Water surface floating pollutant recovery apparatus and connection equipment

Abstract

Provided is a water surface floating pollutant recovery apparatus comprising: a platform comprising (i) a hull comprising a main frame, (ii) a contaminated water inlet disposed in the front part of the hull to receive contaminated water, and (iii) a propulsion body which generates a propulsive force for moving the hull in a desired direction; and additional equipment which is either (iv) an oil recovery unit, an oil recovery unit filter, and a cartridge, or (v) a net installed at the rear of the hull, or (vi) a net fence installed at the rear of the contaminated water inlet, wherein the (iv) equipment is attachable to and detachable from the platform, the (v) equipment is attachable to and detachable from the platform, and the (vi) equipment is attachable to and detachable from the platform.

Description

Surface floating pollutant recovery device and connecting equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for recovering pollutants floating on the water surface, etc.

[0002] Examples of pollutants include oil, or oil-water mixtures. While the primary focus is on fluid-state pollutants (i.e., oil or oil-water), solid marine debris may also be handled at times. Solid marine debris does not necessarily have to be floating; it may be partially or entirely submerged below the water surface.

[0003] A specific example of the present invention is a marine oil spill removal system and method utilizing a water pollution control robot equipped with an AI camera and capable of autonomous navigation in the event of an oil spill on a water surface (such as an ocean or lake).

[0004] In the event of an oil spill on the surface of water, such as in the sea or a lake, it is necessary to carry out cleanup operations promptly to prevent the oil from spreading widely.

[0005] An oil spill refers to the release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbons into the surrounding environment as a result of unintentional human activity. 'Oil' can include crude oil, refined oil, refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, etc.), byproducts, ship bunker fuel, or oily waste. Cleaning up spilled oil can take anywhere from several months to several years.

[0006] To remove such spilled oil, methods such as introducing emulsifiers or hygroscopic agents into the sea, removal using absorbent sheets, or removal using automated oil pumps are used.

[0007] For example, when carrying out such cleanup operations, a method is used to remove oil by installing an oil fence around the perimeter of the spilled area, having a worker throw a rectangular absorbent pad made of non-woven fabric or similar material into the oil fence to absorb the oil, and then manually collecting the absorbent pad.

[0008] However, when carrying out cleanup operations in this way, it is difficult to effectively control oil distributed over a wide area because absorbent pads must be thrown precisely into the area where the oil has spilled, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to collect the absorbent pads that have absorbed the oil because the worker must collect them.

[0009] In particular, when workers manually collect absorbent pads in this manner, they are exposed to oil, and specifically, health problems arise as workers inhale oil vapors evaporated from the oil.

[0010] Therefore, various marine pollution control devices have recently been developed and are being used to solve these problems.

[0011] However, since these marine pollution control devices are installed and used on large vessels, there were problems such as inconvenience in movement and difficulty in rapidly deploying them to the site.

[0012] In addition, with these marine oil spill response devices, the ship's operator must visually identify the location of the floating oil and move the vessel to that location; however, there was a problem in that it was very difficult for a person to visually identify oil floating at a distance in this way.

[0013] In addition, oil spill cleanup operations to control oil floating on the water surface take a long time. As mentioned above, when an operator checks the location of the oil visually and operates the vessel, the operator easily becomes fatigued, which leads to the problem of being unable to perform cleanup operations continuously for a long time.

[0014] In addition to methods using absorbent pads, automated oil-water separation methods are known to include weir skimmers, oleophilic skimmers, conveyor skimmers, hydrodynamic skimmers, mobile and fixed (ship-mounted) skimmers, and vacuum skimmers; all of these devices are installed and used on large vessels.

[0015] On average, there are about 270 oil spill accidents annually in Korea, with the amount of spilled oil reaching 700,000 liters. Most oil spills are small-scale accidents of 100 liters or less, accounting for 70% of the total accident frequency. The problem is that existing automated equipment is all expensive and large-scale, and because different equipment must be used depending on the type of oil, it is mainly used for large-scale oil spills, while small-scale accidents mostly consist of conventional, labor-intensive absorbent pad operations.

[0016] In that process, as mentioned above, industrial accidents such as oil odors, headaches, and back pain occur among the cleanup workers; naturally, this leads to increased working hours, making initial response difficult, and results in an increase in the amount of waste.

[0017] Therefore, new methods or devices were needed to solve these problems.

[0018] The objective of the present invention is to obtain an oil recovery device capable of performing various functions with a single platform.

[0019] In addition, it is intended to facilitate distance measurement to objects, thereby reducing the risk of collision or assisting during avoidance maneuvers.

[0020] In addition, it facilitates the assembly and disassembly of netting or net fences.

[0021] In addition, it enables the status recording of the actuator of the oil recovery device.

[0022] In addition, it enables the accurate estimation of the amount of waste recovered.

[0023] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below.

[0024] According to the present invention, as a floating pollutant recovery device,

[0025] (i) Hull including a main frame;

[0026] (ii) a contaminated water inlet disposed at the front of the hull to receive contaminated water;

[0027] (iii) A propulsion system that exerts a thrust to move the above-mentioned hull in a desired direction

[0028] A platform including,

[0029] (iv) an oil recovery unit for storing the contaminated water introduced through the contaminated water inlet; an oil recovery unit filter disposed at the bottom of the oil recovery unit for filtering the water separated to the bottom when the contaminated water is separated by a difference in density, with oil separated to the top and water separated to the bottom; a cartridge for storing the oil separated to the top, or

[0030] (v) A net installed at the rear of the hull, or a net functioning as a solid contaminant recovery module for recovering solid contaminants contained in the contaminated water that flows into the hull of the floating contaminant recovery device through the contaminated water inlet, or

[0031] (vi) A net fence installed at the rear of the contaminated water inlet, wherein one end of the net fence is installed at the rear of the hull of the surface floating pollutant recovery device (hereinafter also referred to as the first surface floating pollutant recovery device), and the other end of the net fence is installed at the rear of the hull of a separate surface floating pollutant recovery device (hereinafter also referred to as the second surface floating pollutant recovery device), and functions as a fence module for recovering surface floating pollutants located between the first surface floating pollutant recovery device and the second surface floating pollutant recovery device.

[0032] It further includes additional equipment that is one of the following,

[0033] The above (iv) can be detachably attached to the above platform, the above (v) can be detachably attached to the above platform, and the above (vi) can be detachably attached to the above platform, configured to be detachably attached to the above platform.

[0034] A device for recovering floating pollutants from the water surface is provided.

[0035] Preferably, the propellant further includes a propellant guard around it,

[0036] The above-mentioned propulsion guard is in the longitudinal direction of the surface floating pollutant recovery device,

[0037] (a) an intermediate region that overlaps with the above-mentioned propulsion system,

[0038] (b) a front region, which is a region ahead of the above-mentioned propulsion system,

[0039] (c) Rear region, which is the region behind the above-mentioned propulsion system

[0040] Includes,

[0041] The above middle region, the above front region, and the above rear region are surrounded by a mesh, and

[0042] Between the above intermediate region and the above front region, there is a first open space where the mesh is not installed, and

[0043] Between the above intermediate region and the above front region, there is a second open space where the mesh is not installed, and

[0044] The above intermediate region moves forward and contacts the above front region, causing the first open space to disappear and the second open space to become larger, or

[0045] The above intermediate region moves backward and contacts the above rear region, causing the first open space to become larger and the second open space to disappear.

[0046] Preferably, the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi) is connected to the rear of the hull through a connecting link.

[0047] Preferably, the connecting ring includes a first ring and a second ring, and

[0048] The first ring is connected to the hull, and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), and

[0049] The first ring and the second ring are opposite each other.

[0050] Preferably, the first ring and the second ring are connected to a pole,

[0051] After moving the above pole so that the first ring is connected to the hull and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), the pole is separated from the combination of the first ring and the second ring,

[0052] The first ring and the second ring are connected to the hull and the net or net fence.

[0053] Preferably, not only the input electrical signal but also the output electrical signal of the propulsion unit, which is the actuator of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device, is monitored,

[0054] The state of the driving unit of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device is inferred.

[0055] Preferably, the input electrical signal is current or power, and

[0056] The above output electrical signal is current or power.

[0057] Preferably, by comparing the numerical value in the input electrical signal and the numerical value in the output electrical signal,

[0058] Feedback is obtained on whether the above drive unit actually moved as commanded.

[0059] Preferably, the capacity is initially estimated using a surface monitoring camera so that the amount of solid marine debris recovered by the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device can be determined, and

[0060] In addition, the amount of marine debris recovered is secondarily inferred through the input electrical signal, output electrical signal, and driving speed data that enter the propulsion unit, which is the driving part of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device.

[0061] Preferably, the first analogy and the second analogy are,

[0062] A step of analyzing the amount of pollutants collected through an image obtained from a camera installed at the top of the above-described floating pollutant recovery device, and

[0063] Step to reinforce the estimated value of marine debris

[0064] Includes

[0065] Preferably, the step of reinforcing the estimated marine debris amount value is,

[0066] - Inferring the driving speed of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device through data from GPS and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors (referred to as 'speed A'), and also monitoring the data of the input electrical signal and output electrical signal of the above-mentioned propulsion unit,

[0067] - Based on a pre-calculated propulsion speed table, the robot's driving speed corresponding to the current input electrical signal and the current output electrical signal (referred to as 'speed B') is calculated, and

[0068] - The level of speed propulsion reduction of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device is determined through the difference between the above-mentioned speed A and the above-mentioned speed B, and

[0069] - Reinforcing the value of the amount of marine debris inferred by the camera according to the above-determined level of speed propulsion reduction,

[0070] It includes.

[0071] Preferably, the aforementioned pre-calculated propulsion speed table is a data table in which the propulsion speed of the surface floating pollutant recovery device is calculated based on data of the input electrical signal and output electrical signal of the propulsion unit in an environment without currents and waves.

[0072] Preferably, an inflow impeller installed in the contaminated water inflow section to introduce contaminated water into the hull;

[0073] An inlet impeller housing surrounding the above-mentioned inlet impeller;

[0074] A splash guard installed on the upper part of the upstream portion of the inlet impeller in the above-mentioned inlet impeller housing.

[0075] Includes more.

[0076] Preferably, a buoyancy device connected to or part of the hull.

[0077] Includes more,

[0078] The above hull and buoyancy device have buoyancy set so that the inlet impeller is submerged by 40 to 60 percent.

