System for the cleaning and removal of oily and floating substances from rivers, channels and stream in general

Abstract

A system for cleaning rivers, channels and water courses in general includes floating modules, each having a cavity and an opening that puts the inside of the cavity in communication with the outer environment, and members that position the module so that the opening is at the height of the surface of a water body to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning rivers and other watercourses, comprising: one or more modules, wherein each module comprises one or more cavities in communication with an outer environment; and means for positioning said one or more modules on a free water surface so that substances and oils floating on the water surface enter and are collected inside the one or more cavities.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said one or more modules comprises at least one internally hollow part defining one of said one or more cavities and at least one opening which puts an inside of said one or more cavities in communication with the outer environment, and wherein said means for positioning said one or more modules on the water surface are configured so that said at least one opening is located at a height of the water surface.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said one or more modules comprise a porous body having a plurality of said cavities communicating with each other and with the outer environment.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said modules and positioning means for positioning said modules adjacent to each other along a line arranged transversely with respect to a watercourse.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising absorbent material contained in said one or more cavities of said one or more modules, and wherein said absorbent material absorbs and retains said floating substances and oils.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the system comprises a body made of said absorbent material contained in said one or more cavities, and wherein said body is removable from inside said one or more cavities.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more ducts communicating with an interior of said one or more cavities of one or more of the one or more modules and with at least one suction device which, periodically or continuously, extracts said floating substances and oils collected in said one or more cavities.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said suction device is connected by one or more manifolds to said ducts.

9. The system according to claim 4, wherein one or more of said one or more modules comprises a floating body and means for anchoring said floating body to a fixed or mobile point.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said anchoring means comprise flexible cables.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said anchoring means or said positioning means comprise a frame to which said one or more modules are directly or indirectly connected, and wherein said frame can selectively slide laterally or comprises parts sliding laterally, towards banks of the watercourse, in order to correspondingly move all or some of said one or more modules.

Description

[0028] The characteristics of the present invention will be better clarified by the following description with reference to the drawings, attached by way of a non-limiting example.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a possible arrangement of a plurality of modules (10) forming the system (1) for cleaning rivers, channels and waterways (F) in general.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of part of a module (10) in a preferred embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of part of a module (10′) in an alternative embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of multiple modules (10′) as shown in FIG. 3 connected to a single oil collection manifold.

[0033] FIGS. 5a and 5b show a plan view of a possible arrangement of modules (10) and how these modules (10) may be moved sideways to completely clear the watercourse (F).

[0034] FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of part of a module (10″) in an alternative embodiment.

[0035] The new system (1) for cleaning rivers and watercourses (F) in general is particularly and effectively usable in running watercourses.

[0036] The new system (1) includes one or more modules (10). FIGS. 2 and 3 show examples of two embodiments.

[0037] Each module (10) can have any shape, for example, but not necessarily, prismatic with a triangular base, as shown in the drawings.

[0038] Said module (10) in any case has a three-dimensional shaped body (11) with at least one internally hollow part which defines a cavity (12) intended to collect floating substances and oils on the free surface of the water.

[0039] For example, said cavity (12) coincides with the entire internal volume of the body (11) and is defined by the side walls of the body (11) itself.

[0040] Said cavity (12) comprises at least one opening (13) communicating with the environment outside the body (11), said opening (13) being for example made on one of the side walls of said body (11) of the module (10).

[0041] Said module (10) may float and said body (11) is therefore configured so that said at least one opening (13) is positioned substantially at the height of the free surface of the water, so that the floating substances and oils enter through said opening (13) and are collected inside said cavity (12).

[0042] Alternatively, said module (10) may not float, but is selectively constrained at the height of the surface of the water by positioning means or frames.

[0043] In the example shown in FIG. 2, said module (10) has substantially grid-like side walls, thus with many openings (13), and inside it there is a body made of absorbent material (14), that is, a body that absorbs and retains the floating and oily substances dragged along by the watercourse.

[0044] For example, said absorbent material is polypropylene.

[0045] Said body (14) made of absorbent material can be periodically removed and replaced.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the module (10′) comprises said at least one internal cavity (12), which, for example, substantially involves the entire volume of the body (11) of the module (10′) and is delimited by the lateral walls of the latter.

[0047] Said cavity (12) communicates with the environment outside of the body (11) by means of at least one opening (13) through which said floating and oily substances of the watercourse enter and are collected inside said cavity (12).

[0048] In the embodiment in FIG. 3, the module (10′) also comprises at least one duct (21) with a suction mouth (22) located inside said cavity (12) and connected to a suction device (20) which, periodically or continuously, extracts the oily substances collected in said cavity (12) of a module (10′) transferring them to a collection point to be sent for subsequent disposal treatments.

[0049] The system (1) may also comprise a single suction device (20) connected by means of one or more main manifolds (23) to said ducts (22) of all or part of said modules (10′).

[0050] In the embodiment with floating modules (10, 10′), said system (1) further comprises means (3) for anchoring said floating body (11) to a fixed or mobile point.

[0051] According to one embodiment, said anchoring means (3) of the modules (10, 10′) are configured in such a way as to position several such modules substantially along a line (X) which crosses the watercourse (F) transversely, that is, orthogonally to the direction (W) of the water flow (FIG. 1) or with any inclination with respect to that direction (W) (FIG. 5a).

[0052] For example, said anchoring means (3) are flexible cables, so that said modules (10, 10′) can be moved aside for example by large debris, such as tree trunks, or by boats, without preventing the passage of vessels in general.

[0053] In the embodiment in FIGS. 5a and 5b, which also applies to the embodiment with non-floating modules, said anchoring means (3) comprise a frame (31) to which said modules (10, 10′) are constrained, preferably by means of said flexible cables, and wherein said frame (31) can selectively slide laterally or comprises parts sliding laterally, towards the banks (F1) of the watercourse, to correspondingly move said floating bodies (11), thus clearing the watercourse when necessary.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the system (1) may include guides or housing compartments (32) constructed beyond the banks (F1) of the watercourse (F), to house said modules (10, 10′) when they are moved sideways to completely clear the watercourse.

[0055] In the embodiment in FIG. 6, the module (10″) comprises a porous body (11″) having a plurality of said cavities (12) distributed and communicating with each other and with the outer environment to absorb and collect the floating oils and substances. The porous body (11″) may for example float and be held by a cable (3) and/or by a frame as previously described.

[0056] Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and the attached drawings the following claims are made.