Marine Ballast Pump Recirculation for Air Entrainment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ballast systems in marine structures face issues with air entrainment during water pumping, which affects pump performance and requires control of water flow rates during emptying operations to manage air introduction and maintain optimal operating conditions.
Innovation Solution
A ballast system with a recirculation conduit assembly that includes a separator or ejector to recirculate water from the high side to the low side, reducing air content and maintaining optimal flow and pressure for the pump, and a second inlet conduit assembly to handle auxiliary systems, ensuring efficient operation and minimizing air impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a ballast tank is filled with water through a water filling assembly, then the ballast tank can be filled efficiently, but air may be entrained in the water filling assembly and pump assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary air removal from the ballast tank before initiating the emptying operation. The air removal assembly extracts air from the tank headspace beforehand, preventing air from being drawn into the pump during subsequent water pumping operations, thus resolving the contradiction between efficient filling and air entrainment prevention
2Productivity
If the ballast tank is emptied at high flow rate, then the emptying operation is completed quickly, but air is introduced into the pump and pump performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous water circulation through the pump by recirculating water from the tank bottom through the pump and back to the tank. This continuous circulation keeps the pump operating at optimal flow rates throughout the emptying process, preventing air ingestion while maintaining high productivity through coordinated operation of multiple pumps
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the water flow rate is reduced when the tank is almost empty, then air introduction to the pump is minimized, but the emptying operation takes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the emptying operation into multiple phases using different pumps: primary pumps handle the main emptying volume at high flow rates, while secondary pumps or recirculation systems manage the final stages at controlled flow rates. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both rapid emptying and minimal air introduction by matching pump capacity to tank contents at different operational stages
4Productivity
If multiple ballast operations and oil refuelling occur simultaneously, then operational efficiency is improved, but control of water flow rate becomes more complex to maintain marine structure balance
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback control mechanisms that continuously monitor the marine structure's draft and inclination, as well as pump operating parameters. Based on this feedback, the control system automatically adjusts pump speeds and valve positions to maintain proper water flow rates during simultaneous operations, coordinating ballast operations with oil refuelling to preserve structural balance without requiring complex manual intervention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The recirculation conduit assembly enhances pump performance by maintaining optimal operating conditions and reducing air-related issues, allowing for efficient water flow management and balancing air content, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of ballast tank emptying operations.
Implementation Method 1
The recirculation conduit assembly may comprise a separator, more particularly a cyclone separator
Implementation Method 2
The recirculation conduit assembly may comprise an ejector
Data Source
AI summary
The present embodiments relate to ballast systems for marine structures. The ballast system comprises a ballast tank and a pump. The pump comprises a low side and a high side and the ballast system comprises a first inlet conduit assembly adapted to provide a fluid communication between the ballast tank and the low side. The ballast system is adapted to provide a first operating condition in which first operating condition a fluid is pumped from the low side to the high side.