[0079] Preferably, a first flow separator plate installed on the hull and having a shape that extends rearward and then extends downward;

[0080] A first vertical baffle plate installed behind the first flow separator plate and having an upper opening and a lower opening;

[0081] An upper horizontal baffle plate installed behind the first vertical baffle plate and having a first filter for filtering oil;

[0082] A lower horizontal baffle plate installed below the upper horizontal baffle plate and having a second filter having a finer mesh than the first filter.

[0083] Includes more,

[0084] The lower horizontal baffle plate is installed across the lower portion of the first vertical baffle plate and the upper horizontal baffle plate, or is installed across the lower portion of the first flow separator plate, the first vertical baffle plate, and the upper horizontal baffle plate.

[0085] The fluid flowing through the lower opening of the first vertical baffle plate is configured to pass through the pocket groove and flow into the lower side of the upper horizontal baffle plate, and

[0086] The fluid flowing through the upper opening of the first vertical baffle plate is configured to flow upward into the upper horizontal baffle plate.

[0087] Preferably, in the cartridge of (iv) above,

[0088] A vertically formed cartridge partition is formed inside the above cartridge, and

[0089] The flow of the contaminated water is delayed or filtered by the above cartridge partition, thereby separating the contaminants.

[0090] Preferably, the cartridge partition includes a primary partition closer to the inlet to the cartridge and a secondary partition further away from the inlet to the cartridge.

[0091] The separation force of the above secondary partition is higher than the separation force of the above primary partition.

[0092] Preferably, at the bottom of the section furthest from the inlet to the cartridge among the sections separated by the cartridge partition, there is a buoyancy body capable of moving from a first height downward to a second height upward, and

[0093] The above buoyancy body has a specific gravity intermediate between that of the contaminant and water, and

[0094] As pollutants with a specific gravity lower than that of the water rise above the aforementioned distant section, the buoyancy body descends along the boundary between the pollutants and the water, and

[0095] When the above buoyancy body descends to a predetermined height at a position corresponding to a predetermined contaminant capacity of the cartridge, the sensor detects this.

[0096] Preferably, among the three spaces partitioned by the first partition and the second partition, the space closest to the inlet to the cartridge is designated as the first stacking section, the space between the first partition and the second partition is designated as the second stacking section, and the space farthest from the inlet to the cartridge is designated as the third stacking section,

[0097] In the above-mentioned first stacked space, a discharge hole and a means for opening and closing the discharge hole are formed.

[0098] Preferably, a filter is disposed at the bottom of the third stacked space, and

[0099] A filter section hole and a means for opening and closing the filter section hole are formed above the filter.

[0100] According to the present invention, as a connecting device,

[0101] It includes the aforementioned rod, the first ring, and the second ring,

[0102] The first ring and the second ring are connected to the pole,

[0103] After moving the above pole so that the first ring is connected to the hull and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), the pole is separated from the combination of the first ring and the second ring,

[0104] Connecting the first ring and the second ring to the hull and the net or the net fence,

[0105] Connection equipment is provided.

[0106] Examples of the effects of the present invention are as follows.

[0107] Unlike conventional oil recovery devices, the functional module for oil recovery can be completely detached, making it easy to attach and detach modules according to required functions, such as not only oil recovery but also marine debris, algal blooms, and water quality monitoring.

[0108] In addition, as a solution to prevent marine debris from entering the propulsion guard while maximizing propulsion performance, the housing is configured to be entirely made of mesh and can be opened and closed from front to back. Consequently, the openable part can be opened and closed using the water current of the propulsion system. This eliminates the loss of propulsion performance caused by the mesh when generating thrust by pushing away the water current during propulsion, while also utilizing the fact that debris is not entered due to the flow of water exiting the housing when the current is released.

[0109] During camera-based water monitoring, AI technology mimicking LIDAR enables distance measurement to objects, which can be used to alert recovery device operators to collision risks or serve as data for avoidance maneuvers.

[0110] The solid contaminant recovery module (net) and fence towing module (net fence) can be assembled and disassembled at a distance without having to retrieve the oil recovery device from the water's edge. This effectively minimizes workers' exposure to serious accidents at the site.

[0111] It is possible to monitor not only the input current value but also the output value of the actuator (recovery unit, propulsion unit) in the system, and to infer the state of the robot's actuator by analyzing the data.

[0112] When recovering marine debris, the capacity can be estimated by utilizing underwater monitoring cameras to determine the amount of debris recovered, and the amount of recovered debris can be estimated through the input power, output, and driving speed data of the oil recovery device's propulsion system.

[0113] The effects according to the present invention are not limited to those exemplified above, and various other effects are included in this specification.

[0114] FIG. 1a is a perspective view taken from above at an angle of an apparatus of one embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention.

[0115] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention seen obliquely from below.

[0116] FIG. 1c is a front view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0117] FIG. 1d is a rear view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] FIG. 1e is a top view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0119] FIG. 1f is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention seen from below.

[0120] FIG. 1g is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention from the right.

[0121] FIG. 1h is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention from the left.

[0122] FIG. 2a is a drawing showing another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention having a somewhat different appearance from FIG. 1a to 1h (first embodiment of the present invention).

[0123] Figure 2b is a partial enlarged view of Figure 2a.

[0124] FIG. 2c is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inlet (20) in the embodiment of FIG. 2a.

[0125] FIG. 2d is a cross-sectional view of the device of an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2a, viewed from above.

[0126] FIG. 2e is a side cross-sectional view showing the interior of a floating layer removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2f is a perspective cross-sectional view of the same part.

[0127] Figure 2f specifically shows the part outlined in Figure 2e.

[0128] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing other embodiments of the present invention (Examples 3 to 6).

[0129] FIG. 4a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-4) of Example 4 of the present invention.

[0130] FIG. 4b is a drawing for explaining the apparatus (10-4) of Example 4 of the present invention by part.

[0131] Fig. 4c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 4b.

[0132] FIGS. 5a to 5e are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of cartridge parts before insertion of the equipment (10-4).

[0133] Figures 6a to 6c are drawings illustrating how to use a cartridge.

[0134] FIG. 7a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-5) of Example 5 of the present invention.

[0135] FIG. 7b is a diagram for explaining the apparatus (10-5) of Example 5 of the present invention by part.

[0136] Fig. 7c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 7b.

[0137] Figures 8a and 8b are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of the net before the equipment (10-5) is inserted.

[0138] FIG. 9a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-6) of Example 6 of the present invention.

[0139] FIG. 9b is a drawing for explaining the apparatus (10-6) of Example 6 of the present invention by part.

[0140] Fig. 9c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 9b.

[0141] FIGS. 10a to 10c are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of a net fence before the equipment (10-6) is inserted.

[0142] FIG. 11a is a diagram for explaining a controller (wireless controller, remote control).

[0143] FIGS. 11b to 11f also show a description of the controller.

[0144] Figure 12a shows the status LED.

[0145] Fig. 12b is a drawing regarding the cleaning of equipment.

[0146] FIGS. 13a to 13c are drawings showing an impeller guard according to the present invention.

[0147] Figure 14 is a drawing showing connecting equipment.

[0148] FIGS. 15a to 15h illustrate Example 7 of the present invention and are intended to explain the cartridge (60) mainly.

[0149] The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0150] FIG. 1a is a perspective view taken from above at an angle of an apparatus of one embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention.

[0151] The present invention is not limited to the illustration in FIG. 1a, and is presented as an example to explain the overall details of the device of the present invention.

[0152] For reference, the cities of FIGS. 1a to 1h can be considered as the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0153] In the device (10) of FIG. 1a (which may be called by various other names such as hull, oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, surface floating layer recovery device, surface floating layer removal device, marine pollutant recovery device, marine waste recovery device, etc.), a contaminated water inlet (20; contaminated water recovery section) is positioned at the front of the movable hull (10). Behind the contaminated water inlet (20), there is a storage section (40) where the inflowed contaminated water is stored. The interiors of the contaminated water inlet (20) and the storage section (40) of the hull (10) are connected.

[0154] When the hull (10) is floating on the water surface, the water surface is within the height range of the inlet (21), allowing contaminated water to flow in as the hull (10) advances, and the inlet (21) includes a filtration means (22) to prevent the inflow of large solids that can float in the contaminated water.

[0155] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention seen obliquely from below.

[0156] The impellers (30-1, 30-2) are means for moving the hull (10) of the device back and forth. Two are shown, but the number can be adjusted as needed.

[0157] The impellers (30-3, 30-4) are means for moving the hull (10) of the device left and right. Although two are shown, the number can be adjusted as needed.

[0158] The location and number of impellers (30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 30-4) are not limited to the city, and in fact, the location and number of impellers (propulsioners) differ in other embodiments described later.

[0159] The discharge port (50; discharge section) is the part where the water remaining after the oil has been separated from the incoming contaminated water is discharged. In this exemplary city, the discharge port (50) is located at the bottom of the hull (10), but if necessary, it may be placed at the rear, at the bottom of the rear, or at the rear part of the bottom.

[0160] FIG. 1c is a front view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0161] A filtration means (22) is visible on the front, and an impeller (31) is visible behind it. The entire surface of the impeller (31) is not visible, and the upper part is slightly covered by a splash guard (32).

[0162] And, below, the aforementioned forward and reverse impellers (30-1, 30-2) are shown.

[0163] In FIG. 1c, an impeller (31) is exemplified as a means for introducing / recovering fluids (water and oil) from the inlet, but the use is not necessarily limited to the impeller (31), and other examples using, for instance, a pump, etc. are also possible.

[0164] FIG. 1d is a rear view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0165] Here, too, the aforementioned forward and backward impellers (30-1, 30-2) are shown below the drawing.

[0166] FIG. 1e is a top view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0167] On the right side of the drawing, the contaminated water inlet (20; contaminated water recovery section) is visible, and since it is viewed from above, structures such as the filtration means (22), inlet (21), and impeller (31) are not clearly visible.

[0168] Also, a storage section (40) is shown, and the outer walls on both sides (left and right of the hull) of the storage section (40) may include buoyancy bodies that provide buoyancy. Buoyancy may be provided from the left and right sides of the storage section (40), or from the lower side of the storage section (40). It would be desirable to provide a small amount of buoyancy from both the left and right sides and the lower side of the storage section (40).

