Offshore Grouting Water Recycling via Sediment Settling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grouting processes generate significant waste water during equipment cleaning, which is costly and environmentally impactful to dispose of, particularly in offshore operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for recycling waste water from offshore grouting processes, involving a settling tank with a removable, water-permeable liner to separate sediment, followed by further treatment and re-use of the water for cleaning equipment or mixing grout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If waste water is disposed of through traditional methods, then disposal is simple, but operational costs increase and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by capturing waste water that would otherwise be discarded and treating it for reuse. The settling tank separates sediment from waste water, and the filtered water is collected for subsequent use in grouting operations, thereby recovering a valuable resource that would normally be disposed of.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful aspect of waste water (contaminated, unusable fluid) into a beneficial resource (reusable water for grouting). Through the settling and filtration process, the waste water is transformed from a liability requiring costly disposal into an asset that can be reused, reducing both operational costs and environmental impact.
2Ease of manufacture
If waste water is disposed of through traditional methods, then disposal process is simple, but environmental impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prevents environmental harm by recovering waste water and preventing its discharge into the environment. The settling tank and filtration system capture and treat the waste water, ensuring that contaminated water does not enter the marine environment, thus eliminating the harmful environmental impact of traditional disposal methods.
3Productivity
If a settling tank with removable liner is used to separate sediment, then water reuse is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the waste water treatment process into distinct functional components: the settling tank for sediment separation and the removable liner for filtration. This modular segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling easy maintenance and operation of the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable liner acts as an intermediary element between the settling tank and the collected water. It mediates the separation process by filtering water as it passes through, enabling the production of reusable water while maintaining system simplicity through its removable design for easy cleaning and maintenance.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple settling tanks are used for thorough sediment separation, then water quality for reuse improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple settling tanks arranged in series, with each tank performing a specific stage of sediment separation. This segmentation of the treatment process into multiple stages achieves high water quality for reuse while maintaining operational simplicity through the modular nature of the tanks and their removable liners.
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 solution effectively reduces operational costs and environmental impact by reusing treated water within the grouting process, minimizing the need for fresh water and reducing waste disposal challenges.
Implementation Method 1
passing the waste water into a settling tank where sediment is separated from the waste water
Implementation Method 2
The removeable liner may be water permeable and configured to retain the sediment
Implementation Method 3
The method may comprise filtering a plasticizer from the waste water
Data Source
AI summary
A method of recycling waste water from an offshore grouting process is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving waste water from a grouting equipment cleaning process, passing the waste water into a settling tank where sediment is separated from the waste water, removing water from the settling tank, and re-using the water removed from the settling tank.