RESERVOIR COVERING SYSTEM

Abstract

A covering system for a body of water including a cover for covering a portion of the body of water, the cover having formed therein at least one hole, and a load bearing post that passes vertically through the at least one hole, an end of the load bearing post being anchored in a bottom surface of the body of water, wherein the cover moves up and down along the load bearing post as a level of the body of water rises and falls.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to coverings for bodies of water, such as reservoirs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The design and construction of reservoir covers involves many aspects and is application dependent. However, there are a number of crucial and common issues that must be addressed when covering a reservoir. For example, the cover must fully or partially protect water evaporation, contamination and/or leakage. The cover must be able to sustain its position relative to the reservoir while taking into consideration wind and other environmental factors. The cover should be able to follow changing reservoir levels.

When “floating covers” are involved, common methods of dealing with these issues include the use of troughs and/or sumps to compensate for the changing reservoir surface area due to changing water levels and to allow drainage of rain water of the cover. Draining rain water is achieved either by gravitational means or via pumps.

These methods include the use of floats and ballasts at times in conjunction with a tensioning and/or cabling system in order to sustain the covers position relative to the reservoir. In other instances the ballasts are used as anchors for sectioning parts of the reservoir.

The use of geomembrane materials, floating covers, floating baffle curtains, liners and alike, for use in potable water reservoirs, waste water reservoirs, fish rearing reservoirs, ponds, industrial or process water facilities etc is well known. When potable water is involved, the cover material extends to the perimeter of the reservoir and usually is secured to the perimeter of the reservoir in conjunction with a bottom liner membrane.

One major concern in the design of floating covers is wind (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,900 to Burke et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,005 to Yekutiely et al.). Most often reservoir covers are secured to reservoir via cabling or tensioning means located at reservoir perimeter. When wind or other loads are present upon the cover, loads will transfer from the cover region to the perimeter. When very large covers are involved, wind or other load factors can become substantial and difficult to manage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide an improved covering system for bodies of water, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.

The invention is not limited to reservoirs and may be adapted to many different types of water bodies such as but not limited to, rivers, lakes, canals, open sea, etc., as well as to other liquids and semi-liquids (the term “water” encompassing liquids and semi-liquids).

While the use of the word “cover” generally relates to a membrane material capable of preventing or reducing evaporation of the water body, it is not limited or restricted to such a material and may include floating covers, buoys, panels, platforms and the like, also capable of preventing or reducing evaporation of the water body.

The cover may be part of a system for renewable energy (e.g., electricity), including, but not limited to, photovoltaic cells, solar cells, gas collection and/or creation, wind and wave power generation, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified top-view and sectional illustrations, respectively, of a covering system, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 being taken along lines B-B in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are simplified illustrations of a covering system, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 being taken along lines B-B in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a simplified illustration of another cover with load bearing posts, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate a covering system 10 for a body of water 12, constructed and operative in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The body of water 12 is bounded by walls 13.

The covering system 10 includes a cover 14 for covering a portion of the body of water 12. One or more through-holes 16 are formed in cover 14. One or more load bearing posts 18 pass vertically through holes 16. The term “post” encompasses posts, columns, rails, studs, structural foundations and the like. The load bearing posts 18 are capable of distributing load factors associated with the cover 14, e.g., wind, rain, waves, gases, etc. The posts 18 may have circular cross-section or a non-circular cross-section, such as but not limited to, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal and irregular shapes. An end of the load bearing post 18 is anchored (moored, tensioned, fastened and/or secured in any other way or in combination) in a bottom surface 20 of the body of water 12. The cover 14 moves up and down along the load bearing post 18 as a level of the body of water 12 rises and falls.

Although the hole 16 can be unsealed, more preferably a sliding seal 22 (e.g., elastomeric O-ring, rollers, rings or other types of sliding bearings) is disposed on cover 14 at hole 16, which generally prevents water from flowing through hole 16.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 4. In this non-limiting embodiment, an auxiliary cover 24 is placed over top ends of the load bearing post 18. A tensioning device 26 (such as but not limited to, a coil spring, or devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) tensions the auxiliary cover 24 over the load bearing post 18. A ballast 28 may be attached to ends of auxiliary cover 24 as further tensioning means. A bottom liner 30 may be installed near the bottom surface of the body of water 12. An energy generating device 32 (such as but not limited to, photovoltaic cells, solar cells, gas collection and/or creation, wind and wave power generation, and others) may be disposed on a top surface of cover 14.

The covering system of the invention may include a modular matrix of a plurality of these covers and load bearing posts. This greatly facilitates adding or replacing covers and/or energy generating device. FIG. 5 illustrates another variation where the posts are provided with stabilizing elements 37, such as prongs, lugs, etc.

The load bearing posts can also be connected or attached to the cover in other ways, such as but not limited to, cabling, mechanical levers, pistons, and other means that allow the cover to follow changing water levels as well as adapt to margins, slope or bottom of the reservoir as it becomes gradually exposed. The posts do not necessarily directly penetrate the cover.

The present invention thus provides an improved reservoir covering system having means of enhancing, securing and assuring reservoir performance, quality, output, maintainability and longevity. The system adapts to differing loads exerted upon the cover, and to changing water levels. The covering system may include modular means and methods for creating the reservoir covers.

The scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.

Claims

1. A covering system for a body of water comprising:

a cover for covering a portion of said body of water, said cover having formed therein at least one hole; and

a load bearing post that passes vertically through said at least one hole, an end of said load bearing post being anchored in a bottom surface of said body of water, wherein said cover moves up and down along said load bearing post as a level of said body of water rises and falls.

2. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said load bearing post has a circular cross-section.

3. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said load bearing post has a non-circular cross-section.

4. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding seal disposed on said cover at said hole that generally prevents water from flowing through said hole.

5. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary cover over top ends of said load bearing post.

6. The covering system according to claim 5, further comprising a tensioning device that tensions said auxiliary cover over said load bearing post.

7. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a modular matrix of a plurality of the covers and the load bearing posts.

8. The covering system according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises an energy generating device on a top surface thereof.

9. The covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a bottom liner installed near the bottom surface of said body of water.

10. A covering system for a body of water comprising:

a cover for covering a portion of said body of water; and

a vertical load bearing post that has an end anchored in a bottom surface of said body of water, wherein said cover moves up and down along said load bearing post as a level of said body of water rises and falls.