[0169] The degree of buoyancy is suitable so that the impeller (31) is submerged about halfway. Half does not mean exactly 50%, but may be about 40-60%. In some cases, it may be submerged about 30-70%. Thus, through the action of the impeller (31) that is half submerged in water, the contaminated water moves appropriately toward the storage section (40) inside the hull (10).

[0170] Of course, the impellers (30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 30-4) that provide propulsion for moving the hull forward, backward, left, and right are all submerged in water. Only the impeller (31) for inflow, which is positioned near the inflow section (20), is submerged about halfway into the water surface.

[0171] FIG. 1f is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention seen from below.

[0172] The contaminated water inlet (20; contaminated water recovery section) is visible on the right side of the drawing, and the impeller (30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 30-4) can be seen.

[0173] FIG. 1g is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention from the right.

[0174] The contaminated water inlet section (20; contaminated water recovery section) is visible on the right side of the drawing, and the side wall of the storage section (40) and the impeller (30-2, 30-3, 30-4) can be seen.

[0175] FIG. 1h is a view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention from the left.

[0176] The contaminated water inlet section (20; contaminated water recovery section) is visible on the left side of the drawing, and the side wall of the storage section (40) and the impeller (30-1, 30-3, 30-4) can be seen.

[0177] FIG. 2a is a drawing showing another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention having a somewhat different appearance from FIG. 1a to 1h (first embodiment of the present invention).

[0178] The present invention is not limited to the illustration in FIG. 2a, and is presented as an example to explain the overall details of the device of the present invention.

[0179] For reference, the drawings in FIGS. 2a to 2f can be considered as second embodiments of the present invention.

[0180] In FIG. 2a, the filtration means (22) is omitted compared to the embodiments of FIG. 1a to 1h (first embodiment). It can be understood that the filtration means (22) is omitted only for illustration purposes to make the impeller (31) more visible, and if necessary, the filtration means (22) may not actually be installed to increase the inflow efficiency.

[0181] In Fig. 2a, a splash guard (32) is installed on the front upper part of the impeller (31).

[0182] Figure 2b is a partial enlarged view of Figure 2a.

[0183] Although not shown in the drawing, the buoyancy of the hull (10) is adjusted so that the water level is approximately the middle of the impeller (31). That is, the area above the rotation axis of the impeller (31) will not be submerged in water, while the area below the rotation axis will be submerged in water.

[0184] At this time, the impeller (31) draws in contaminated water and sends it toward the storage unit (40), but the incoming water may splash out near the water surface (i.e., the upper half of the impeller). To prevent this, a portion of the upper part of the inlet side of the pipe (33; impeller housing) where the impeller (31) is installed is covered with a splash guard (32). This guard (32) serves to prevent the incoming water flowing into the impeller housing (33) from being splashed outward (i.e., in the +X direction) by the impeller (31). Through this operation, the efficiency of drawing in (recovering) oil-water (contaminated water) can be increased.

[0185] That is, as water splashes forward of the hull (10) when the impeller (31) rotates, a problem arises where the spilled oil is pushed away. To solve this problem, a splash guard (32) is attached to about 20-30% of the upper part of the impeller (31) inlet, thereby solving the problem of spilled oil spreading in front of the hull (10). The above 20-30% is a preferred example, and if necessary, it may be possible to block up to 40-50%.

[0186] FIG. 2c is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inlet (20) in the embodiment of FIG. 2a.

[0187] In FIG. 2c, a pipe (33) surrounding an impeller (31) is shown, and it can be seen that the inlet section (20) and the storage section (40) are connected through this pipe (33). For convenience of explanation, the filtration means (22) is omitted from the illustration.

[0188] The impeller (31) is a structure for the inflow (recovery) of contaminated water, and it may be connected to and operated by a motor (31M).

[0189] The position of the motor (31M) shown in Fig. 2c is an example, and other positions are also possible.

[0190] The impeller (31) is used to draw in (recover) contaminated water, or in other words, to push oil on the sea surface downward and send it backward. In this case, the closer the impeller (31) is to the recovery starting point, the faster the spilled oil on the front of the hull (10) and the impeller (31) can come into contact, thereby improving the recovery speed.

[0191] That is, when the hull (10) moves forward and recovers the spilled oil (contaminated water), in order to prevent stagnation of the inflow (i.e., seawater + spilled oil) in the impeller housing (33; pipe), the position of the impeller (31) and the impeller housing (33) can be advanced and the unnecessary front part removed to eliminate the stagnation.

[0192] FIG. 2d is a cross-sectional view of the device of an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2a, viewed from above.

[0193] The impeller housing (33) is also shown with a cross-section cut in half, and the impeller (31) is housed inside it. Two impellers (31) and two housings (33) are shown, and while the number may change as needed, the case where there are two impellers (31) and two housings (33) as in FIG. 2a will have better efficiency in water inflow compared to the case where there is one impeller (31) and one housing (33).

[0194] FIG. 2e is a side cross-sectional view showing the interior of a floating layer removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2f is a perspective cross-sectional view of the same part.

[0195] From left to right in Fig. 2e, there are a flow separator (1000), a vertical baffle (2000), and an upper horizontal baffle (4000). A pocket groove (3000) is formed connecting the vertical baffle (2000) and the upper horizontal baffle (4000).

[0196] Strictly speaking, the vertical baffle plate (2000) refers to the wall on the left side of the drawing (the front wall as a device) and the wall on the right side of the drawing (the back wall as a device) among the illustrated 2000.

[0197] Additionally, a lower horizontal baffle plate (5000) is formed at the bottom of the flow separator plate (1000), vertical baffle plate (2000), pocket groove (3000), and upper horizontal baffle plate (4000).

[0198] It will be seen that the storage unit (40) shown in FIG. 1a (first embodiment), FIG. 2a (second embodiment), etc. corresponds approximately to the areas indicated by reference numerals 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 in FIG. 2e (including the space above reference numeral 4000). Of course, reference numeral 1000 and the area nearby can also be broadly considered as the storage unit (40) in the sense that it is the interior of the floating layer removal device of the present invention.

[0199] Figure 2f specifically shows the part outlined in Figure 2e.

[0200] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing other embodiments of the present invention (Examples 3 to 6).

[0201] The embodiments (Examples 3 to 6) relate to the Ark Platform (10 (10-3)), Ark-M (10 (10-4)), Ark-C (10 (10-5)), and Ark-F (10 (10-6)) respectively illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0202] The drawing reference numerals for the devices (10) of Examples 3 to 6 (which may be called by various other names such as hull, oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, surface floating layer recovery device, surface floating layer removal device, marine pollutant recovery device, marine debris recovery device, etc.) are respectively 10 (10-3), 10 (10-4), 10 (10-5), and 10 (10-6), and the meaning is

[0203] - Each of these embodiments has in common that the device (10) is the device (10) of the present invention described in FIG. 1, 2, etc. (i.e., various names such as hull, oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, surface floating layer recovery device, surface floating layer removal device, marine pollutant recovery device, marine waste recovery device, etc. are possible), and

[0204] - Individually, since each (slightly modified) embodiment has a structure and effect unique to it, when distinguishing them, they may be referred to as device (10-3), device (10-4), device (10-5), and device (10-6).

[0205] It is.

[0206] That is, embodiments 3 to 6 of the present invention function as a device (10) (hull, oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, surface floating layer recovery device, surface floating layer removal device, marine pollutant recovery device, marine waste recovery device, etc.) in a broad sense, and in detail, the device (10) of embodiment 3 may have a unique configuration as a device (10-3), the device (10) of embodiment 4 may have a unique configuration as a device (10-4), the device (10) of embodiment 5 may have a unique configuration as a device (10-5), and the device (10) of embodiment 6 may have a unique configuration as a device (10-6).

[0207] Of course, the term device (10) broadly encompasses not only Examples 3 to 6 but also Examples 1 and 2.

[0208] To briefly explain each embodiment first, the arc platform (10(10-3)) of Example 3 is

[0209] - The most fundamental Platform Base structure

[0210] - Various functional expansions can be implemented by equipping multiple sub-modules.

[0211] It has the property of...

[0212] Next, the arc-m (10(10-4) of Example 4 is

[0213] - Oil spill recovery solution capable of controlling marine accidents

[0214] - Equipped with an internal main unit featuring an oil-water separation function, allowing for immediate separation of oil and water.

[0215] - Can be used independently

[0216] It has the property of...

[0217] The arc-C (10(10-5)) of Example 5 is

[0218] - A marine debris recovery solution capable of capturing and recovering small solid contaminants using a net

[0219] - The mesh at the bottom can be easily attached and detached.

[0220] - Can be used independently

[0221] It has the property of...

[0222] The arc-f (10(10-6)) of Example 6 is

[0223] - A solution capable of collecting and recovering large quantities of marine debris using net fences

[0224] - Basically, operation of 2 pieces of equipment is required.

[0225] - With large harbor cleaning vessels, capable of processing floating marine debris

[0226] It has the property of...

[0227] To summarize Examples 3 to 6,

[0228] Compared to Example 1 or Example 2, which are fixed forms with little room for external shape change,

[0229] Examples 3 to 6 have a functional module for oil recovery that is completely separable,

[0230] For example, if a component (module) is attached or detached based on the device of Example 3, it becomes Example 4, and similarly, if another component (module) is attached or detached based on the device of Example 3, it becomes Example 5, and similarly, if yet another component (module) is attached or detached based on the device of Example 3, it becomes Example 6.

[0231] And, although there are differences in detailed external appearance, some functions, and the location and number of each component, basically, each component shown in Examples 1 and 2 (e.g., inlet section (20), impeller (30-1 to 30-4) (propulsion unit), and storage section (40) is also provided in Examples 3 to 6.

[0232] The details are explained below.

[0233] FIG. 4a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-4) of Example 4 of the present invention.

[0234] The device (10-4) (oil recovery robot) includes parts as shown in FIG. 4a, and

[0235] - To improve the ability to collect and recover contaminants, a sweeping arm (SWA) is attached to the front of the robot (10-4), and

[0236] - The cartridge (oil recovery cartridge) can be disassembled and reassembled via the hook and snatch lock located on the back of the product, and

[0237] Two batteries are pre-installed in the product as a set, and

[0238] - The remote control (wireless controller) can be implemented using, for example, the Futaba 16IZ model.

