Waterborne Debris Collection Boom with Differential Propulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current marine debris collection methods are inefficient and lack effective solutions for targeting and processing large volumes of fine and coarse debris in large bodies of water, particularly microplastics, which accumulate in ocean gyres and pose significant environmental harm.
Innovation Solution
A waterborne debris collection system integrated into a vessel with deployable collection booms and a pumping system that creates a differential water level for propulsion, combined with filtration and pyrolysis processing to remove and convert debris into usable fuel, allowing for targeted collection and on-site processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional nets and collection screens are used for debris collection, then collection effort can be applied, but collection efficiency is poor and large volumes of fine and coarse debris cannot be effectively targeted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the collection boom, pumping system, filtration system, and pyrolysis processor into an integrated marine debris collection system. The collection boom combines debris collection with water displacement propulsion, while the integrated processing system handles both fine and coarse debris through multiple processing stages, thereby improving collection efficiency without requiring separate complex systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The collection boom serves multiple functions: it collects debris, creates water displacement for propulsion, and facilitates water flow through the system. The processing system universally handles different types of debris (fine and coarse) through a single integrated platform, eliminating the need for separate collection and processing operations
2Ease of manufacture
If debris is collected and transported to processing facilities, then centralized processing can occur, but transportation costs and time are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing actions onboard the vessel, including filtration of debris from water and preliminary sorting of coarse debris. This preliminary action reduces the volume and complexity of materials that would otherwise need to be transported to processing facilities, thereby reducing transportation time and costs
Solution Approach 2:
The collection system is self-sufficient, with the vessel equipped with its own processing capabilities including filtration systems and pyrolysis processors. The system processes its own collected debris onboard, eliminating the need for external processing facilities and associated transportation logistics
3Productivity
If collection booms are deployed to collect debris, then debris can be gathered, but the vessel requires propulsion to move through water at pre-determined pace
Solution Approach 1:
The collection boom generates its own propulsion through water displacement, using the pump system to move water and create a differential water level that propels the vessel forward. This self-propulsion mechanism eliminates the need for separate engine propulsion, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining the ability to move through water at controlled speeds for effective debris collection
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 system enables efficient collection and processing of debris, reducing the need for transporting collected materials and providing a sustainable method for vessel operation, allowing for prolonged debris collection efforts while generating fuel from collected plastics.
Implementation Method 1
pumping system operable to collect debris-laden water from an area anterior to the at least one deployable collection boom and to dispose of the collected water on the posterior side of the at least one deployable collection boom, thereby creating a differential water level between the anterior and posterior sides of the deployable collection boom that results in a force applied to the posterior side of the deployable collection screen that propels the aquatic craft forward
Implementation Method 2
The cleaned water may then be passed through conduit to release behind the screen to create propulsion for the vessel. The present invention provides an improved and practicable system for collecting debris and pollutants from bodies of water
Data Source
AI summary
A novel water-borne debris collection system integrated into a waterborne vessel for collecting surface and near surface debris in a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. The apparatus may include a solid collection boom that projects laterally from a vessel and is partially submerged to act as a collection mechanism. The boom also facilitates the propulsion of the vessel by providing a barrier across which a differential water surface level may be created to drive the vessel forward. The apparatus may include a pumping system that draws water from the anterior side of the screen and for multiple purposes, including processing the collected water to remove plastics and other pollutant and debris material therefrom, and to transfer the water to the posterior side of the screen to create the differential water level for driving the vessel forward.