Hydraulic and earth engineering – Marine structure or fabrication thereof – Storage container
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-17
2003-07-15
Shakelford, Heather (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Marine structure or fabrication thereof
Storage container
Reexamination Certificate
active
06592299
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method and to an installation for collecting fresh water from a spring at sea.
The technical sector of the invention is the field of methods and/or installations serving firstly to detect and locate, and secondly to collect fresh water from a spring that emerges into the sea.
The main application of the invention lies in making genuine field for the production of fresh water from springs situated beneath the sea so as to deliver fresh water to populations living in particular in semi-arid zones adjacent to sea basins such as the Mediterranean.
Various methods and apparatuses are already known for collecting fresh water from undersea springs, such as those described in particular in patent application FR 2 701 974 filed on Feb. 26, 1993 which teaches a structure having a downwardly-directed concave side covering such a spring, with the fresh water being trapped in the top portion thereof because its density is lower than that of sea water: the bottom of that structure is open so as to allow sea water to escape and fresh water to penetrate therein. The fresh water is pumped from the top portion of the structure by means of a pumping system installed on the surface, above and vertically over the coastal wall against which said structure is fixed. Such a method and apparatus are particularly adapted to collecting fresh water along coasts but cannot be used for springs situated off-shore at a distance from the coast. Furthermore, before being able to collect fresh water from such springs, it is necessary to identify them and that is more difficult when the springs are out at sea.
The problem posed is to be able initially to identify surface zones beneath which there might exist such fresh water springs gushing from the bottom of the sea, and then to confirm and locate them accurately, and subsequently to install collection apparatus enabling the main part of the flow from such a spring to be recovered without said fresh water becoming polluted with the surrounding sea water and while using implementation means that are simple and easy to install for bringing said fresh water as captured in this way to the shore, even if the spring is far out.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect of the solution to the problem posed by the present invention, the present invention provides a method of collecting fresh water at sea, in which:
a first weight is placed close, and preferably as close as possible, to a fresh water resurgence point located on the bottom of the sea, and secondary weights are positioned at given distances relative thereto to form a closed line around the first weight and said fresh water resurgence point;
a flexible reservoir constituted by an envelope suitable for taking up a bell-shape, is lowered in the folded state, preferably furled by means of ties, and weighted at its bottom portion, vertically towards the first weight;
said envelope is deployed by unfolding it and preferably by unfurling it until the circumference of its bottom end is located at a given distance from said secondary weights so that said envelope takes up said bell-shape, preferably in the form of a spherical cap; and
fresh water is collected beneath the flexible reservoir installed in this way.
Said envelope takes up said bell-shape under the pressure of the water that fills it.
In an embodiment, the fresh water can be collected by means of a pump. In which case, said pump can be installed on said first weight and said pump can be put into operation when the level of the, interface between fresh water and sea water is at least below the level of the pump intake, and the fresh water that has been taken in this way is delivered via a delivery pipe.
It is also possible to collect fresh water, with or without a pump, by means of a pipe that opens out at a first end in the top portion of the inside of the reservoir, and at a second end in a zone on land situated below sea level, preferably into a container.
In a first embodiment, a chimney is installed inside said reservoir, the chimney being open at its top portion and surrounding the fresh water resurgence at least in part and preferably in full. The bottom portion of said chimney is preferably secured in leakproof manner to the bottom of the sea. After an initial period of evacuating sea water, this leakproofing makes it possible to prevent the flow of fresh water coming into contact with sea water while the fresh water is rising into the top portion of the inside of the reservoir.
In this embodiment with an internal chimney, it is not essential for the bottom end of the reservoir to be secured in leakproof manner to the bottom of the sea, so the reservoir can be spaced apart from the bottom of the sea.
In another embodiment, after the envelope has been deployed and until the bottom circumference thereof has been put into position at a given distance from said secondary weights so as to cause it to take up said bell-shape, the bottom end of the reservoir is secured to the bottom of the sea in leakproof manner. In this embodiment, the secondary weights make it possible to take up forces so as to move the bottom end of the reservoir as close as possible to the bottom of the sea, thereby making it possible to establish a leakproof connection. In this embodiment, it is not essential to install said chimney inside the reservoir.
Said chimney and/or said reservoir can be secured in leakproof manner to the bottom of the sea by causing the circumference of the bottom end of said chimney or said reservoir to fit closely over the relief of the bottom of the sea.
In the present invention, the term “leakproofing” is used to mean that contact is prevented between the water inside the reservoir or the chimney and the water outside. The leakproofing can be total or merely substantial so as to ensure that no significant mixing takes place, thereby providing fresh water that is not significantly mixed with the sea water on the outside.
In an embodiment, said flexible reservoir is constituted by a double-walled envelope that is preferably subdivided into compartments, into which a slurry of concrete is injected, which concrete preferably has specific gravity close to 1, and is injected after the envelope has been deployed, and preferably after leakproofing has been established between the circumference at the bottom end of the reservoir and the bottom of the sea, when the reservoir has taken up said bell-shape under the pressure of fresh water filling it.
Preferably, when the flexible reservoir constituted by an envelope suitable for taking up a bell-shape is lowered, the top portion of said envelope, which remains open, is surmounted by a float, and when said envelope is deployed so as to adopt said bell-shape, the top portion of the bell is closed by an escape valve for allowing any gas that may be contained in the fresh water to escape, and the fresh water is collected from the underside of the flexible reservoir as installed in this way.
More particularly, when said flexible reservoir constituted by an envelope is lowered in furled form vertically towards the first weight, sling lines are fixed between each secondary weight and the circumference of the bottom end of the bell, and the bell is unfurled by pulling on said lines until said circumference of the bottom end is positioned at a given distance from said secondary weights such that the envelope takes up said bell-shape, preferably in the form of a spherical cap, and preferably a hemispherical cap.
The present invention also provides an installation for collecting fresh water that is resurgent at sea, the installation comprising an immersed bell-shaped reservoir, preferably in the form of a spherical cap, with its open concave side facing downwards, and suitable for trapping fresh water in its top portion, and a system suitable for taking said fresh water, the installation being characterized in that the circumference of the bottom end of said reservoir and/or the circumference of the bottom end of a chimney inside said reservoir and open at its top end and surroun
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Nymphea Water
Saldano Lisa M.
Shakelford Heather
LandOfFree
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