[0239] For reference, the 'cartridge' is a module corresponding to the storage unit (40) described in Examples 1 and 2, and it can be understood that the cartridge is a slightly modified version of the storage unit (40) of Examples 1 and 2 that is detachable. However, while the storage unit (40) of Examples 1 and 2 is not limited to that, it is typically assumed to be fixed to the hull (10), whereas the cartridge of Example 4 is detachable, so there is a difference. Furthermore, if we were to point out a difference, it is highly likely that oil and water (i.e., oil and water) are stored together in the storage unit (40) of Examples 1 and 2, whereas it is highly likely that oil (after being separated from water) is preferably mainly stored in the cartridge of Example 4. Of course, although the cartridge of Example 4 differs from the storage unit (40) of Examples 1 and 2 in terms of location and detachability, it has a somewhat common function in that it stores oil and water (and / or marine pollutants).

[0240] In addition, as will be described later, the cartridge of Example 4 may be replaced with the cartridge (60) of Example 7 shown in FIGS. 15a to 15h (to the extent possible due to its properties).

[0241] FIG. 4b is a drawing for explaining the apparatus (10-4) of Example 4 of the present invention by part.

[0242] The device (10-4) (which may also be called by other names such as oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, marine pollutant recovery device, marine debris recovery device, etc.) has each component of ① buoyancy body ~ ⑪ cartridge as shown in FIG. 4b.

[0243] The 'sweeping arm (SWA)' and 'cartridge' were also mentioned in the description of Fig. 4a.

[0244] Fig. 4c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 4b.

[0245] Regarding ①, this is an exterior part that houses the product's main system components, as well as the propulsion and buoyancy bodies. The battery inside can be replaced by opening the exterior lid on top of the buoyancy body, and the battery can be charged using the connector on top of the buoyancy body.

[0246] Regarding ②, this is a recovery unit part that serves as a device for recovering contaminants. It is equipped with a motor and impeller necessary for rotational power, and through a built-in filter, it floats contaminated oil to the surface and discharges clean water out of the equipment.

[0247] In relation to ③, this is a cartridge part located at the rear of the recovery part and serves to store recovered contaminants. Contaminants can be easily discharged by operating the manual valve located at the top of the cartridge.

[0248] To explain in more detail,

[0249] In FIG. 4a, the device (10) is in a fully assembled state, and

[0250] In FIG. 4b, ③ (oil recovery unit) is shown as assembled, and only ⑩ (oil recovery unit filter) and ⑪ (cartridge) are shown hypothetically disassembled and positioned slightly behind.

[0251] In Fig. 4c, ③ (oil recovery unit), ⑩ (oil recovery unit filter), and ⑪ (cartridge) are all virtually disassembled and depicted with a significant portion relegated to the rear.

[0252] In other words, in reality, the device (10) is launched and operated as shown in FIG. 4a, and contaminated water is introduced into ③ (oil recovery section) as needed, either with the sweeping arm (SWA) in an open state or with the sweeping arm (SWA) repeatedly opening and closing.

[0253] When contaminated water flows into ③ (oil recovery section), the oil is separated upward and the water downward due to the difference in density. At this time, the water is roughly separated downward (into the interior) by ⑩ (oil recovery section filter) located below, while the oil cannot pass through ⑩ (oil recovery section filter) (e.g., mesh) and remains above ⑩ (oil recovery section filter).

[0254] Also, ⑪ (cartridge) is located behind ③ (oil recovery section) and above ⑩ (oil recovery section filter), and it is good to ensure that the recovered contaminants (e.g., separated oil) are recovered into ⑪ (cartridge).

[0255] According to the oil recovery robot (10-4) of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, current data of actuators such as the robot's propulsion unit, recovery unit for recovering contaminants, and cartridge electric opening / closing device, and rotation data through sensors can be checked, so that state analysis and alarms can be performed when an error occurs.

[0256] FIGS. 5a to 5e are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of cartridge parts before insertion of the equipment (10-4).

[0257] Ark-M (i.e., oil recovery robot (10-4)) enables the recovery of contaminants with simple assembly. Foreign substances and oil can be separated through a filter, and oil can be collected in a cartridge through oil recovery using an oil extraction system.

[0258] In Fig. 5a, hook the hook located at the bottom of the cartridge onto the hook located at the back of the product. Then, push the top of the cartridge toward the product so that it is automatically locked by the snatch lock.

[0259] In Fig. 5b, for disassembly, the lever of the snatch lock is pushed to unlock and disassemble.

[0260] In Fig. 5c, after combining the cartridge, a hose is connected to the top of the cartridge.

[0261] In Fig. 5d, two cables are connected to the upper valve module of the cartridge.

[0262] In Fig. 5e, the lower filter module of the oil recovery section is combined.

[0263] Figures 6a to 6c are drawings illustrating how to use a cartridge.

[0264] In Fig. 6a, there is an opening / closing lever for the manual valve on the left side of the cartridge.

[0265] In Fig. 6b, the bottom of the manual lever is directly connected to the outside and serves to discharge contaminants filled inside.

[0266] In Fig. 6c, when deploying the equipment (10-4) into a contaminated area, it is recommended to lock the manual lever and then open the electric lever by controlling it with a remote control (controller, wireless controller) before deploying it into the water.

[0267] When the work is finished, use the remote control to close the electric lever, and then proceed with the retrieval of the equipment (10-4).

[0268] After removing the cartridge from the equipment, raise the manual lever simultaneously to dispose of the oil.

[0269] FIG. 7a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-5) of Example 5 of the present invention.

[0270] The device (10-5) (oil recovery robot) includes parts as shown in FIG. 7a, and

[0271] - For example, the mesh net has a basic capacity of 500L and can be disassembled and reassembled using the cicada hook on the top of the product,

[0272] Two batteries are pre-installed in the product as a set, and

[0273] - For the controller (wireless controller, remote control), for example, the Futaba 16IZ model can be used.

[0274] FIG. 7b is a diagram for explaining the apparatus (10-5) of Example 5 of the present invention by part.

[0275] The device (10-5) (which may also be called by other names such as oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, marine pollutant recovery device, marine debris recovery device, etc.) has each component of ① buoyancy body ~ ⑧ net as shown in FIG. 7b.

[0276] Fig. 7c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 7b.

[0277] Regarding ①, this is an exterior part that houses the product's main system components and includes a propulsion unit and a buoyancy unit. The battery inside can be replaced by opening the exterior lid on the top of the buoyancy unit, and the battery can be charged using the connector on the top of the buoyancy unit.

[0278] Regarding ②," this is a mesh part that is attached to the rear of the exterior part and serves to store collected waste. Waste can be easily discharged using the drawstring on the rear of the mesh, and it can be easily disassembled and reassembled using the hook on the top of the frame.

[0279] Figures 8a and 8b are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of the net before the equipment (10-5) is inserted.

[0280] Ark-C (i.e., the oil recovery robot (10-5)) is a robot that collects waste through a net that can be easily attached and detached. After moving the robot (10-5) to the location where the waste is, the user can pass the robot (10-5) through the waste to collect it in the net. Once waste collection is complete, the user can easily remove the waste by releasing the tightening strap on the back of the net.

[0281] In Fig. 8a, a mesh is inserted through a groove on the back of the product.

[0282] In Fig. 8b, after inserting the net, the cicada ring is fastened to secure it so that it does not come off.

[0283] FIG. 9a is a drawing showing the apparatus (10-6) of Example 6 of the present invention.

[0284] The device (10-6) (oil recovery robot) includes parts as shown in FIG. 9a, and

[0285] - The net fence comes in a set of four units in 5m increments and features a connectable structure, allowing for use up to a maximum of 20m depending on the situation, and

[0286] Two batteries are pre-installed in the product as a set, and

[0287] - For the controller (wireless controller, remote control), use, for example, the Futaba 16IZ model.

[0288] FIG. 9b is a drawing for explaining the apparatus (10-6) of Example 6 of the present invention by part.

[0289] The device (10-6) (which may also be called by other names such as oil recovery device, oil recovery robot, robot, marine pollutant recovery device, marine debris recovery device, etc.) has each component of ① buoyancy body ~ ⑨ net fence as seen in FIG. 9b.

[0290] Fig. 9c is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 9b.

[0291] Regarding ①"', this is an exterior part that houses the product's main system components, as well as the propulsion and buoyancy bodies. The battery inside can be replaced by opening the exterior lid on top of the buoyancy body, and the battery can be charged using the connector on top of the buoyancy body.

[0292] Regarding ②"', this is a net fence part that is attached to the rear of the exterior and serves to collect and move trash. Each net fence can be assembled and disassembled using the carabiner at the end of the net fence, and can also be attached to the product.

[0293] FIGS. 10a to 10c are drawings illustrating the assembly and disassembly of a net fence before the equipment (10-6) is inserted.

[0294] ARK-F (i.e., oil recovery robot (10-6)) enables waste recovery with simple assembly. Two units (i.e., two oil recovery robots (10-6)) are operated simultaneously, and a net fence is connected to the rear of each unit to collect waste and deliver it to a cleaning vessel for disposal.

[0295] In Fig. 10a, the length is set according to the purpose, and the net fences are connected to each other using carabiners at both ends of the net fences in the required quantity.

[0296] In Fig. 10b, remove the stop pin on the back of the product and lift the pipe cap.

[0297] In Fig. 10c, a tripod is attached to the pipe for connecting the net fence. Then, a stopper is attached.

[0298] FIG. 11a is a diagram for explaining a controller (wireless controller, remote control).

[0299] Of course, this is not limited to this, but for example, the remote controller used in the Sheco Ark (oil recovery robots of Examples 3 to 6 (10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6)) is the T16IZ product from Futaba. The battery capacity of the remote controller is 14.8Wh (7.4VDC - 2000mAh) and it can be used for more than 8 hours.

[0300] The explanation for ① to ⑦ shown in FIG. 11a is as follows. Although the explanation is given from the perspective of the controller, since the controller ultimately operates the oil recovery robots (10-3 to 10-6), it can also be understood that the configuration and functions are provided by the oil recovery robots (10-3 to 10-6).

[0301] ① Power button

[0302] Press the power button to turn on the remote control. To turn off the power, press and hold the power button for about 2 seconds while the power is on.

[0303] ② Left thruster control stick

[0304] It controls the left thruster of the arc (10-3 to 10-6). Pushing it up moves it forward, and pushing it down moves it backward. This control stick operates independently of the 'right thruster control stick'.

