is to be formed), so that the plurality of water current generating devices arranged at set positions under the water surface generate the water current in a direction that conforms to the direction of the virtual water current, thereby generating the artificial vortex that rotates in one direction in the water body and descends to the bottom of the water body.

[0019] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of water current generating devices (multiple forced water current generating means) (see reference numerals 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) of FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) forcibly generating a water current (see reference numerals 3 (3a, 3b) of FIGS. 4 and 5) that moves forward in a horizontal direction from a discharge end under the surface of a water body (lake, etc.), wherein the plurality of water current generating devices are arranged at intervals from each other along the periphery of a preset area arbitrarily set in advance in the water body, and the postures of the plurality of water current generating devices are aligned by the arrangement structure so that the discharge ends of the plurality of water current generating devices each face the rotational direction of the artificial vortex, so as to generate an artificial vortex (see reference numerals 22A of FIGS. 4 to 6) that moves downward toward the bottom of the water body while rotating in one direction around an axis in a vertical direction of the preset area, so that the plurality of water current generating devices cooperate to generate the artificial vortex in the water body. An underwater artificial vortex generation system for generating a vortex may be provided.

[0020] The above arrangement structure may include a fixing unit (position fixing means) (see drawing symbol 51 of FIG. 7) that fixes a plurality of the above water flow generating devices to stably position the plurality of the above water flow generating devices under the water surface.

[0021] Each of the above-described fixed units may serve to fix (fix the placement position and posture) the water flow generator so that the water flow generator does not sink or float to the bottom of the water body or rotate due to torque generated during operation. Each of the above-described fixed units may include a pile (support) that is driven into the bottom of the water body while connected to the water flow generator, or may include a connecting bracket that connects the water flow generator to a surrounding structure, buoy, etc.

[0022] Each of the above-described water flow generating devices may include a propeller unit having a propeller (see reference numeral 50 in FIG. 7) configured to rotate about a horizontal axis by power and generate the water flow when rotated. Specifically, each of the above-described propeller units may include: the propeller rotatable about the horizontal axis; and a drive unit (power providing means) that rotates the propeller at a set speed using the power. Depending on implementation conditions, etc., the propeller unit may be replaced with a rotary turbine.

[0023] Each of the above water generators may be configured such that the drive unit rotates the propeller unit (rotary water turbine) by electric power or wind power. For example, the drive unit may include an electric motor.

[0024] Each of the above water flow generating devices may further include a water flow guide (water flow guiding means) (see drawing reference numeral 53 of FIG. 7) that guides the water flow forward from the discharge end side to impart straightness to the water flow.

[0025] Each of the above-described water flow guides may include a tubular casing having an open tip and surrounding the propeller unit. Each of the above-described casings may be formed to have a constant cross-section, or may be formed to have a cross-section that gradually decreases toward the tip.

[0026] The solution to this problem will be made more concrete and clear through the examples, drawings, and other materials described below. Furthermore, various solutions other than those mentioned below may be presented.

[0027] The underwater artificial vortex generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention can be easily manufactured and installed at a relatively low cost, can be applied to large lakes, and can move and supply a large amount of surface water to the water bottom layer using a small amount of energy under relatively safe conditions inside a lake or the like, thereby economically alleviating the hypoxic state of the bottom layer of a water body, thereby promoting the recovery of the benthic ecosystem and the improvement of water quality through self-purification.

[0028] The effects of the invention are not limited thereto, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram from above showing examples of streams and rapids that appear in typical natural rivers.

[0030] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram viewed from above of an example of a vortex appearing in the cow of Figure 1.

[0031] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of a small part of Figure 2 viewed from the side.

[0032] Figures 4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams from above of an underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, respectively.

[0033] Figure 6 is a side view conceptual diagram of the operation of the system (first embodiment) illustrated in Figure 4.

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the water flow generating device shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0035] [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 3(3a, 3b): Forced flow

[0037] 5(5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e): Water flow generator

[0038] 22A: Artificial Vortex

[0039] 50: Propeller unit

[0040] 51: Fixed unit

[0041] 52: Power cable (power line)

[0042] 53: Water Guide

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0044] In describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the specific description will be omitted, and parts having similar functions and actions will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0045] At least some of the terms used in the specification are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention and may vary depending on the intentions, customs, etc. of the user or operator. Therefore, the terms should be interpreted based on the contents of the entire specification. In addition, when the specification refers to including a certain component, this does not mean excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary, but rather that other components may be included. In addition, when it is said that a part is connected (or coupled) to another part, this includes not only cases where it is directly connected (or coupled), but also cases where it is indirectly connected (or coupled) with another part in between.

[0046] The present invention provides a system for generating an artificial vortex in a predetermined arbitrary area in a water body to improve water quality.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system can create an artificial eddy in a relatively deep and stagnant water body (e.g., a lake, a dam (see FIGS. 4 and 5), a large water tank, etc.) to effectively supply water from an upper layer rich in dissolved oxygen to a lower layer with a low oxygen concentration, thereby making the bottom ecosystem of the water body aerobic and making the aquatic ecosystem healthy, and can naturally purify the water quality through a self-purification action by an operating food chain accordingly.

[0048] Figures 4 and 5 show the configuration of an underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, respectively.

[0049] The underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention (see FIG. 4) and the underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention (see FIG. 5) commonly include a plurality of water flow generation devices (5: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) installed underwater in a water body, and when these water flow generation devices (5) are operated, the water flow generation devices (5) can be arranged to generate a forced water flow (3: 3a, 3b) in a direction toward the circular rotational direction of an artificial vortex (22A) to be formed in the water body.

