Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Settling of suspended matter in a specific location
Patent
1992-12-23
1994-07-19
Corbin, David H.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Settling of suspended matter in a specific location
405 87, E02B 302
Patent
active
053302893
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a method and means of removing sediments (particles) from a fluid after deposition.
The invention can be used for the extraction of sediments from rivers carrying sediments in suspension, so as to control the processes on the river bed or utilize such sediments for a variety of purposes including: sand and gravel extraction, earth filling, mineral exploration, or the measurement of sediment-transport in rivers.
A specific application of the invention is as a water outlet in river development systems and associated constructions such as hydropower stations, irrigation systems and normal water supply where there is a need to remove sediments in the river water before it is led into the pipelines, tunnels or channels that connect the river to the end user.
Known means of removing sediments from systems which are in continuous operation involve flushing, suction or the mechanical scraping of sediments. Flushing (continuous or periodic) is dependent on obtaining sufficient velocity in the fluid carrying the particles to force the particles out of the fluid stream by means of a flushing device. Despite the substantial fluid consumption, the method produces a correspondingly low concentration of sediments in the flushed outflow. If it is required to separate particles of different sizes, their physical characterists will lead to deposition in different geographical areas of the sedimentation basin. This involves a further increase in the fluid requirements of such flushing systems.
Systems involving the suction of deposited sediments will often prove expensive in operation both because of the machinery involved and the cost of its maintenance.
The removal of deposited sediments from settlement basins can either be done by closing and draining the basin, or while the system is operational.
After drainage, the sediments can either be removed by flushing or mechanical means whilst the rest of the system has been made inoperative. In practical terms this is an extremely costly and inappropriate method, where the operating losses will be enormous.
PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION
The main summary of the invention is to find a method and a means of removing sediments that does not involve halting the fluid flow and only a restricted amount of fluid is required to remove the sediments.
Another consideration is that the method is to be straightforward to use. Consequently, the following demands have been stipulated: settlement basin understand the method and thereby be in a position to monitor it to remove the sediments by repeating the process, thus avoiding the necessity of draining the basin.
The invention can briefly be described as follows. A sluice is connected to a sedimentation basin by a longitudinal opening.
Flushing causes a difference in pressure between the settlement basin and the outlet of the sluice. The opening can be successively opened and closed throughout the length of the settlement basin. Thus the entire flushing capacity of the sluice can be moved along the bottom of the settlement basin and concentrated on the open part of the sluice just upstream of the closed part of the sluice. The settlement basin has a profile that helps sediments slide and be sucked into the sluice. The angle of the walls must be adjusted to the type of particle that is to be separated. The opening and closing velocity can be adjusted in each basin to achieve an optimal technical/economic solution. This is done by natching the following parameters: fluid flow in the sluice, the amount and nature of the sediments, the cleansing required by the fluid and the shape of the basin (including the fluid velocity in the settlement basin).
A flexible float unit such as a flexible pipe could be used to open and close the opening between the settlement basin and the sluice. The float unit should be designed so that it can both open and close the space between the basin and the sluice, and be strong enough to take the force of the underpressure in the sluice and also the sediment wear on it
REFERENCES:
patent: 510713 (1893-12-01), Scott
patent: 1351979 (1920-09-01), Valentin
patent: 1388040 (1921-08-01), Hood
patent: 4189253 (1980-02-01), Pekor
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