Adjustable pneumatic barrier

Abstract

Adjustable pneumatic barrier (10) for use in marine pollution response operations in ports, terminals, shelters, marinas and all similar marine facilities operating in protected sea areas (20) in the maritime sector, comprising air bubbles (15) of different sizes forming a curtain created along a line by the air supply pipe (14) within the water column to retain the pollutant product spilled into the sea (20) in a certain area; air supply pipe (14) with nozzles positioned on the seabed (20); nozzle with adjustable outlet diameter, positioned on the air supply pipe (14), which produces air bubbles (15) of different diameters / sizes to adapt to different environmental conditions and to provide the highest protection depending on the amount of debris, type of debris, meteorological / oceanographic conditions; air tank (12) in which the air needed to produce air bubbles (15) is stored; and a compressor (11) connected to the air tank (12) line to provide the pressure needed to create the air bubbles (15)

Description

[0001] ADJUSTABLE PNEUMATIC BARRIER

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to an adjustable pneumatic barrier developed for use in marine pollution response operations in ports, terminals, shelters, marinas and all similar marine facilities operating in protected sea areas, especially in the maritime sector.

[0004] State of the Art

[0005] Marine pollution is the damage to marine ecosystems and pollution of sea water due to human activities. Factors such as industrial waste, pesticides, petrochemical products, plastic waste and burning of ship fuels are the main sources of pollution in the seas. This pollution negatively affects the health and diversity of marine life and threatens the entire marine ecosystem. Many scientific studies have been conducted on marine pollution and the effects of chemical substances and wastes mixed into the water on marine organisms. In these studies, it has been determined that all kinds of pollution factors are harmful to marine life. Directly releasing chemical substances into the water leads to deterioration of water quality and decrease in biodiversity. At the same time, these substances affect living organisms’ basic functions such as respiration, nutrition and reproduction and even cause death. Pollution of the seas by plastic waste has emerged as a serious problem in recent years. The long-term durability of plastic materials in nature and their slow decomposition causes them to accumulate in the sea and cause serious damage to ecosystems. Marine organisms can get mixed up in these plastic wastes or eat them, which causes them to increase in the food chain and consequently decrease their nutritional value. Marine pollution not only harms ecosystems but also has a negative impact on human health. Pollution of sea water contaminates seafood consumed by humans, threatening food safety. In addition, polluted sea water causes health problems in people's activities at sea. Therefore, measures such as waste management and inspection of industrial and agricultural activities should be taken to protect the seas and reduce pollution. Otherwise, this problem, which has long-term effects on marine ecosystems and humans, will grow even bigger and become more difficult to solve.

[0006] Many methods are used to combat marine pollution. The first one of these is to establish wastewater treatment plants and ensure that domestic and industrial wastewater is cleaned. In this way, minimising the harmful substances and pollutants contained in wastewater discharged into the sea is aimed. The second method is to take precautions against oil spills at sea in order to prevent leaks and to intervene quickly in case of accidents. To this end, the security measures of ships and oil platforms are increased. The third method is to establish recycling and waste management systems to reduce the garbage and plastic waste thrown into the sea. In addition, cleaning campaigns are organised in the seas, as collecting garbage from the sea and encouraging recycling are especially effective in reducing the garbage thrown into the sea. Finally, environmental protection laws and inspection mechanisms are established in order to keep the activities in the seas under control. In this way, activities that may cause marine pollution are more strictly controlled and penal sanctions are applied.

[0007] Today, oil containment barriers are used to control and prevent the spread of oil spills at sea. They are generally used to reduce the environmental effects of leaks from oil platforms, ship accidents or oil tankers. Oil containment barriers are long and floating curtains made of various materials. The interiors of these curtains are usually filled with foam or air-filled materials, while the exteriors are made of durable plastic or fabric materials. The barriers are usually kept floating on the water. The main function of oil containment barriers is to prevent the spread of oil and to collect it by remaining on the water surface. In this way, the oil spill is prevented from mixing with sea water and causing further damage to the environment. In addition, barriers help protect the coasts by preventing the oil from moving towards the land. In the event of an oil spill, barriers are usually placed in the area affected by the leak. It surrounds the leak, separates it from the sea water and holds the oil. In this way, the spread of oil is controlled, and a more effective working environment is created for cleaning operations. Oil retention barriers are considered an effective method to reduce environmental pollution caused by oil in the sea. However, they are not sufficient to completely prevent or clean oil spills. In addition, they have a very high cost due to both raw material costs and other costs in the production phase.