[0050] The configuration of a water flow generating device (5) is illustrated in Fig. 7. Referring to Fig. 7, each of the water flow generating devices (5) may include a propeller unit having a propeller (50) coupled to an electric motor and rotated by the electric motor, may be provided with a power cable (power line, 52) for drawing power required for operation from the outside, and may further include a cylindrical or conical water flow guide (casing, 53) that guides a forced water flow (3) moving forward from the discharge end of the propeller unit to be stable when the propeller (50) rotates, and the position of the propeller unit may be fixed by a fixing unit (51) having a pile-shaped support.

[0051] Here, each support member has its lower end embedded in the bottom of the water body and its upper end connected to the propeller unit, thereby supporting the propeller unit in a fixed state. Each support member may be configured to have a variable length. By adjusting the length of the support members, the installation height of the water flow generating devices (5) can be flexibly changed according to changes in the water level of the water body.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 4, a first embodiment of the present invention discloses an underwater artificial vortex generation system targeting a relatively narrow and long star-shaped arc.

[0053] An underwater artificial vortex generating system according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a device group of two water current generating devices (5a, 5b), wherein one water current generating device (5a) is disposed at a predetermined position that is offset from a central portion of an arc in the width direction of an arc toward a first edge, and the other water current generating device (5b) is disposed at a predetermined position that is spaced apart from one water current generating device (5a) in the length direction of the arc and is offset from a central portion of the arc in the width direction of the arc toward a second edge opposite the first edge. These two water current generating devices (5a, 5b) are aligned so that, when in operation, forced water currents (3a, 3b) from each of them face in a direction parallel to each other.

[0054] The underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention can form a vortex flow between forced water flows (3a, 3b) from two water flow generation devices (5a, 5b), and can generate an artificial vortex (22A) that rotates in one direction through the cooperation of the two forced water flows (3a, 3b). In this regard, Fig. 6 shows the process of generating an artificial vortex (22A) according to the arrangement relationship of the two water flow generation devices (5a, 5b).

[0055] Figure 4 shows that there are multiple groups of devices consisting of water flow generating devices (5a, 5b). This suggests that the water quality of even large dams can be improved by adding additional device groups depending on the size of the water body.

[0056] Figure 4 depicts the water currents generated in the lake with dotted arrows. These represent only the main currents. In reality, the water currents exhibit more complex patterns, but the small eddies occurring throughout the water body are omitted from Figure 4.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the present invention discloses an underwater artificial vortex generation system targeting a relatively wide-shaped arc.

[0058] A system for generating an underwater artificial vortex according to a second embodiment of the present invention comprises a device group of three current generating devices (5c, 5d, 5e), wherein one current generating device (5c) is positioned at a predetermined position that is offset to one side of the edge from the center of the arc, and the other two current generating devices (5d, 5e) are positioned spaced apart from each other and offset to the other side of the edge from the center of the arc, respectively. These three current generating devices (5c, 5d, 5e) are aligned so as to generate a horizontal forced current (3) in the same circumferential direction when in operation.

[0059] The underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention can form a vortex flow in the central portion of the forced water flow (3) from three water flow generation devices (5c, 5d, 5e), and can generate an artificial vortex (22A) that rotates in one direction by the cooperation of the three forced water flows (3).

[0060] Figure 5 depicts the water currents generated in the lake with dotted arrows. These represent only the main flow. In reality, the water currents exhibit more complex patterns, but the small eddies occurring throughout the water body are omitted from Figure 5.

[0061] The underwater artificial vortex generation system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention can be configured such that the number of water flow generating devices (5) constituting a device group can be increased depending on the size of the water body, or the number of device groups can be increased to form a plurality of clusters. Therefore, water quality improvement of a water body of any size is also possible.

[0062] By forming a large artificial eddy (22A) in a water body by the underwater artificial eddy generation system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, water rich in dissolved oxygen in the upper layer is continuously supplied to the lower layer, thereby activating the benthic ecosystem, and not only does the water quality improve due to the active self-purification action resulting therefrom, but also anoxic and hypoxic conditions in the lower layer are prevented, thereby preventing the release of phosphorus components due to the decomposition of the lower layer and the subsequent abnormal proliferation of cyanobacteria (cyanobacterial bloom).

[0063] While the present invention has been described above, it is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and accompanying drawings, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the technical concepts described in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented independently, or two or more may be combined.

Claims

1. A plurality of water flow generating devices for generating water flow; Including a configuration structure that places a plurality of said water current generating devices spaced apart from each other under the water surface of the water body so that the water currents from the plurality of said water current generating devices are directed in the direction of a virtual water current arbitrarily set in the water body to create an artificial vortex in the water body. Underwater artificial vortex generation system.

2. In claim 1, Each of the above water flow generating devices includes a water flow guide that guides the water flow forward from the discharge end, The above arrangement structure is characterized in that it includes a fixing unit that fixes a plurality of the above water flow generating devices in a position, respectively. Underwater artificial vortex generation system.

3. In claim 1 or claim 2, Each of the above water flow generating devices is characterized in that it includes a propeller unit having a propeller coupled to an electric motor. Underwater artificial vortex generation system.

4. Includes a plurality of water flow generating devices that forcibly generate water flow moving horizontally forward from the discharge end under the water surface of the water body, A plurality of said water flow generating devices are spaced apart along the periphery of the set area of ​​said water body, The postures of the plurality of water flow generating devices are aligned so that the discharge ends of the plurality of water flow generating devices each face the rotational direction of the artificial vortex to create an artificial vortex in the above setting area. Underwater artificial vortex generation system.

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