Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONSTRUCTION OF A PUMPING SYSTEM AND USES THEREOF
The present invention is concerned with a construction for a pumping system,
wherein one end of a
hose is directed downwardly to a bottom region for pumping up therefrom solid
particles in a mixture
with water by utilizing a pumping arrangement. The invention also relates to
use of the pumping
arrangement.
1.0 The invention is concerned with a buoyancy member (a float) for a
pumping system which includes a
hose and a pumping arrangement for pumping up solid and liquid waste, and
which has as an objective
to stabilize the hose employed for pumping up during utilization in water.
The invention is also concerned with a construction of a buoyancy member
pertaining to the pumping
system.
In particular, the invention has relevance to a system which is used for
sucking up sunken remains,
faeces and dead marine organisms (especially fish) within a cage in the sea.
However the invention
can be used in all situations where there arises a need to pump up waste.
In respect of solid and liquid waste, the aforesaid remains (such as pellets),
faeces and dead fish are
pertinent, but also all types of waste which may, for example, be lying on an
ocean floor, such as slime
and other solid particles/objects are pertinent. With regard to marine
organisms, fish in particular are
pertinent, but other types of crustaceans and similar are pertinent.
In addition to use with cages, the invention can also be used in association
with hoses which, by way of
assistance from a pumping system, are operable to transport slime from a
seabed up to the surface
region for further treatment, also known as dredging.
In this connection, reference is made to Figure 1 which provides an
illustration of a known system for
sucking up waste from a bottom region of an aquaculture cage.
The cage is denoted by 10, and comprises a ring-formed frame 12 adapted for
floating on an ocean
surface denoted by 11; from the ring-formed frame 12, there is hung a ring-
formed cage 14 fabricated
from a well known netting material or a dense cloth. A bottom region of the
cage 14 is implemented as
a funnel-shaped net section 16. Within the closed cage 14, there are retained
swimming aquaculture
fish 17. Internally, namely at a bottom of the cage's funnel-shaped section
16, there is implemented a
closed inverted collection funnel 20 (of cornet form) wherein sunken waste is
collected up and
concentrated.
At a bottom of the funnel is stretched an end 22 of a hose or a pipe 20 which
is disposed therefrom up
to the ocean surface and extends further at 24 up out of the sea 11 and
eventually to a collection box
26, wherein the mixture of waste and water is separated by way of the water
draining and running back
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to the sea via the pipe 27, whereas the solid waste (fish, remains of food,
etc.) and even slime, is
directed to other suitable processing or destructions at 29.
The pumping up of waste in the mixture with water occurs by way of a hose 30
for pumping of
compressed air 25 (see also Figure 3) being directed down into the cage and by
way of coupling the
hose/pipe 20 supported to its end 22 whereat suction arises. The air is pumped
into the hose 20 through
an ejector nozzle 23 which is orientated upwardly vertically within the hose
20, and the air in the form of
bubbles 25 creates an upwardly-directed ejection effect such that water and
waste are sucked into the
bottom 22 and are lifted/are pumped up through the hose and are guided into
the sieve box 26 wherein
water as aforementioned is permitted to run back into the sea and the solid
waste is treated further in an
lo appropriate manner.
Simultaneously, a result thereof is that the hose 20 is rendered rigid in an
upright orientation as shown
in Figure 1. Before air is pumped into the hose 20, and after a cessation of
air being pumped into the
hose 20, the hose with its associated coupled ejector 23 of the hose system 30
is filled with water and at
least partially collapses downwardly and folds together or folds up at a
bottom region of the cage.
A major disadvantage of this is when pumping of waste is to be recommenced.
When the hose 20
begins to be filled with air, major movements of the hose 20 and its
associated air pumping system
occurs, wherein it can be thrown forward and back when it is lifted up, namely
something which can
cause major damage both to the fish and equipment within the cage. Moreover, a
considerable amount
of pumping energy is wasted merely in lifting/raising the hose up from its
folded state.
A known solution is described in a United Kingdom patent no. GB 1165520, which
is concerned with an
apparatus for transporting to/from a boat, and which comprises a plurality of
rigid pipes, which are each
maintained floating by way of floats, and the pipes are coupled together to
form a more bendable hose.
Reference is made to a publication "Product Catalogue for Liftup", from year
2010 (accessible via
Internet), and from Applicant's Liftups newsletter no. 1, year 2001. These
describe different solutions
for pumping up dead fish, faeces and feed from a collection unit by way of
help from a pump which is
assisted by injecting air into a vertically orientated transport hose.