[0305] ③ Mode Change Switch

[0306] There are a total of three mode change functions. When holding the remote control normally, raising it activates Auto Mode for the fluid recovery function, raising it to the middle disables Auto Mode for the fluid recovery function, and lowering it activates Manual Mode. Functions ⑤, ⑥, and ⑦ can be operated when in Manual Mode.

[0307] ④ Suction system on-off switch

[0308] There are a total of three extraction system functions. When the controller is held normally, raising it activates the suction, causing contaminants to flow into the cartridge; the middle position stops operation, and lowering it rotates in the reverse direction, transferring contaminants from the cartridge to the robot.

[0309] ⑤ Recovery unit control throttle

[0310] This is a throttle that controls the operation direction and recovery speed of the recovery unit. The point on the throttle serves as the reference point for position. It can be adjusted in 10 steps in each direction relative to the center (stop), and performs discharge when rotated counterclockwise and recovery when rotated clockwise. As the throttle is rotated toward the end of each direction, the recovery and discharge speeds become progressively faster.

[0311] ⑥ Cartridge opening / closing switch

[0312] It is a switch responsible for opening and closing the cartridge, and there are a total of two functions. When the controller is held normally, the cartridge is open when the stick is in the up position, stopped when the stick is in the middle, and closed when the stick is in the down position.

[0313] ⑦ Right thruster control stick

[0314] It controls the right thruster of the arc (oil recovery robot (10-3 to 10-6)). Raising it moves it forward, and lowering it moves it backward. This control stick operates independently of the 'left thruster control stick'.

[0315] FIGS. 11b to 11f also show a description of the controller.

[0316] As mentioned above, since the controller ultimately operates the oil recovery robots (10-3 to 10-6), it can also be understood that the configuration and function of the oil recovery robots (10-3 to 10-6) are provided.

[0317] With respect to FIG. 11b, in terms of motion control of the body (hull) (i.e., oil recovery robot (10-3 to 10-6)), the direction and speed of propulsion, forward / backward movement of the body, and clockwise / counterclockwise rotation can be controlled using two control sticks of the controller. The left stick controls the output of the thruster located on the left side of the equipment, and the right stick controls the output of the thruster located on the right side of the equipment.

[0318] In relation to Fig. 11c, a method of operation for easily operating a contaminant recovery solution is shown in terms of a mode change system.

[0319] As shown in Fig. 11c, the details are divided into (i) Auto Mode On, (ii) Auto Mode Off, and (iii) Manual Mode.

[0320] (i) When Auto Mode is On

[0321] - Automatically proceeds with the oil recovery solution,

[0322] - Operates with the impeller rotating forward, the hose pump rotating forward, and the cartridge cap open.

[0323] (ii) When Auto Mode Off

[0324] - Stopping the oil recovery solution,

[0325] - Operates with impeller stopped, hose pump stopped, and cartridge cap closed.

[0326] (iii) In Manual Mode

[0327] - Manually operate the oil recovery solution, and

[0328] - You can directly utilize the impeller, hose pump, and cartridge operations.

[0329] In relation to FIGS. 11d to 11f, additional functions of the airframe (hull) can be controlled.

[0330] These additional functions include, for example, opening and closing the cartridge, turning the extraction system on and off, and controlling the recovery unit.

[0331] FIG. 11d is a diagram regarding the on / off of a suction system, and depending on the position of the switch, it can be operated in three modes shown in FIG. 11d.

[0332] FIG. 11e is a diagram regarding the opening and closing of a cartridge, and depending on the position of the switch, it can be operated in two modes shown in FIG. 11e.

[0333] FIG. 11f is a diagram regarding the control of the recovery unit, and it can be operated in three modes shown in FIG. 11f.

[0334] In relation to FIGS. 11a to 11f,

[0335] - In almost all situations for contaminant recovery operations, the cartridge lever is opened to allow for internal buoyancy control upon equipment insertion and smooth discharge of clean water after oil-water separation, and

[0336] However, when retrieving the equipment, it is advisable to close the cartridge completely before proceeding with the retrieval process to prevent contaminants from escaping.

[0337] Figure 12a shows the status LED.

[0338] This can be commonly applied to Examples 1 to 6 (particularly Examples 3 to 6).

[0339] Specifically,

[0340] - You can check the current status of the equipment through the LED located on the top of the product, and

[0341] - LEDs display different lighting modes depending on priority, and in the event of simultaneous occurrences, the state display with the higher priority is output, and

[0342] - The priority is "Operational Abnormal State = Recovery Completed State > Normal State > Standby State", and

[0343] - If there is no problem with the gas (device (10)) or if there is no change in state, the standby state is always flashing.

[0344] Of course, this is just an example, and the LED lighting status or logic can be changed appropriately as needed.

[0345] Fig. 12b is a drawing regarding the cleaning of equipment.

[0346] In the recovery of equipment,

[0347] - After retrieving the robot (10), turn off the power to the controller and equipment, and

[0348] - Separate the modules for each part to recover contaminants, and

[0349] - After moving the equipment and modules to the cleaning location, clean them using high-pressure water.

[0350] The specific items to be washed vary slightly depending on the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12b.

[0351] That is, in Example 4, the filter unit and the cartridge are cleaned, and

[0352] In Example 5, the mesh was washed, and

[0353] In Example 6, the net fence is cleaned,

[0354] Of course, this is a difference that occurs because the parts installed (equipped) on the device (10) (e.g., 10-3) that serves as the basic platform differ depending on the embodiment.

[0355] FIGS. 13a to 13c are drawings showing an impeller guard according to the present invention.

[0356] The propulsion unit (also called an impeller) is also indicated by reference numerals 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, and 30-4 in FIG. 1b (Example 1), and is also shown in the lower right corner of FIG. 2a (Example 2).

[0357] A propulsion system having the same function is also present in Examples 3 to 6 and is located at the bottom of the device (10).

[0358] In Examples 1 to 6, the propellant (impeller) is exposed, but as a variation, the degree of exposure can be slightly reduced by installing the propellant guard shown in FIGS. 13a to 13c.

[0359] Specifically, looking at FIG. 13a (side view), it is shown that a propulsion unit (impeller) is installed under the plate. In FIG. 13a, the direction of travel of the device (10) is to the left. That is, the propulsion unit exerts thrust toward the right side of FIG. 13a (i.e., the rear of the device (10)) to move the hull (device (10)) toward the left side of FIG. 13a (i.e., the front of the device (10)).

[0360] As seen in the side view of Fig. 13a, there is a member divided into several frames like a window, and although it is difficult to tell from the drawing alone, the interior of the roughly square part is covered with mesh so that fluid can pass through easily and debris of a certain size cannot approach the vicinity of the propulsion system.

[0361] FIG. 13b is a perspective view of the side view shown in FIG. 13a.

[0362] It is shown that a propulsion system is installed beneath the transparent plate. This transparent plate is depicted as transparent for convenience to facilitate the understanding of the internal structure, as in reality, it would generally not be transparent (such as metal or resin plates forming part of the hull).

[0363] Looking at Fig. 13b, there are approximately three regions: (i) the front region of the propulsion system, (ii) the region where the propulsion system is located (middle region), and (iii) the rear region of the propulsion system. Among these, the region where the propulsion system is located (ii) can move back and forth by means of a rail.

[0364] Figure 13c shows the state in which the area with the propulsion unit (intermediate area) slides forward.

[0365] As mentioned in relation to Fig. 13b, the area with the propulsion unit (middle area) of (ii) is movable back and forth by rails, and in Fig. 13c, the area with the propulsion unit (middle area) actually moves forward and is attached to the front area.

[0366] Although not clearly visible in the city alone, mesh is attached to each window-like section; therefore, as mentioned above, fluid can reach the propellant, but debris of a certain volume cannot reach the propellant, thus protecting the propellant.

[0367] To explain the propellant guard differently, it is as follows.

[0368] The propulsion guard is a means to prevent the inflow of marine debris while simultaneously maximizing propulsion performance. Most of its housing is made of mesh, but it can be opened and closed from front to back. This openable part can be opened and closed using the water current of the propulsion system. This eliminates the loss of propulsion performance caused by the mesh when generating thrust by pushing away the water current during propulsion, while also utilizing the fact that debris is prevented from entering due to the flow of water exiting the housing when the current is released.

[0369] In FIGS. 13a to 13c, three regions are shown, and it is explained that only the middle region moves, but this is not limited to this, and if necessary, the front and rear regions may be changed to move.

[0370] Even if only the intermediate area moves, the intermediate area may be controlled to attach to the front area or the rear area by electronic control, or the intermediate area may be moved forward or backward naturally (by inertia, etc., without separate power) according to the flow of water or the forward / backward movement of the device (10).

[0371] For example, when the device (10) moves forward or water flows from the front to the back of the device (10), the middle area can naturally move toward the rear area and stay attached. In this case, although an open space is created between the front area and the middle area, it is difficult for marine contaminants (whether solid or fluid) to enter through that open space because of the water flow discharged from the propulsion system. Also, since mesh is installed in most of the area of ​​the propulsion system guard excluding the open space, other parts are also protected to some extent.

[0372] Conversely, if the device (10) moves backward or if water flows from behind to the front of the device (10), the middle area can naturally move toward the front area and stay attached (as illustrated in FIG. 13c). In this case, although an open space is created between the middle area and the rear area (see FIG. 13c), it is difficult for marine contaminants (whether solid or fluid) to enter through that open space because of the water flow discharged from the propulsion system. Also, since mesh is installed in most areas of the propulsion guard excluding the open space, other parts are also protected to some extent.

[0373] Of course, what is described above is an example and is not necessarily limited to such operations. If necessary, when the device (10) moves forward, a situation like that of FIG. 13c (i.e., a situation where the open space is at the rear) may be created, and when the device (10) moves backward, a situation where the open space is at the front may be created.

[0374] As a feature of an embodiment of the present invention distinct from FIGS. 13a to 13c, it is possible to measure the distance to an object through AI technology that mimics LIDAR during camera-based water monitoring, thereby allowing the operator of the robot (10) to recognize the risk of collision or to use the data for avoidance maneuvers.

[0375] Figure 14 is a drawing showing connecting equipment.