[0008] Considering the disadvantages of oil retention barriers, air bubble barriers have been developed for effective cleaning of a possible pollution in the sea. These are barrier systems that rise from the water and create air bubbles on the surface of the water. These barriers can be used for purposes such as controlling ship traffic, protecting marine life, and preventing water pollution. Physically, air bubble barriers are usually made of elastic materials. These materials float on the water in the form of a series of tubes with air-filled chambers inside. The tubes at the bottom of the barrier are held down by weights fixed to the bottom of the water. Air bubble barriers create a barrier underwater by the air bubbles rising to the surface. They are used when ships need to pass or close off a certain area and while preventing marine life from entering certain areas. They can also be used to prevent the spread of water pollution such as oil spills or marine waste. The most important advantage of air bubble barriers is that they effectively seal an area and do not harm marine life. They are also more durable than other types of barriers and are not affected by wind or waves. However, air bubble barriers have some limitations. They are expensive and require maintenance, especially in large-scale applications. In addition, in some cases, water permeability may be low, which limits the movement of water.

[0009] One of the studies on cleaning the sea surface is the invention that is the subject of utility model application numbered CN21264167311. The invention is a floating oil recovery and purification device and describes a recovery and purification technology for oil spills that can easily collect and recover oil spills flowing into the ocean and similar. It is stated that it collects the oil spill in a non-contact condition by using a bubble curtain produced from a diffuser pipe to the water and collects the oil spill into the water-oil tank by spraying high-speed water towards an oil spill layer through an ejector device.

[0010] Another study is the invention that is the subject of the patent application numbered CN1 14401891 A. The invention relates to an apparatus that provides the removal of foreign substances on the surface of a liquid. It relates to the collection of pollution on the sea surface to the apparatus on the boat by pushing the pollution on the surface of the boat with the nozzles that continuously release air in the water.

[0011] As a result, the need for an adjustable pneumatic barrier that eliminates the disadvantages of the state of the art and the inadequacy of the current solutions have made it necessary to make a development in the relevant technical field.

[0012] Brief Description of The Invention

[0013] The present invention relates to an adjustable pneumatic barrier developed for use in marine pollution response operations in ports, terminals, shelters, marinas and all similar marine facilities operating in protected sea areas, especially in the maritime sector, which meets the above-mentioned requirements, eliminates all disadvantages and brings some additional advantages.

[0014] Based on the state of the art, the aim of the invention is to produce air bubbles of different sizes by adjusting the nozzle diameter in the pneumatic barrier and thus adapt to different environmental conditions, and to keep the product spilled into the sea in a certain area by creating a curtain in the water column.

[0015] The aim of the invention is to provide the highest level of protection depending on the amount of spillage, type of spillage and meteorological / oceanographic conditions by producing air bubbles of different sizes.

[0016] Another aim of the invention is to provide protection at the required depth from the seabed to the surface by means of the adjustable pneumatic barrier.

[0017] Another aim of the invention is to provide effective intervention in marine pollution and to eliminate the need for high-cost logistics infrastructure and equipment by means of the adjustable pneumatic barrier.

[0018] Another aim of the invention is to minimise the need for human labour and to protect personnel from high-risk environmental conditions by means of the pneumatic barrier's own operation after it is placed on the seabed. Another aim of the invention is to eliminate the extra pollution caused by traditional barriers made of petroleum-based products such as PVC, polypropylene and polyurethane by means of the material of which the pneumatic barrier is made.

[0019] Another aim of the invention is to minimise maintenance and repair costs by means of the structure of the pneumatic barrier.

[0020] Another aim of the invention is to provide the most effective and rapid intervention according to the source and size of the pollution by remotely controlling the pneumatic barrier and adjusting the air bubbles.

[0021] Another aim of the invention is to minimise the environmental damage that will occur due to the time loss caused by the weaknesses of traditional techniques and to ensure that the protection of the natural environment and the public interest are observed.

[0022] The structural and characteristic features and all the advantages of the invention will be understood more clearly by means of the figures given below and the detailed description written with references to these figures, and therefore the evaluation should be made by taking these figures and the detailed explanation into consideration.

