Environmental Remediation System

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments. The apparatus comprises: a vessel including an opening, and an uptake line or pump coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel. The opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water. The vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials inside the vessel. The uptake line or pump housing includes an attachment selected from the group consisting of an impeller, e.g. an air and/or water cannon, a pump, and a sliding collar.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to remediation of contamination in aquatic environments, and more particularly, to an apparatus, system and method for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Manufacturing facilities may use water from natural sources, e.g., rivers and streams, for cooling plant processes. The water often contains entrained silt or other contaminants, that may be carried into the plant along with the water, even though wire mesh screens may be used to filter the water brought into the plant. The entrained silt or other contaminants may accumulate in conduits, e.g., pipes, sluices, weirs, or spillways used to carry the water, particularly as the water leaves the plant, because the flow may be slowest where the water is returned to its original source, and entrained silt and contaminants are more likely to deposit in the conduits when the flow becomes slower where the water exits the plant. This may result in a build-up of silt or other contaminants in the conduits where the water exits the plant that must be periodically remediated.

Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus, system and method for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a vessel including an opening, wherein when the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, wherein the vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials inside the vessel; and an uptake line coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, wherein the uptake line includes an attachment selected from the group consisting of an impeller and a sliding collar.

A second aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising:

a vessel including an opening, wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, wherein the vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials interior the vessel; and an uptake line coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel.

A third aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a vessel including an opening, wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, wherein the vessel has been configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe; and a slidable collar having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first opening and the second end has a second opening, and wherein the first opening encloses and slidably couples at least one discharge pipe and the second opening encloses and slidably couples to a pump housing.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising: providing a vessel that has been equipped with a water or air impeller to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe; suspending the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the at least one discharge pipe.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising: equipping an uptake line with a water or air impeller for withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from a sediment layer at the bottom of a body of water; withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the uptake line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an apparatus for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments, according to embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 depicts a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the apparatus for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments depicted in FIG. 1, further comprising discharge piping operably coupled to the sliding collar of the uptake line, according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a front cross-sectional view of an apparatus 100, such as a

“Extraction Lunchbox (ELB) Mini-Vac” for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments. The apparatus 100 comprises: a vessel 10 including an opening 15, and an uptake line 62 coupled to the vessel 10 and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials 20 from an interior 25 of the vessel to an exterior 30 of the vessel 10. The opening 15 is facing a bottom 35 of a body of water 40, and the vessel 10 is in direct physical contact with the bottom 35 of the body of water 40. The vessel 10 has been configured to contain and suspend materials inside the vessel 10. The uptake line 62 includes a water or air impeller 5 selected from the group consisting of an impeller, e.g. an air and/or water cannon, a pump, and a sliding collar.

The vessel 10 may be made of metal or plastic. The metal may be stainless steel, copper, aluminum or alloys of steel, copper or aluminum. The plastic may be polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, high density polypropylene, polyimide, silicone rubber, and the like.

The uptake line 62 may be a metal or plastic tube slidably coupled to a lateral wall 45 of the vessel 10 by a slidable coupling 50. The slidable coupling 50 may be a compressible collar that exerts a frictional resistance to movement against a surface 60 of the uptake line 62, and against a surface 65 of the wall 45, so the uptake line may be vertically positioned along a longitudinal axis 70, by overcoming the frictional resistance to movement, thus moving the vessel 10 in one of the directions depicted by the bidirectional arrow 75. Hereinafter, “slidably coupled” is defined as a mechanical or physical coupling that may be formed or de-coupled by re-establishing or overcoming the frictional resistance to movement, thus holding the vessel 10 in place, or moving the vessel 10 in one of the directions depicted by the bidirectional arrow 75. For example, re-establishing or overcoming the frictional resistance to movement when the compressible collar exerts frictional resistance to movement against the surface 60 of the uptake line 62, and against a surface 65 of the wall 45.

In FIG. 1, the uptake line 62 has been equipped with a water or air impeller 5 for withdrawing water and suspended materials such as silt from the sediment layer at the bottom 35 of the body of water 40. The water or air impeller 5 may be a water or air booster cannon or a pump, so that the contained and suspended materials 20 may be transported from an interior 25 of the vessel to an exterior 30 of the vessel 10.

The vessel 10 may be configured with 360° directional underwater propulsion units 17 so that the opening 15 of the apparatus 100 may be geographically located over the bottom 35 of the body of water 40, e.g. over selected polar coordinates of the bottom 35 of the body of water 40.

The vessel 10 may be “lowered” into position by mechanical or other means, in accordance with the step 620 of the method 600, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,713, issued Sep. 4, 2007, to Thomas J. Kryzak, and depicted in FIG. 3A of U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,713, which is herein incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the vessel 10 may be “lowered” into position by operably coupling the vessel 10 to a lifting bag, in tandem with a mechanical lifting device and a rigging unit. Lifting may be advantageously augmented by a buoy/float device with or without a 360° multi-directional propulsion unit.

By removing air/water/materials out of an interior 25 of the vessel 10, a weight of the vessel 10 may drive the edge 80 of the vessel 10 deeper into the bottom 35 of the body of water 40, resulting in creating a releasable seal 85 at the edge 80 of the vessel 10, that may be formed from the sediment layer of the bottom 35 outside of the vessel 10 pressing against the edge 80 and the bottom 35 of the body of water 40. The releasable seal 85 thereby may isolate the interior 25 from the body of water 40, and/or the bottom 35 of the body of water 40, that may be outside the vessel 10.

Hereinafter, “releasably sealing” or “releasably sealed” is defined as forming or breaking or cleaving or severing a mechanical and physical coupling, e.g. the “releasable seal”, between the edge 80 of the vessel 10 and the sediment layer of the bottom 35 outside of the vessel 10.