[0376] Fig. 7a (the apparatus of Example 5 (10-5)) shows the solid contaminant recovery module (mesh) in a single state and in a combined state, and Fig. 7c (also Example 5) shows the solid contaminant recovery module (mesh) in a separated state.

[0377] In addition, Figure 9a (the apparatus of Example 6 (10-6)) shows the fence module (net fence) in a single state and in a combined state, and Figure 9c (also Example 6) shows the fence module (net fence) in a separated state.

[0378] It may be thought that the assembly and separation of the solid contaminant recovery module (in the case of Example 5) and the fence module (in the case of Example 6) are typically performed after lifting and moving the device (10) to a mother ship (mother vessel) (also referred to as a 'contamination vessel') or land. However, in the present invention, the device (10) may be attached and detached without necessarily lifting and moving it to a mother ship or land, in a detached state (i.e., not in a state where the device (10) is lifted and moved to a mother ship or land, but in a state where the device (10) is launched on water. This launching location may be a site for treating marine contaminants (flow water, etc.), and the attachment and detachment equipment for this purpose is described below.

[0379] The part (detachable equipment) (also called connecting equipment) to be used when attaching or detaching the solid contaminant recovery module or fence module to the platform (i.e., 10-3) in a separated state is as shown in FIG. 14.

[0380] The detachable equipment is of the form in which (i) at the end of the pole, (ii) a hook for a crane hanger and (iii) a part for easy connection between modules are provided.

[0381] The part marked in red is the hook of (ii) above, and the opposite side is (iii) above, which is the place to be attached to the recovery module and fence module. (Of course, it is also possible for the hook to be attached to the recovery module and fence module, and the opposite side to be attached to the device (10).)

[0382] Although not limited to this, the detachable device has a structure in which the hook of (ii) above and the module coupling part of (iii) above face each other, and the rod of (i) above is provided so as to be orthogonal to (ii) and (iii) above.

[0383] Without lifting the device (10) onto the mother ship or land, while the device (10) is launched, a person on the mother ship or land uses a detachable device to (i) hold the end (one end) of the pole, hook (ii) the hook at the opposite end (the other end) of the pole onto the device (10), hook (iii) the module connection part on the opposite side of the hook onto the recovery module or fence module, and press an unillustrated switch that may be placed on one end of the pole to detach the pole.

[0384] Then, the device (10) and the recovery module (or fence module) are combined by (ii) and (iii) above, and the pole of (i) above can be separated and stored by the user.

[0385] With this detachable equipment, the solid contaminant recovery module (5th embodiment) and the fence towing module (6th embodiment) can be assembled and separated in a spaced-away state without retrieving the robot (10) from the water. This has the effect of minimizing the exposure of workers to serious accidents at the site. Furthermore, in the case of a site where oil and water are recovered, from the perspective of a user on a mother ship, there is a significant difference between 'the device (10) being allowed to be launched into the water' and 'the device (10) having to be lifted out of the water and moved to the mother ship' when installing the net (5th embodiment) or fence (6th embodiment). If the device (10) has to be lifted out of the water and moved to the mother ship, the device (10) covered in oil comes to the closest location to the user (worker), so health damage such as exposure to hazardous substances resulting therefrom cannot be ignored. On the other hand, even if the device (10) is launched into the water, if a net or fence can be attached to the device (10), even if it is inevitable that the mother ship will go near the device (10), at least the device (10) will not be lifted by the mother ship to the nearest location to the user (worker), so it can be seen that a relatively safer working environment is created. This is advantageous in terms of safety and work efficiency.

[0386] In other words, for the modules, the worker can separate and assemble them while separated from the robot (10) in an aquatic environment without directly taking the robot (device (10)) out of the water. This is made possible by the detachable equipment shown in FIG. 14 and described above. A part is attached to the end of a long pole that is easy to attach to the module of the robot (10) and also easy to attach to a crane. Thus, the worker first attaches to the module of the robot (10) using the equipment (detachable equipment), and then separates the module by hooking it onto a descending crane hook without lifting the robot (10). This is an efficient means of shortening the time required to insert and remove the robot at the site.

[0387] As an additional feature of the present invention unrelated to FIG. 14, the following point also exists.

[0388] It is possible to monitor not only the input value (e.g., current or power) but also the output value (e.g., current or power) of the actuator (recovery unit, propulsion unit) on the system (device (10)), and to analyze the data to infer the state of the robot's actuator.

[0389] Monitoring the current output value offers the following advantages. To give an example, let's say the input value is set to allow the propellant to produce 30% output. However, if foreign matter is lodged in the system, the propellant may not rotate properly; in this case, relying solely on the input value does not reveal whether such matter is present. This is because the input value is merely a code command; it only issues instructions to enable 30% rotation, but it does not indicate whether the system is actually rotating correctly. However, if the output value is known, feedback can be received regarding whether 30% output is actually being produced when 30% input is instructed. This allows for verification that the motor is performing approximately 30% of its actual work. Consequently, the motor's condition can be inferred, and abnormal conditions can be alerted to the operator. This feature enables monitoring by attaching a current measurement module or sensor to the relevant wire on the system board when the propellant draws power from the battery. Therefore, by observing the trend of the current output value, it is possible to infer the condition of the current, such as whether the output value itself is not produced due to a problem with the propellant's condition or if the output value becomes extremely high due to foreign matter (if foreign matter is present, the current continues to be drawn until the propellant rotates), and through this, follow-up measures such as presenting expected problems to customers are possible.

[0390] In addition, other features of the present invention are as follows.

[0391] The amount of marine debris recovered can be estimated by using a water monitoring camera to estimate the capacity, and the amount of debris recovered can be estimated through input values ​​(e.g., current or power), output values ​​(e.g., current or power), and driving speed data that enter the propulsion system of the robot (10).

[0392] As a solution for estimating the amount of contaminants collected by the robot (10),

[0393] - Analyze the amount of contaminants collected using a camera located at the upper rear of the robot (10), and

[0394] - Considering that it is difficult to estimate the total volume of waste in the water at this time, the estimated waste volume value is reinforced with the following additional solution.

[0395] (i) That is, the robot's driving speed is inferred (referred to as 'speed A') through sensor fusion of GPS and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor data, and at the same time, the input and output data of the propulsion system are monitored through the system box.

[0396] (ii) Based on a pre-calculated propulsion speed table (a data table that calculates the robot's propulsion speed based on the propulsion input and output data in an environment without currents or waves), the robot's driving speed corresponding to the current input and output data (referred to as 'speed B') is calculated.

[0397] (iii) Determine the level of speed propulsion reduction of the robot through the difference between the two speeds (speed A - speed B).

[0398] (iv) Reinforce the marine debris amount value inferred from the camera using the data.

[0399] FIGS. 15a to 15h illustrate Example 7 of the present invention and are intended to explain the cartridge (60) mainly.

[0400] FIG. 15a is an example of the present invention according to Example 7, which is essentially no different from Examples 1 to 6, but differs somewhat in the arrangement or appearance of each component.

[0401] In the water surface floating layer removal device (10) according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention, a contaminated water inlet (20; contaminated water recovery section) (not clearly visible in FIG. 15a due to the angle of illustration, but see FIG. 15b, etc.) is positioned at the front (left in the drawing), which is the direction of travel of the movable hull (10). Behind the contaminated water inlet (20), there is a storage section (40) (internal storage container) where the inflowed contaminated water is stored. The contaminated water inlet (20) of the hull (10) and the interior of the internal storage container (40) are connected. And, behind the internal storage container (40) (right in the drawing), there is a detachable / attachable external storage container (60).

[0402] FIG. 15b is a perspective view of an apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention viewed obliquely from the front side.

[0403] Unlike FIG. 15a, which is viewed obliquely from the rear side, FIG. 15b is viewed obliquely from the front side and is a cross-sectional view with some members omitted, so the internal structure can be confirmed.

[0404] The device (10) of the present invention basically has the following basic operating principle: [contaminated water flows into the inlet (20) -> oil is stored in the storage unit (40) (oil-water separation proceeds due to filter and density difference) -> after oil-water separation, clean water is discharged to the bottom of the filter (HF2)].

[0405] As will be described in detail later, the general principle is that the recovered oil passes through the inclined surface (uw1, uw2 in FIG. 15c) and collects in the area near the rear sea surface of the internal storage section (40) (A2 in FIG. 15c), and by concentrating the recovery of only the collected oil generated by the difference in specific gravity (A3 in FIG. 15c), it is possible to accurately recover only the desired contaminated water.

[0406] When a large amount of oil is recovered, the oil accumulates in the storage section (40) (inner storage container). If this oil is not continuously discharged, the amount recovered gradually decreases, and there is a problem that the oil may leak out. The present invention allows the oil to be recovered continuously by operating the pump in real time, thereby maintaining the amount recovered continuously and enabling smooth use until the outer storage container (60) is full.

[0407] Contaminated water (e.g., oil) extracted from the internal storage unit (40) (internal storage container) is transferred to the external storage container (60) (cartridge) via a pump.

[0408] The above is a general overview, and the components are explained one by one as follows.

[0409] The contaminated water inlet section (20) includes, for example, an inlet (21) and an impeller (31).

[0410] In FIG. 15b, two inlets (21) and two impellers (31) are shown, but this is not limited to them.

[0411] While the hull (10) is floating on the water surface, the water surface is within the height range of the inlet (21), allowing contaminated water to flow in as the hull (10) advances (moving to the left in FIG. 2), and a filtration means (not shown) may be installed in front of the inlet (21) to prevent the inflow of large solids that can float in the contaminated water.

[0412] Additionally, although not shown in FIG. 15a and FIG. 15b, an impeller (not shown) (separate from the impeller (31) of the contaminated water inlet (20), and a separate impeller for the propulsion of the hull (10)) may be installed near the bottom of the hull (10) to move the hull (10) back and forth. For example, there may be two impellers (not shown), but the number can be adjusted as needed.

[0413] The discharge port (50; discharge section) is a part where the water remaining after oil has been separated from the incoming contaminated water is discharged. In FIG. 15b, the discharge port (50) is located at the bottom of the hull (10), but if necessary, it may be placed at the rear, at the bottom of the rear, or at the rear part of the bottom. However, considering the external storage container (60) to be described later, it is preferable to have the discharge port (50) at the bottom of the hull (10).

[0414] The outlet (50) includes a lower filter (HF2).