A principal aim of the present invention is to provide a construction for a
new system which is capable of
eliminating disadvantages encountered with contemporary known systems.
In particular, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a solution
which is capable of eliminating the
phase wherein the hose is partially folded together after completed pumping up
activities and which
subsequently is raised again by injection of air, namely the hose is capable
of being retained in a upright
orientation in all phases.
The construction according to the present invention is characterized in that
the hose comprises at least
a combined pipe section with an integral float which is adapted for
maintaining the hose principally in an
upright orientation in the sea environment, wherein the float is implemented
in a ring-form manner
around the pipe section, and comprises one or more gas/air-filled chambers or
a float element having a
corresponding density which is lower than that of water, wherein the pipe
section is coupled/joined onto
the hose at a suitable height over a bottom region.
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According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an exterior
surface of the float is formed
with rounded edges and corners so that the float is not susceptible to
becoming ensnarled in moorings
and causing associated damage.
Beneficially, the float is implemented around a central portion of the pipe
section. Moreover, it is
beneficial that the float is implemented as a cap which is implemented around
the pipe section, and the
cap defines together with the pipe one or more chambers for being filled with
gas/air.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the float is a float
element filled with float foam, or
a material with lower density than water, for example a cork material or an
polystyrene material.
According to the present invention, the construction is susceptible to being
employed in an aquaculture
cage in the sea for pumping up sunken waste, faeces and dead marine organisms,
in particular fish.
In another application, the construction is used in a pumping apparatus and
system for pumping up
waste from a seabed, such as slime and similar.
These beneficial embodiments of the construction, are defined in dependent
claims 2 to 5.
The hose pursuant to the present invention comprises one or more buoyancy
elements adapted for
maintaining the hose substantially in an upright orientation in an ocean
environment.
The following features are of benefit:
- the buoyancy element is a float coupled to the hose;
- the buoyancy element is a combination of a pipe section with an
integral float which is arranged in
a ring-form manner around the pipe section, wherein the pipe section is
coupled/joined within the
pipe at a suitable height above the bottom;
- an outside of the float 44 is formed with rounded edges and corners,
such that the float is not
susceptible to being caught up in moorings and similar and causing associated
damage;
- the pumping arrangement is implemented as an air injector, wherein an
air hose is adapted to be
coupled into the hose at its lower end, such that injection of air causes a
water flow for pumping up
waste through the hose.
The floating element is implemented as a combination of a pipe section with a
float, wherein the float is
implemented in a ring-form manner around the pipe section.
Beneficially, there is arranged for:
- the float to be implemented around a central portion of the pipe
section;
- the float to be defined as a cap which is arranged around the pipe, and
the cap defines together
with the pipe one or more chambers filled with a gas such as air;
- the float to be a float element including float foam, or a material
with a lower density than that of
water, such as a cork material or a float foam which is an polystyrene
material.
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For a suitable gas, air, Nitrogen, or various noble gases such as Argon, or
mixtures of these gases can
be utilized.
The float is implemented with recessed tracks for receiving hose clamps, and
machined corners for
avoiding wear from flat hoses and similar. The float's buoyancy is
beneficially adapted to the weight of
the hose system.
The present invention is capable of providing many advantages:
Firstly, the hose system in the pumping arrangement is orientated in an
upright manner in the sea at all
times. This results in the major advantage that the driving material during
pumping, which is usually air,
has an upward effect as soon as the pumping arrangement is started into
operation, and without
requiring energy for raising the hose systems which partially lies folded
together.
The advantages with this are that the hoses do not lie folded and more or less
sunk together down at
the bottom of the cage net when pumping commences, and the system does not
experience the
strongly upward forces which influence the hose and the pumping head 23 in a
such a starting phase in
response to the addition of the air.
Such movement of the hose and the pumping system can at exposed locations
result in considerable
wear and damage to the net and the hose system.
As a consequence of the pumping arrangement standing upright in the sea, there
is avoided a situation
that results in air functioning like a lever on the pump head and resulting in
an unsatisfactory orientation
of the hose in relation to the bottom of the net, something which can result
in the fish distributing
themselves incorrectly in relation to an entrance of the pumping arrangement
which can be
implemented as a cap (for example having a sombrero-type form).
When the pumping system is standing upright substantially at a centre of the
net, it is easier to avoid
that other apparatus such as biomass frames, underwater cameras, sensors and
similar, twists and
entangles themselves into the hoses and ropes of the cage system.