[0023] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] In order to for the embodiment of the present invention and its advantages with additional elements to be understood in the best way, it should be evaluated together with the figures described below.

[0025] Figure-1 is the schematic general view of the pneumatic barrier.

[0026] Reference Numbers

[0027] 10. Pneumatic barrier

[0028] 11 . Compressor 12. Air tank

[0029] 13. Air flowmeter

[0030] 14. Air supply pipe

[0031] 15. Air bubble

[0032] 20. Sea

[0033] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0034] In this detailed description, the adjustable pneumatic barrier (10) developed for use in sea pollution intervention operations by ports, terminals, shelters, marinas and similar marine facilities operating in protected sea (20) areas in the maritime sector, which is the subject of the invention, is explained only as an example for a better understanding of the subject and in a way that does not create any limiting effect.

[0035] The pneumatic barrier (10) shown in Figure-1 is used by being mounted on the sea (20) bottom in a way that corresponds to the breakwater mouths of ports, marinas or terminals in all sea (20) areas that may be exposed to sea pollution. Said pneumatic barrier (10) basically forms a curtain in the water column with air bubbles (15) of different sizes produced along the air supply line (14) in order to keep the pollutant product spilled into the sea (20) in a certain area. Said pneumatic barrier (10) comprises an air supply pipe (14) that is placed on the seabed (20) and on which are adjustable nozzles that create air bubbles (15) of different diameters / sizes in order to adapt to different environmental conditions and to provide the highest protection depending on the amount of debris, type of debris, meteorological / oceanographic conditions. The air needed to produce said air bubbles (15) is stored by an air tank (12). The pressure needed to create the air bubbles (15) is provided by a compressor (11 ) connected to the air tank (12) line. The air flowmeter (13) connected to the outlet line of said air tank (12) instantly measures the flow rate of the air sent / pressed to the air supply pipe (14). A valve is used to control the pressurised air provided by the compressor (11 ) and air tank (12) in the pneumatic barrier (10).

[0036] In the pneumatic barrier (10), the air bubbles (15) produced by the nozzles on the air supply pipe (14) located at the bottom of the sea (20) rise from the underwater surface to the surface of the sea (20) and form a bubble column. This column drags the water along with it and creates a strong upward flow. At the same time, the air bubbles (15) formed along a line by the supply pipe (14) and adhere to the pollutant particles with the buoyancy force lift these particles towards the surface of the sea (20). When the upward flow of water hits the surface, it changes direction and produces a surface current. This surface current prevents the spread of pollutants dominated by convection behaviour and ensures that the spilled pollutant is kept in a controlled area.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the air supply pipe (14) that is located in the pneumatic barrier (10) is fixed to the sea (20) bottom. However, the pneumatic barrier (10) can also be mobilised so that it can be easily moved to another point when needed.

[0038] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the outlet diameters of the adjustable air outlet nozzles used in the pneumatic barrier (10) can be changed manually, or if desired, they can be changed by remote control by connecting to the automation system.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Adjustable pneumatic barrier (10) for use in marine pollution response operations in ports, terminals, shelters, marinas and all similar marine facilities operating in protected sea areas (20) in the maritime sector, comprising- air bubbles (15) of different sizes forming a curtain created along a line by the air supply pipe (14) within the water column to retain the pollutant product spilled into the sea (20) in a certain area;- air supply pipe (14) with nozzles positioned at the bottom of the sea (20);- nozzle that has adjustable outlet diameter, is positioned on the air supply pipe (14), and produces air bubbles (15) of different diameters / sizes to adapt to different environmental conditions and to provide the highest protection depending on the amount of debris, type of debris, meteorological / oceanographic conditions;- air tank (12) in which the air needed to produce air bubbles (15) is stored; and- a compressor (11 ) connected to the air tank (12) line to provide the pressure needed to create the air bubbles (15)2. Pneumatic barrier (10) according to Claim 1 , comprising air flowmeter (13) connected to the outlet line of the air tank (12) to instantly measure the flow rate of the air sent / pressed into the air supply pipe (14)3. Pneumatic barrier (10) according to Claim 1 , comprising valve for controlling the compressed air supplied by the compressor (11 ) and the air tank (12).

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