[0415] In FIG. 15b, contaminated water (e.g., oil water) introduced through the inlet (21) passes through the connection (1000) and flows into the internal storage tank (40) (specifically, the front 40-1), and then moves to the internal storage tank (40) further rear (i.e., the rear 40-2) after undergoing rough filtering at the vertical partition (VW). The vertical partition (VW) may be a simple mesh structure that performs lower-performance filtering than the upper filter (HF1) and lower filter (HF2) described later. This vertical partition (VW) (storage partition) may perform full-scale filtering, or it is sufficient for it to serve to slightly slow down or obstruct the flow of the fluid. Obstructing (delaying) the flow alone can increase the time or probability of the oil rising to the top due to the difference in specific gravity.

[0416] In FIG. 15b, an impeller (31) is illustrated as a means for introducing / recovering fluids (water and oil) from the inlet (21), but the use is not necessarily limited to the impeller (31), and other examples using a pump, for instance, are also possible.

[0417] In the internal storage container (40) (especially 40-2), due to the difference in specific gravity, the oil rises to the top and the water sinks to the bottom, and the water passes through the upper filter (HF1) and lower filter (HF2) and is discharged through the outlet (50).

[0418] Meanwhile, in addition to the upper filter (HF1) and lower filter (HF2), there is a separate small window (or small filter (SF)) in front of the upper filter (HF1), and water is discharged through the small filter (SF) and lower filter (HF2). The flow of contaminated water (water and oil) will be described later in FIG. 15c.

[0419] Also, a storage section (40) is shown, and the outer walls on both sides (left and right of the hull) of the storage section (40) (see Fig. 15a, etc., in an uncut state) may include buoyancy bodies that provide buoyancy. Buoyancy may be provided from the left and right sides of the storage section (40), or from the lower side of the storage section (40). It would be desirable to provide a small amount of buoyancy from both the left and right sides and the lower side of the storage section (40).

[0420] The degree of buoyancy is suitable so that the impeller (31) is submerged about halfway. Half does not mean exactly 50%, but may be about 40-60%. In some cases, it may be submerged about 30-70%. Thus, through the action of the impeller (31) that is half submerged in water, the contaminated water moves appropriately toward the storage section (40) inside the hull (10).

[0421] Of course, it is preferable that the separate impeller (not shown, a component separate from the impeller (31)) which exerts propulsion for the forward, backward, left, and right movement of the hull (10) be entirely submerged in water. Only the impeller (31) for inflow, which is positioned near the contaminated water inflow section (20), is submerged approximately halfway into the water surface.

[0422] Figure 15c shows the flow of contaminated water.

[0423] In Fig. 15c, the thick arrow (or black arrow) indicates the flow of oil, and the light arrow (or blue arrow) indicates the flow of water.

[0424] Of course, the flow (flow of water and flow of oil) is not clearly distinguished as shown by these arrows, but is intended to conceptually represent the approximate flow when oil water flows in through the contaminated water inlet (20).

[0425] Although the sea level is indicated in Fig. 15c, it is not limited to the ocean and can be applied anywhere there is contaminated water (more broadly, contaminated liquid).

[0426] The buoyancy of the hull (10) is adjusted so that the water level is approximately the middle of the impeller (31). That is, the area above the rotation axis of the impeller (31) will not be submerged in water, while the area below the rotation axis will be submerged in water. At this time, the impeller (31) introduces contaminated water and sends it toward the connection part (1000).

[0427] Furthermore, it is applicable to the recovery and separation of two or more liquids that can be separated by differences in specific gravity, even if they are not necessarily water and oil; contaminated water, a mixture of oil and water, was cited as the most typical example.

[0428] In FIG. 15c, the incoming oil passes through the inlet (21), through the connection part (1000), moves to the front internal storage tank (40-1), passes through the vertical partition (VW), and generally moves upward to the rear internal storage tank (40-2). Some of the oil may move from the front internal storage tank (40-1) through the front horizontal baffle plate (2000) to the space below, but often rises back to the front internal storage tank (40-1).

[0429] Meanwhile, regarding the oil moving from the front internal storage container (40-1) to the rear internal storage container (40-2) and then rising, the upper wall (uw1) of the front internal storage container (401) and the upper wall (uw2) of the rear internal storage container (40-2) are both shaped so that the walls (uw1, uw2) become higher as they move toward the rear. In this case, due to these inclined walls (uw1, uw2), the oil becomes easier to move toward the rear.

[0430] If a comparative example is assumed in which the upper walls (uw1, uw2) are horizontal, unlike in the drawing, it is easy to see that the oil will generally be floating uniformly on the upper surface in the front internal storage container (40-1) and the rear internal storage container (40-2) (the two are collectively referred to as the internal storage container (40)). However, according to the present invention (as illustrated) rather than the comparative example, the height of the upper walls (uw1, uw2) increases as they go towards the rear, making it easier for the oil to move towards the rear. As a result, the oil tends to accumulate in the oil storage area (A2) at the rear rather than across the entire surface of the internal storage container (40), and also tends to accumulate more in the oil concentration area (A3).

[0431] The approximate flow of this oil can be confirmed through the thick arrow (black arrow).

[0432] Then, the incoming water passes through the inlet (21), goes through the connection part (1000), moves to the front internal storage tank (40-1), passes through the vertical partition (VW), and generally moves to the lower part of the rear internal storage tank (40-2). Some of the water moves from the front internal storage tank (40-1) through the front horizontal baffle plate (2000) to the space below, passes through a small filter (SF) (it does not necessarily have to be a filter, but a small window is acceptable), and is discharged through the lower filter (HF2).

[0433] And, another portion of the water moves mostly downward into the rear internal storage tank (40-2). This water moves from the rear internal storage tank (40-2) through the rear horizontal baffle plate (3000) to the space below, passes through the upper filter (HF1), and is discharged through the lower filter (HF2).

[0434] The approximate flow of this water can be seen through the light arrow (blue arrow).

[0435] Although not limited to this, the filtering performance may be relatively high for the upper filter (HF1) and lower filter (HF2), medium for the small filter (SF), and low for the front horizontal baffle plate (2000) and rear horizontal baffle plate (3000).

[0436] FIG. 15d is a drawing similar to FIG. 15a, but is illustrated to more clearly show the detachable state of the external storage container (60).

[0437] That is, FIG. 15d is a schematic drawing showing how an external storage container (60) is attached to the hull.

[0438] As described above, the external storage container (60) is detachable, and it can be seen that handles are attached to both sides for ease of attachment and detachment. It is also easy to replace it with another external storage container (60) as needed.

[0439] This detachable external storage container (60) may also be called a cartridge (60).

[0440] FIG. 15e is a perspective view of the external storage container (60) of FIG. 15d.

[0441] The left side of FIG. 15e is an upper lateral perspective view, and the right side of FIG. 15e is a lower lateral perspective view.

[0442] In the lower side view on the right side of FIG. 15e, the filter is shown separated for convenience of explanation.

[0443] This external storage container (60) is a part of the semi-submersible oil recovery device (10) of the present invention, and is an oil storage device (60) that can perform oil-water separation inside the storage device (60) and simultaneously check the automatic replacement time when contaminants mixed with oil and water are introduced inside the oil recovery device (10).

[0444] FIG. 15f is a perspective view of a cross-sectional view of an external storage container (60).

[0445] The filter (113) at the bottom left of Fig. 15f can be slid and fitted to the right side.

[0446] In addition, the first partition (115) separating the first stacking section (B1) and the second stacking section (B2) has a vertical slit formed at a predetermined height, and the bottom of the partition is open, and the second partition (117) separating the second stacking section (B2) and the third stacking section (B3) has a structure with a filter applied to almost the entire surface. In this case, since the separation of contaminants and water in the second partition (117) is higher than the separation of contaminants and water in the first partition (115) (i.e., oil-water separation is better), it may be said that the separation power of the second partition (117) is higher than that of the first partition (115). However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto. As another example, the first partition (115) may also have a structure similar to that of the second partition (117).

[0447] That is, two vertical partitions (115, 117) of different shapes are formed inside the oil storage device (60) (external storage container). The first partition (115) has holes only at the sea level and at the very bottom, serving to float the oil above the sea level. The second partition (117) uses a mesh filter over a wide area to slow down movement using the viscosity of contaminants, thereby preventing sensor malfunction. It also serves to filter out internal contaminants.

[0448] The primary baffle (115) and / or secondary baffle (117) can broadly be used for full-scale filtering, or they can serve to slightly slow down or obstruct the flow of the fluid rather than for full-scale filtering. This is because obstructing (delaying) the flow alone can increase the time or probability of the oil rising to the top due to the difference in specific gravity. However, to obtain a clearer separation, it is better to use filtering. In the drawing, the primary baffle (115) and secondary baffle (117) are shown as cartridge baffles, but the cartridge baffles are not necessarily limited to two; one is sufficient, or three or more are sufficient. However, two are preferred from the perspective of processing time, the effectiveness and ease of filtering, and the balance between the appropriate separation and processing time.

[0449] Figure 15g is a comparative example assuming a case where there are no partitions (115, 117) in the external storage container (60).

[0450] As seen in Fig. 15g, it can be seen that as the amount of contaminated water inflow increases and over time, the degree of separation between oil and water does not increase significantly.

[0451] FIG. 15h is an example of an invention (cartridge) that assumes a case where the external storage container (60) has partitions (115, 117).

[0452] As seen in Fig. 15h, as the amount of contaminated water inflow increases and over time, the degree of separation between oil and water increases, and in particular, as it goes from the first layer section (B1) → the second layer section (B2) → the third layer section (B3), it can be seen that the degree of separation between oil and water increases.

[0453] (i) The photo in the upper left corner of Fig. 15h is an example where 1L of contaminated water was introduced.

[0454] (ii) If the inflow proceeds further, as shown in the upper right photo of Fig. 15h, it becomes an example where 5L of contaminated water is introduced.

[0455] (iii) If the inflow continues, as shown in the photo at the bottom left of Fig. 15h, there is an example where 10L of contaminated water is introduced.

[0456] (iv) If the inflow continues, as shown in the photo at the bottom right of Fig. 15h, there will be an example where 15 to 17 liters of contaminated water flow in.