Several things to be mentioned are that there is often different lengths in
lifting systems in smolt cages
and in food fish nets as a consequence of these having mutually different
depths. By way of the present
invention, the buoyancy elements/floats can be deployed completely float awash
or under water, and
are operable to keep the hose 20 standing upright in the sea.
The float can be placed all from directly under the sea surface to longer down
in the cage.
The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompany
diagrams, wherein:
Figure 1 is an illustration of a system for pumping up pursuant to a known
solution;
Figure 2 is an illustration of a corresponding system, wherein the present
invention is utilized;
Figure 3 is an illustration of an elongate section of a buoyancy element
pursuant to the present
invention as included in a hose/pipe 20;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a buoyancy element pursuant to the
present invention; and
S
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional illustration taken along the line X-X in
Figure 3.
Figure us described earlier as being representative of known technical state-
of-the-art. In Figure 2,
which is a slightly more enlarged portion of Figure 1, there is illustrated as
a novel feature, namely that
uppermost on the hose 20, and completely surrounding it, is coupled a buoyancy
element 40, and which
is shown in detail in Figure 3.
This buoyancy element includes an air-filled element or a tank 40 which is
coupled to the hose 20.
Generally, the element can be implemented as a hollow element which is
attached to and onto an
outside or surrounding the hose 20.
Following to an especially preferred solution, and as shown in Figures 3 to 5,
there are amongst other
in things buoyancy element, formed as an independent section inserted into
the hose 20 and comprising a
pipe section 42 wherein there is integrated a ring-form float/float element 44
in a surrounding encircling
formation. The section of pipe 42 extends through the float element 44. On an
outside, the float
element 44 is formed with round edges and corners, such that the float is not
susceptible to snarling in
moorings and inside the cage, where it can cause damage.
The structure of the float element 44 is shown most clearly in the elongate
section in Figure 3 and in a
cross-section in Figure 5. The float element comprises a cap 41 which is
attached or disposed outside
and around the pipe section 42. Between the cap's 41 inside wall and the pipe
sections' 42 outer wall,
there is established a ring-formed chamber 43 which is filled with a gas, in
particular air. An outside of
the float element 44 and the transitions to the pipe section 42 are
correspondingly formed with rounded
edges and corners.
For ensuring buoyancy, the chamber 43 can be filled with a light-weight float
foam, something which is
beneficial in an event that the element wall 44 is punctured and water flows
into the chamber.
Alternatively, the float element 44 can itself be manufactured from light
floating cork- or polystyrene
material.
The diagrams provide illustration of a float construction, wherein the
construction comprises a pipe
section 42 with a float element 44 and two outwardly projecting pipe starts
46, 48 in mutually opposite
directions. Each of these two pipe struts have substantially similar
dimensions (diameter) as the hose
20, such that the main hose 20 is divided into two portions, and de respective
ends 20A, 208 are
threaded outside the pipe struts 46, respectively 48, and are attached to the
pipe struts with help of
hose clamps (not shown) or other suitable fastening components. Thereby, there
is achieved that the
whole buoyancy element is integrated as a part of the hose system.
Figures 3 and 4 provide illustrations also of mounting flanges 50, 52, and
similarly 54, 56, which are
formed onto the outside of the pipe struts 46, respectively 48.
In Figure 4, there is provided possible practical dimensions for a float
pursuant to the present invention.
The whole construction can have a total length of approximately 105 cm,
wherein the length of the float
units can be 55 cm, and each pipe strut has a diameter 20 cm and a length 25
cm, and a total width can
be in an order of 30 cm. The chamber will then have a volume of around 20
litres.
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The float element is adapted to, and is utilized as, a part of a hose or a
pipe, and can be manufactured
from a plastics material of type PE (polyethylene) or other suitable material.
It can be fabricated around
a pipe section (for example at a spacing of 1.05 metres) which is mounted in a
holder and can form a
chamber in the cap which is threaded into the pipe and is welded in position
such that there are gradual
transitions and is devoid of sharp corners.
Although the present invention of a pumping system is described with reference
to an aquaculture
apparatus, it can be also be used in plants wherein waste such as slime and
similar, is pumped up from
a seabed. This can be, for example, a dredging apparatus, wherein the sea bed
is to be lowered by
removing mud, for example in an estuary, a canal or similar where ships are
required to pass.
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