Alternatively the releasable seal 85 may be a flex seal between the edge 80 of the vessel 10 and the bottom 35 of the body of water 40. Flex seals, e.g. apron bladders, or apron bladder bundles have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7 497 645, issued Mar. 3, 2009, to Thomas J. Kryzak, which is herein incorporated by reference.

The vessel 10 may be configured with agitating devices 90, e.g., multidirectional rotating air/water jets, whips, chains, drills, cutters, augers, blades, and choppers. Water may be drawn from the exterior 30 of the vessel 10 into the interior 25 of the vessel 10 in the direction of the arrow 97 to suspend the contained and suspended materials 20 from the bottom 35 of the body of water 40, so the suspended contained and suspended materials 20 may be transported from the interior 25 to the exterior 30 of the vessel 10. The vertical position of the agitating devices 90 along the longitudinal axis 70 may be raised or lowered by raising or lowering pipe 95 within shaft 100 of the vessel 10, wherein the pipe 95 is operably coupled to the agitating devices 90 at the union 115. Hereinafter, the term “operably coupled” is defined as physically or mechanically joining or forming a mechanical or physical union between two parts, e.g., between the pipe 95 and the agitating devices 90, so there is free 360° rotation at the union 115 between the pipe and the agitating devices. The vertical position of the agitating devices 90 may be fixed in place by aligning the support 110 with support pins 105 of a height adjustment device, wherein the support 110 is operably coupled to the pipe 95.

The vessel 10 may be configured with a still, motion or TV camera and lights for underwater viewing.

The vessel 10 may be supported by a sled that allows travel across or though the bottom 35 of the body of water 40.

FIG. 2 depicts a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the apparatus 100 for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments depicted in FIG. 1, wherein a pump 125 has been inserted into housing 63, and the apparatus 100 further comprises discharge piping 145 operably coupled to the sliding collar 55 of the housing 63, and an air or water impeller 135, so that the contained and suspended materials 20 may be transported from an interior 25 of the vessel 10 to an exterior 30 of the vessel 10. In this embodiment, water from the interior 25 of the vessel 10 has been pumped by air or water impeller 135, rotating in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 120, so the direction of flow through the discharge piping 145 is in the direction of the arrow 130. The contained and suspended materials 20 may be transported from the interior 25 of the vessel to an exterior 30 of the vessel 10 through the opening 140 of the discharge piping 145.

FIG. 2 depicts an apparatus 100, comprising: a vessel 10 including an opening 15. The opening 15 is facing a bottom 35 of a body of water 40, and the vessel 10 is in direct physical contact with the bottom 35 of the body of water 40. The vessel 10 has been configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior 25 of the vessel 10 to an exterior 30 of the vessel 10 through at least one discharge pipe 145.

In one embodiment, a slidable collar 55 has a first end 56 and a second end 57. The first end 56 has a first opening 58 and the second end 57 has a second opening 59. The first opening 58 encloses and slidably couples at least one discharge pipe 145 and the second opening 59 encloses and slidably couples to a pump housing 63.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, many modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a vessel including an opening, wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, wherein the vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials interior the vessel; and

an uptake line coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uptake line includes an attachment selected from the group consisting of an impeller and a sliding collar.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller is a water or air impeller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller is selected from the group consisting of an air and/or water cannon, a pump and combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel is made of metal or plastic.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, aluminum, alloys of steel, copper and aluminum.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, high density polypropylene, polyimide, silicone rubber, and combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uptake line is be a metal or plastic tube slidably coupled to a lateral wall of the vessel by a slidable coupling.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slidable coupling is a compressible collar that exerts a frictional resistance to movement against a surface of the uptake line, and against a surface a wall of the vessel, so the uptake line may be vertically positioned along a longitudinal axis of the uptake line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel is configured with 360° directional underwater propulsion units so that an opening of the apparatus may be geographically located over the bottom of the body of water.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel is configured with agitating devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the agitating devices are selected from the group consisting of multidirectional rotating air/water jets, whips, chains, drills, cutters, augers, blades, choppers, and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a vertical position of the agitating devices along the longitudinal axis of the vessel may be raised or lowered by raising or lowering a pipe within a shaft of the vessel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pipe is operably coupled to the agitating devices at a union, so there is free 360° rotation at the union between the pipe and the agitating devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel is configured with a still, motion or TV camera and lights for underwater viewing.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel is supported by a sled that allows travel across or though the bottom of the body of water.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a vessel including an opening, wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, wherein the vessel has been configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe; and

a slidable collar having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first opening and the second end has a second opening, and wherein the first opening encloses and slidably couples at least one discharge pipe and the second opening encloses and slidably couples to a pump housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising a pump within the pump housing for transporting the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through the at least one discharge pipe.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one discharge pipe is slidably coupled to the sliding collar of pump.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pump comprises an air or water impeller.

21. A method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising: providing a vessel that has been equipped with a water or air impeller to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe;

suspending the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and

transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the at least one discharge pipe.

22. A method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising:

equipping an uptake line with a water or air impeller for withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from a sediment layer at the bottom of a body of water;

withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and

transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the uptake line.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising:

providing a lifting bag, in tandem with a mechanical lifting device and a rigging unit;

lowering the vessel into position by operably coupling the vessel to the lifting bag.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein lifting is augmented by a buoy/float device with or without a 360° multi-directional propulsion unit.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising:

forming a releasable seal between an edge of the vessel and the sediment layer of the bottom of the body of water, wherein the releasable seal isolates the interior of the vessel from the body of water, and/or the bottom of the body of water, that is exterior the vessel.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the releasable seal is a flex seal between the edge of the vessel and the bottom of the body of water.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the flex seal is selected from the group consisting of an apron bladder and an apron bladder bundle.