[0457] In the example of FIG. 15h (particularly, the photo at the bottom right), the contaminant (e.g., oil) is only half full at the top of the third layer section (B3), but when the boundary line between the contaminant and water is lowered further to a certain position (e.g., a position where the contaminant is about 70-90%), the first layer section (B1) with the discharge hole (119) will be filled with contaminant to nearly 100% (of course, depending on the filtering performance of the first partition (115) and the second partition (117), for example, about 90-100%).

[0458] At this time, the buoyancy body (111) and the Hall sensor (121) sense this in the third stacking section (B3), and the worker can know this through the LED light (L). The worker sees this and thinks that the cartridge (60) is full to the limit of the contaminant's capacity, so the cartridge (60) is removed, and after removal, the discharge lever (103) is operated in another location to open the discharge hole (119) below the third stacking section (B3) so that the contaminant (and some water) can be discharged.

[0459] As described above, the filter hole (123) is opened only when the cartridge (60) is inserted into the site and retrieved, and serves to prevent the discharge of internal contaminated water while allowing water to be discharged to the outside. The discharge hole (119) is opened only when contaminated water is discharged after the cartridge (60) is separated on land after all operations are finished. Typically, there is no situation in which both holes (119, 123) are opened simultaneously.

[0460] The cartridge (60) has been described through FIGS. 15a to 15h, and the cartridge (60) is not limited to Example 7, but may also be applied to Examples 1 to 6 as needed, and may be particularly suitable for application to Example 4.

[0461] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be manufactured in various different forms, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical concept or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0462] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0463] 10: Oil skimmer (also referred to as hull, surface floating pollutant removal device, surface floating layer removal device, oil spill response device, oil spill response robot, etc.)

[0464] 10-3: According to Example 3 as an example of an oil recovery device (10).

[0465] 10-4: According to Example 4 as an example of an oil recovery device (10).

[0466] 10-5: According to Example 5 as an example of an oil recovery device (10).

[0467] 10-6: According to Example 6 as an example of an oil recovery device (10).

[0468] 20: Inlet section (Recovery section)

[0469] 21: Inlet

[0470] 22: Filtration means

[0471] 30-1, 30-2: Forward-backward moving impeller (propulsion system)

[0472] 30-3, 30-4: Left and right movement impellers (propulsion units)

[0473] 31: Impeller (for contaminated water inflow)

[0474] 31M: Motor

[0475] 32: Splash barrier

[0476] 33: Impeller housing (pipe)

[0477] 40: Storage section

[0478] The present invention relates to a device for recovering pollutants floating on the water surface, etc., and has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. As a floating pollutant recovery device, (i) Hull including a main frame; (ii) a contaminated water inlet disposed at the front of the hull to receive contaminated water; (iii) A propulsion system that exerts a thrust to move the above-mentioned hull in a desired direction A platform including, (iv) an oil recovery unit for storing the contaminated water introduced through the contaminated water inlet; an oil recovery unit filter disposed at the bottom of the oil recovery unit for filtering the water separated to the bottom when the contaminated water is separated by a difference in density, with oil separated to the top and water separated to the bottom; a cartridge for storing the oil separated to the top, or (v) A net installed at the rear of the hull, or a net functioning as a solid contaminant recovery module for recovering solid contaminants contained in the contaminated water that flows into the hull of the floating contaminant recovery device through the contaminated water inlet, or (vi) A net fence installed at the rear of the contaminated water inlet, wherein one end of the net fence is installed at the rear of the hull of the surface floating pollutant recovery device (hereinafter also referred to as the first surface floating pollutant recovery device), and the other end of the net fence is installed at the rear of the hull of a separate surface floating pollutant recovery device (hereinafter also referred to as the second surface floating pollutant recovery device), and functions as a fence module for recovering surface floating pollutants located between the first surface floating pollutant recovery device and the second surface floating pollutant recovery device. It further includes additional equipment that is one of the following, The above (iv) can be detachably attached to the above platform, the above (v) can be detachably attached to the above platform, and the above (vi) can be detachably attached to the above platform, configured to be detachably attached to the above platform. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned propellant further includes a propellant guard around it, and The above-mentioned propulsion guard is in the longitudinal direction of the surface floating pollutant recovery device, (a) an intermediate region that overlaps with the above-mentioned propulsion system, (b) a front region, which is a region ahead of the above-mentioned propulsion system, (c) Rear region, which is the region behind the above-mentioned propulsion system Includes, The above middle region, the above front region, and the above rear region are surrounded by a mesh, and Between the above intermediate region and the above front region, there is a first open space where the mesh is not installed, and Between the above intermediate region and the above front region, there is a second open space where the mesh is not installed, and The above intermediate region moves forward and contacts the above front region, causing the first open space to disappear and the second open space to become larger, or The above intermediate region moves backward to come into contact with the above rear region, causing the first open space to become larger and the second open space to disappear. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

3. In Paragraph 1, The net of (v) or the net fence of (vi) is joined to the rear of the hull through a connecting link. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above connecting link includes a first link and a second link, and The first ring is connected to the hull, and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), and The first ring and the second ring are opposite each other. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

5. In Paragraph 4, The first ring and the second ring are connected to a pole, After moving the above pole so that the first ring is connected to the hull and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), the pole is separated from the combination of the first ring and the second ring, Connecting the first ring and the second ring to the hull and the net or net fence, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

6. In Paragraph 1, By monitoring not only the input electrical signal but also the output electrical signal of the propulsion unit, which is the actuator of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device, Inferring the state of the driving unit of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above input electrical signal is current or power, and The above output electrical signal is current or power, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

8. In Paragraph 6, By comparing the numerical value in the above input electrical signal and the numerical value in the above output electrical signal, Getting feedback on whether the above drive unit actually moved as commanded, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

9. In Paragraph 1, In order to determine the amount of solid marine debris recovered by the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device, the capacity is initially estimated using a surface monitoring camera, and In addition, the amount of marine debris recovered is secondarily inferred through input electrical signals, output electrical signals, and driving speed data entering the propulsion unit, which is the driving part of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above first analogy and the above second analogy are, A step of analyzing the amount of pollutants collected through an image obtained from a camera installed at the top of the above-described floating pollutant recovery device, and Step to reinforce the estimated value of marine debris including, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

11. In Paragraph 10, The step of reinforcing the above-mentioned marine debris amount inference value is, - Inferring the driving speed of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device through data from GPS and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors (referred to as 'speed A'), and also monitoring the data of the input electrical signal and output electrical signal of the above-mentioned propulsion unit, - Based on a pre-calculated propulsion speed table, the robot's driving speed corresponding to the current input electrical signal and the current output electrical signal (referred to as 'speed B') is calculated, and - The level of speed propulsion reduction of the above-mentioned floating pollutant recovery device is determined through the difference between the above-mentioned speed A and the above-mentioned speed B, and - Reinforcing the value of the amount of marine debris inferred by the camera according to the above-determined level of speed propulsion reduction, including, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

12. In Paragraph 11, The aforementioned pre-calculated propulsion speed table is a data table in which the propulsion speed of the surface floating pollutant recovery device is calculated based on the data of the input electrical signal and output electrical signal of the propulsion unit in an environment without currents and waves. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

13. In Paragraph 1, An inflow impeller installed at the contaminated water inflow section to introduce contaminated water into the hull; An inlet impeller housing surrounding the above-mentioned inlet impeller; A splash guard installed on the upper part of the upstream portion of the inlet impeller in the above-mentioned inlet impeller housing. including more, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

14. In Paragraph 13, A buoyancy device connected to or part of the hull said above Includes more, The above hull and buoyancy device have a buoyancy set such that the inlet impeller is submerged by 40 to 60 percent, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

15. In Paragraph 14, A first flow separator plate installed on the above-mentioned hull and having a shape that extends rearward and then extends downward; A first vertical baffle plate installed behind the first flow separator plate and having an upper opening and a lower opening; An upper horizontal baffle plate installed behind the first vertical baffle plate and having a first filter for filtering oil; A lower horizontal baffle plate installed below the upper horizontal baffle plate and having a second filter having a finer mesh than the first filter. Includes more, The lower horizontal baffle plate is installed across the lower portion of the first vertical baffle plate and the upper horizontal baffle plate, or is installed across the lower portion of the first flow separator plate, the first vertical baffle plate, and the upper horizontal baffle plate. The fluid flowing through the lower opening of the first vertical baffle plate is configured to pass through the pocket groove and flow into the lower side of the upper horizontal baffle plate, and The fluid flowing through the upper opening of the first vertical baffle plate is configured to flow upward into the upper horizontal baffle plate. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

16. In Paragraph 1, In the cartridge of (iv) above, A vertically formed cartridge partition is formed inside the above cartridge, and The flow of the contaminated water is delayed or filtered by the above cartridge partition, thereby separating the contaminants. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

17. In Paragraph 16, The cartridge partition includes a primary partition closer to the inlet to the cartridge and a secondary partition further away from the inlet to the cartridge. The separation force of the above secondary partition is higher than the separation force of the above primary partition, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

18. In Paragraph 16, Among the sections separated by the cartridge bulkhead, at the bottom of the section furthest from the inlet to the cartridge, there is a buoyancy body capable of moving from a first height downward to a second height upward, and The above buoyancy body has a specific gravity intermediate between that of the contaminant and water, and As pollutants with a specific gravity lower than that of the water rise above the aforementioned distant section, the buoyancy body descends along the boundary between the pollutants and the water, and When the above buoyancy body descends to a predetermined height at a position corresponding to a predetermined contaminant capacity of the cartridge, a sensor detects this. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

19. In Paragraph 17, Among the three spaces partitioned by the first partition and the second partition, the space closest to the inlet to the cartridge is designated as the first stacking section, the space between the first partition and the second partition is designated as the second stacking section, and the space farthest from the inlet to the cartridge is designated as the third stacking section, In the above-mentioned first stacked space, a discharge hole and a means for opening and closing the discharge hole are formed. Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

20. In Paragraph 19, A filter is placed at the bottom of the above-mentioned third stacked space, and A filter section hole and a means for opening and closing the filter section hole are formed above the filter, Surface floating pollutant recovery device.

21. As a connecting device, It includes the above-mentioned rod, the above-mentioned first ring, and the above-mentioned second ring as described in paragraph 5, The first ring and the second ring are connected to the pole, After moving the above pole so that the first ring is connected to the hull and the second ring is connected to the net of (v) or the net fence of (vi), the pole is separated from the combination of the first ring and the second ring, Connecting the first ring and the second ring to the hull and the net or the net fence, Connection equipment.

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